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Details for Dr Emma Hitchings

Personal details
Name Dr Emma Hitchings
Job title Reader in Family Law
Department University of Bristol Law School University of Bristol
Contact details This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations Office.

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work+44 (0)117 331 8092
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Qualifications L.L.B., Ph.D.(Wales)
Professional details
Membership of professional bodies Since 2003 I have been the case commentaries editor for the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, and in 2007 I was appointed to serve as the academic member on the Family Law Committee of the Law Society of England and Wales.
Keywords family law
judicial discretion
social landlords
rent arrears
ancillary relief
marital property agreement
civil partnership property agreement
Areas of expertise My main research interests lie in the field of Family Law, although in 2004-2005, I was involved in a joint research project (Sheffield Hallam and Bristol Universities) funded by the Department of Constitutional Affairs which examined how judges exercise their discretion in cases where social landlords seek possession against their tenants on the ground of rent arrears. In 2007 I was awarded a Nuffield Social Science Small Grant to investigate family solicitors' responses to the impact of leading ancillary relief jurisprudence in the 'everyday case' and most recently I have been awarded a grant by the Law Commission to conduct empirical research into how practitioners advise clients where a marital (or civil partnership) property agreement is required.