The Family Law Bar Association (FLBA)

The Family Law Bar Association is the specialist bar association for barristers practising family law in England and Wales. It is a professional membership body, not an advice service — but for a self-representing parent facing a contested hearing, it is the definitive route to finding specialist family counsel, including through public-access schemes.

REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-31

What the FLBA is

The FLBA represents the views and interests of practising members of the Family Law Bar in England and Wales. It is one of the largest specialist bar associations and exists to support barristers who work in family proceedings — public law (care and supervision cases), private law (children arrangements disputes), financial remedy (money and property on divorce) and related areas.

The association's work includes: training and continuing professional development for its members; two annual conferences and a programme of seminars; responding to consultations on family justice reform; publishing Family Affairs, its tri-annual magazine; and publishing At A Glance, a widely used annual reference on financial remedy procedure and case law that has been described as "the Bible" for financial remedy practitioners.

Membership is drawn from across the family bar, from junior barristers to the most senior King's Counsel specialising in family work. Like all barristers, FLBA members are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

What help it offers

The FLBA does not give legal advice to the public and does not operate a helpline. Its public-facing value lies in:

A specialist register. The FLBA website carries information about the association and its members' field of practice; barristers practising family law can be located through the Bar Council's Bar Directory and the FLBA's own site.
Public-access barrister search. Since 2013-14, many barristers can be instructed directly by members of the public without going through a solicitor ("public access" or "direct access" work). For a self-representing parent this can mean hiring a family barrister to draft documents, advise on strategy, or even represent you at a final hearing for a one-off fee.
Professional leadership and resources that shape how family cases are run — for example, its published guidance and responses on procedure and fees influence practice across the family courts.

Contact details

Website: https://www.flba.co.uk
Email: admin@flba.co.uk
Postal address: FLBA Administrator, PO Box 202, Kent BR8 9EP
Contact page: https://www.flba.co.uk/contact-us/

There is no public telephone helpline; contact is by email or post, and enquiries are handled by the FLBA Administrator.

How a self-representing parent can use the FLBA

If you are litigating in person, the FLBA is relevant at these practical points:

1. Instructing a family barrister directly. If your case has a significant hearing — a contested final hearing in children proceedings, a financial dispute resolution appointment, an appeal — you may be able to engage a barrister under the public access scheme. Barristers' clerks will assess whether your case is suitable for direct access (complex cases involving children's social care may require a solicitor). You can search for public-access family barristers via the Bar Council's directory at barristers.co.uk and check each barrister's profile on the BSB Register at barstandardsboard.org.uk. 2. Unbundled drafting and advice. Many litigants in person use counsel for discrete pieces of work: drafting a position statement, skeleton argument, or advice on the strength of an application. This can be far cheaper than full representation. 3. Understanding the landscape. The FLBA site's news and publications give you a sense of current issues in family practice — fee levels, court backlogs, procedural changes — which helps you anticipate how courts are operating. 4. Knowing what "specialist" means. When you see a barrister's chambers describing family specialisms, FLBA membership is one of the markers that the individual genuinely practises family law day-to-day rather than occasionally.

Note the FLBA itself cannot recommend an individual barrister or intervene in disputes with counsel — complaints about a barrister go to the Bar Standards Board.

Useful links

FLBA homepage: https://www.flba.co.uk
Contact: https://www.flba.co.uk/contact-us/
Bar Council public access information: https://www.barcouncil.org.uk
Bar Standards Board register (check a barrister's practising status): https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures and contact details change — verify anything important against the official sources linked above before relying on it. Your Family Case is an independent directory listing; we take no referral fees and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or receiving payment from any organisation listed.

Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.