Rob George
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow
Rob George holds a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship at University College. Dr George is a leading expert on relocation disputes, which are legal cases between separated parents where one of them proposes to move to a new geographic location with their child. His main research project from 2012 to 2014 looks at how these disputes are resolved in the trial courts of England and Wales, by looking at unreported case judgments and the experiences of lawyers and parents. (More information about this research can be found on the project page.)
More generally, Dr George's research interests are in child and family law, broadly conceived, with a particular emphasis on international and comparative aspects of the law and its practice. Dr George has strong links with practising lawyers, including being an Associate Member of Harcourt Chambers, and he is regularly consulted by practitioners about aspects of family law. He is also interested in legal policy-making, making frequent submissions to legal consultations, talking with policy-makers, officials and journalists, and writing an occasional blog on law and related areas.
Dr George works as Case Notes Editor of the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, and is a member of the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy, of the Socio-Legal Studies Association and of the Society of Legal Scholars. He welcomes enquiries about his research from academics, practising lawyers, policy-makers, journalists and others, and is happy to discuss potential research topics with prospective research students.
Publications
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R George, J Herring and P G Harris, 'Ante-Nuptial Agreements: Fairness, Equality, and Presumptions' (2011) 127 Law Quarterly Review 335 [Case Note]
R George, 'Changing Names, Changing Places: Reconsidering Section 13 of the Children Act 1989' (2008) Family Law 1121
R George, 'Child Abuse: Law and Policy Across Boundaries, by Laura Hoyano and Caroline Keenan' (2009) 23 The International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 230 [Review]
R George, 'Cohabitants' Property Rights: When Is Fair Fair?' (2012) Cambridge Law Journal 31 [Case Note]
R George, 'Fair Outcomes as Common Intentions: The Debate in Kernott v Jones' (2011) Family Law Week
R George, 'Fifty Years in Family Law: Essays for Stephen Cretney, edited by Rebecca Probert and Chris Barton' (2013) Law Quarterly Review 121 [Review]
R George, Ideas and Debates in Family Law (Hart Publishing 2012) [...]
Ideas and Debates in Family Law is written for family law students, at undergraduate level and beyond, who are looking for less orthodox ideas about family law. The book's first section looks at themes in family law, addressing challenges facing the family justice system, rights and responsibilities, and the internationalisation of the law regulating families. The second section is focused on adult relationships: it suggests new ways for the law to allocate legal consequences for families, debates the consequences of the 'contractualisation' of marriage, and explores the value of 'fairness' in family finances. The third section is about children, discussing the welfare principle, parental responsibility and practical parenting. Although these issues sound common enough in a family law book, the discussions found here are far from common. Useful by itself or alongside a textbook, Ideas and Debates in Family Law offers new and thought-provoking perspectives on family law issues.
ISBN: 9781849462549
R George, 'In Defence of Dissent: R (McDonald) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea' (2011) Family Law 1097
R George and F Judd QC, 'International Relocation: Do We Stand Alone?' (2010) Family Law 63
R George, 'Joint Residence: A Comparison of Practitioners’ Perspectives in England and France' (2007) International Family Law 28
R George, 'Lawrence v Gallaher: Playing a Straight Bat in Civil Partnership Appeals?' (2012) Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 357 [Case Note]
R George, 'Leading Cases in the Law of Tort, edited by Charles Mitchell and Paul Mitchell' (2010) Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 520 [Review]
P Harris and R George, 'Parental Responsibility and Shared Residence Orders: Parliamentary Intentions and Judicial Interpretations' (2010) 22 Child and Family Law Quarterly 151
R George, 'Parenting After Partnering: Containing Conflict After Separation, edited by Mavis Maclean' (2009) 21 Child and Family Law Quarterly 122 [Review]
R George, 'Practitioners’ Approaches to Child Welfare After Parental Separation: An Anglo-French Comparison' (2007) 19 Child and Family Law Quarterly 337
R George, 'Practitioners’ Views on Children’s Welfare in Relocation Disputes: Comparing Approaches in England and New Zealand' (2011) 23 Child and Family Law Quarterly 178
R George, P Harris and J Herring, 'Pre-Nuptial Agreements: For Better or For Worse?' (2009) Family Law 934
R George, 'Principles Relevant to Child’s Welfare and Best Interests' (2011) 7 The New Zealand Family Law Journal 26
R George, 'Re F (Children) (Internal Relocation) [2010] EWCA Civ 1428' (2011) 33 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 169 [Case Note]
R George, 'Re L (Internal Relocation: Shared Residence Order) [2009] EWCA Civ 20, [2009] 1 FLR 1157' (2010) 32 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 71 [Case Note]
R George, 'Regulating Responsibilities in Relocation Disputes' in J Bridgeman, H Keating and C Lind (eds), Regulating Family Responsibilities (Ashgate 2011)
R George, Relocation Disputes: Law and Practice in England and New Zealand (Hart Publishing 2013) (forthcoming) [...]
