Using legal technology to support ethical, trauma-informed family law practice (Part 2)

In Part One of this series, I explored the nature of trauma and its impact on family law proceedings. In this second article, I turn to the practical application of that understanding and the role that legal technology can play in supporting a more trauma-informed approach.

Remote and hybrid hearings

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote hearings have become common in family law. For many clients, especially those who have faced domestic abuse, being able to attend hearings from home has lowered anxiety and made it easier to take part.

Staying out of the physical court environment means clients do not risk running into their abuser in waiting rooms, hallways, or parking lots. Many practitioners know how distressing these situations can be. While courts can impose special measures, they are not always sufficient.

Remote hearings and online dispute resolution, such as shuttle mediation, create a more controlled, less confrontational setting. These methods can reduce the risk of re-traumatisation while still allowing everyone to fully participate.

Apps supporting clients

Family law technology has seen substantial innovation in recent years, and the support available to clients has also expanded beyond the confines of legal proceedings.

Apps like Bright Sky, recommended by the NHS, give people experiencing domestic abuse easy access to information and support. The journaling feature is especially helpful for those whose trauma affects their memory, as it lets them record events as they happen.

Other tools help people spot patterns of abuse, learn about common myths, and plan safe ways to leave abusive situations. The National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) lets professionals make quick referrals. Platforms like RelationSpace give separating parents flexible online support, helping them process their experiences and find stability without needing traditional counselling.

In a nutshell:

• Bright Sky (NHS-recommended): provides support, information, and a journalling feature — particularly useful where memory recall is affected.

• Domestic Violence Information apps: offer guidance on cycles of abuse, myths, and leaving safely.

• NCDV (National Centre for Domestic Violence): enables referrals from police and professionals.

• RelationSpace: an online programme supporting separating parents, offering flexible access outside traditional counselling.

Co-parenting and communication tools

When parties need to keep in touch, communication can often lead to conflict. Co-parenting apps like AppClose, 2Houses, and TalkingParents help organise and record conversations, though some raise GDPR compliance concerns and question the security of the data.

Some apps let users edit messages, which can cause worries about evidence and data protection. In contrast, platforms like OurFamilyWizard offer a stronger solution. Its ToneMeter tool helps users communicate better by warning about language that could cause conflict, and its closed AI system is trained on real conversations to support positive changes.

Similarly, tools like Parenting Calendar+ use AI to organise schedules around recurring commitments, creating clear and accessible plans that reduce the scope for dispute.

Apps supporting family lawyers

For lawyers, technology is making work more efficient and focused on clients’ needs.

Digital onboarding tools such as Settify allow clients to provide key information in advance, enabling solicitors to focus on meaningful engagement during initial meetings. Financial tools such as MIRIS Reporting help assess mortgage capacity and financial outcomes, while platforms like Ruffle bring complex financial data into a searchable, analysable format. This is particularly valuable in cases involving economic abuse, where financial transparency is critical.

Services such as Clerked streamline the process of sourcing counsel, reducing delays and administrative burden at key stages in proceedings. Crucially, this can help locate available counsel for those urgent hearings, and save lawyers the time and stress of calling around different chambers for availability.

Non-Molestation Orders are a great example of how technology can support lawyers. In the past, these required several manual drafting steps and repeated client meetings. Now, initial notes or emails can be turned into structured statements with prompts, forms like the FL401 can be pre-filled, and counsel can be found quickly using platforms like Clerked. Documents can be shared securely with the client and counsel, hearings can be held remotely, and clients can be directed to online counselling and support at any time. This makes the process more efficient and eases the emotional strain on clients.

In a nutshell:

• Settify: improves client onboarding and enables better first meetings.

• MIRIS: calculates mortgage capacity and financial outcomes.

• Ruffle: analyses bank statements and spending patterns — particularly valuable in cases involving economic abuse.

• Clerked: streamlines the process of instructing barristers.

Legal AI solutions

Artificial intelligence is already embedded within many of these tools and is beginning to shape how cases are managed more broadly.

Legal AI, such as LEAP’s Matter AI, can support early-stage case assessment by providing guided or predicted outcomes, helping clients to form realistic expectations. It also has the potential to support digital triage of cases, reducing pressure on the courts and improving efficiency.

AI can also help to identify appropriate Non-Court Dispute Resolution pathways and automate aspects of document production, making legal processes more accessible. While it is important to remain aware of potential bias within AI systems, its considered use offers significant opportunities to improve both consistency and speed.

One of the more immediate and practical applications of AI lies in the use of prompts to support client interaction.

As outlined in my recent LEAP article, AI prompts can help lawyers communicate more clearly and sensitively, breaking complex legal concepts into manageable steps and reducing cognitive overload for clients. They can also be used to avoid unnecessary repetition of distressing details, generate carefully framed questions, and prepare clients for the realities of Court proceedings.

When aligned with guidance such as the Resolution Good Practice Guide to Communication, prompts can support a more consistent and compassionate approach.

Supporting neurodivergent clients

Technology also offers new ways to support neurodivergent clients who might otherwise face additional challenges in the legal system.

Prompts can be designed to match the Family Justice Council’s Guidance on Neurodiversity in the Family Justice System (January 2025), making documents easier to read and understand. They can also create scripts for conversations, helping everyone communicate more clearly and effectively. This is something we have already built within LEAP, to make the process of converting letters or documents easier for clients to understand, and faster for lawyers to produce.

This approach helps clients stay engaged and takes some pressure off practitioners. It lets them give tailored support while still following established practices.

Final thoughts

A trauma-informed approach in family law does not change the outcome, but it does improve the way we get there and the experience of both lawyers and clients in reaching that outcome.

When used carefully, legal technology can help prevent re-traumatisation, make justice more accessible, and support both clients and professionals during what are often very difficult cases.

Now is the time to bring these tools together in a way that is ethical, thoughtful, and truly focused on each person’s needs.

About the author

With over 20 years’ experience in Family Law, including as a former Partner at Brethertons LLP, Katie Phillips brings deep expertise in complex divorce, financial remedy, and children law cases. As Head of Family Law at LEAP Legal Software, she combines her practical legal experience with a passion for innovation, helping family law firms harness technology to work smarter, enhance client care, and navigate the evolving justice system.