PPC1 Family Law
Professional Practice Course (PPC)
More study resources
Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
ExploreKey terms
Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
ExploreStudy plan
Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
ExploreCase studies
Put your knowledge to work in context.
ExploreExam-day guide
Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
The Professional Practice Course (PPC) is the Law Society of Ireland's training programme for trainee solicitors, delivered through its Law School at Blackhall Place, Dublin 7. The Law Society describes itself as the regulatory, educational and membership body for Irish solicitors, and its Learning & CPD section lists the PPC among its qualification pathways, pointing trainees to resources that support study at the Law School. This page is an independent study aid for candidates preparing for the family law component of the PPC. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Law Society of Ireland, and it does not reproduce any official assessment material. The subject area covered here is Family & Child Law, one of the practice areas the Law Society organises guidance and resources under, alongside areas such as Conveyancing, Litigation, Probate, Administration & Trusts and Taxation. Expect questions on the legal framework governing family relationships and children in Ireland, the practical steps a solicitor takes when instructed in family matters, and the interaction between court process, negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. Preparation should combine close reading of current Irish statutes and case law, the Law Society's published practice notes and guidance for this practice area, and repeated practice on scenario-based questions that test application rather than recall. Because exam format, duration, pass mark, fees and retake rules are not stated in the source material consulted, they are not asserted here; candidates should confirm those details directly with the Law School. All content on this page is original study material written for revision purposes.
What you'll study
About PPC1 Family Law preparation
Is this page officially connected to the Law Society of Ireland or the PPC?
No. This is independent study material for candidates revising family law. The Law Society of Ireland is the regulatory, educational and membership body for Irish solicitors and runs the Professional Practice Course through its Law School, but it has not endorsed, reviewed or authorised this page, and no official questions are reproduced here.
What does the PPC family law component actually cover?
The Law Society organises its guidance by practice area, and Family & Child Law is one of those listed areas. Expect the legal framework around family relationships and children in Ireland, the solicitor's practical and ethical duties when instructed, and how court process, negotiation and alternative dispute resolution interact. Build your revision around those themes rather than memorising isolated rules.
How long is the exam and what is the pass mark?
Those details are not published in the source material used for this page, so no figure is given here rather than risk an out-of-date number. Exam formats and pass standards are revised periodically. Check the Law School's own PPC pages or contact Blackhall Place directly for the current format, timing and pass requirements before you plan your revision schedule.
How difficult is the family law assessment?
It rewards application, not recall. Questions typically present a fact pattern and ask what you advise or do next, so knowing a rule without knowing when it applies scores poorly. Candidates who struggle usually memorise statutes without practising issue-spotting, or ignore procedural steps and client-care duties because they focus only on substantive law.
What is the most common reason candidates lose marks?
Answering the question they prepared for rather than the one asked. In family law scenarios, candidates often jump to the substantive outcome while skipping procedure, jurisdiction, time limits and the client's non-legal needs. Others write everything they know about a topic instead of identifying the two or three issues the facts actually raise and advising on each.
In what order should I study the family law material?
Start with the statutory framework and the vocabulary it uses, because everything else is built on it. Then work through procedure and the solicitor's practical duties, including alternative dispute resolution and client care. Only then attempt full scenario questions under time pressure. Finish by reviewing the Law Society's published practice notes for this area to catch recent developments.
Can I retake the assessment if I fail?
Retake policy is not stated in the source material consulted, so it is not asserted here. Trainee assessment regulations change, and repeating an incorrect rule is worse than checking. Ask the Law School directly about repeat sittings, any associated fees, and whether a failed component affects progression through the course before you rely on second-hand accounts from other trainees.
How should I use practice questions in the final weeks?
Treat them as timed application drills. Read the facts once, note the issues, then write a structured answer that addresses procedure, substance and client advice in that order. Compare against the relevant statute or practice note afterwards, and keep a short log of the issues you missed. Recurring gaps in your log are where the remaining marks are.