Relocation cases are disputes between separated parents which arise when one parent proposes to move to a new geographic location with their child and the other parent objects to the proposal. Relocation disputes are widely recognised as being amongst the most difficult cases facing family courts, and the law governing them is increasingly a cause for debate at both national and international levels. In Relocation Disputes: Law and Practice in England and New Zealand, Rob George looks at the different ways in which the legal systems of England and New Zealand currently deal with relocation cases. Drawing on case law, literature and the views of legal practitioners in the two jurisdictions, Relocation Disputes represents a major contribution to our understanding of the everyday practice of relocation cases. The empirical data reported in this book reveal the practical differences between the English and New Zealand approaches to relocation, along with a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of each system as seen by judges, lawyers and court experts who deal with these cases in practice. This analysis leads to detailed criticisms and lessons that can be learnt, together with practical suggestions about possible reforms of relocation law.
R George and O Cominetti, 'Relocation in English Law: Thorpe LJ’s Contribution and the Future' [2013] International Family Law forthcoming
R George, 'Relocation of Children in Family Law Disputes' in Rosemary Sheehan, Helen Rhoades and Nicky Stanley (eds), Vulnerable Children and the Law (Jessica Kingsley 2012)
R George, 'Relocation Research: Early Ideas from Ten County Court Cases' (2012) Family Law 700
R George, F Judd QC, D Garrido and A Worwood, Relocation: A Practical Guide (Jordan Publishing 2013) (forthcoming) [...]
Relocation disputes arise between separated parents when one of them proposes to move to a different geographic location with their child and the other parent objects to the plan. Whether the proposed move is within the United Kingdom or international, the consequence of either allowing or refusing a relocation application is usually of the greatest importance to the parents and children involved. Relocation: A Practical Guide offers practitioners and parents a comprehensive handbook on the law and practice which is needed to successfully handle any relocation dispute, whether it ends up in court or not. Written in an accessible style by a team of experienced specialists, Relocation: A Practical Guide explains the entire process of dealing with a relocation case. After a detailed discussion of both international and internal relocation law (including case examples and key summaries), the book moves step by step through the entire process of a case, from first discussions to final hearings and appeals. Essential relocation cases and relevant Practice Directions are also contained in the appendices, making this an indispensable guide for anyone working in this complex and fast-changing area of law and practice.
R George, 'Researching Relocation Disputes in First Instance Courts' (2012) Family Law Week
R George, 'Responsibility, Law and the Family, edited by Jo Bridgeman, Heather Keating and Craig Lind' (2009) 72 Modern Law Review 147 [Review]
R George, 'Responsible Parents and Parental Responsibility, edited by Rebecca Probert, Stephen Gilmore and Jonathan Herring' (2010) 24 The International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family 118 [Review]
R George, 'Reviewing Relocation? Re W (Relocation: Removal Outside Jurisdiction) [2011] EWCA Civ 345 and K v K (Relocation: Shared Care Arrangement) [2011] EWCA Civ 793' (2012) Child and Family Law Quarterly 110
R George, 'Stack v Dowden: Do As We Say, Not As We Do?' (2008) 30 Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 49 [Case Note]
R George, 'The International Relocation Debate' (2012) Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 141
R George and C Roberts, 'The Media and the Family Courts – Key Information and Questions About the Children, Schools and Families Bill' (University of Oxford / Nuffield Foundation 2009)
R George, 'The Shifting Law: Relocation Disputes in New Zealand and England' (2009) 12 The Otago Law Review 107
R George, P Harris and J Herring, 'With this Ring I Thee Wed (Terms and Conditions Apply)' (2011) Family Law 367
