PPC1 Family Law study plan
PPC1 Family Law · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Family & Child Law
Map the full PPC1 Family Law syllabus into a one-page outline of every assessable topic area
Define the statutory framework for marriage and civil partnership formation, including capacity, formalities and void versus voidable distinctions
Build a personal glossary of core Latin and technical terms (e.g. decree nisi, decree absolute, parental responsibility) with one-line definitions
Draft a comparison table of nullity, divorce and judicial separation grounds as they appear in the governing legislation
Your checkpoint
A one-page syllabus map plus a completed comparison table of marriage formation and nullity/divorce/judicial separation grounds, checked against the syllabus for gaps
Family & Child Law
Analyse the statutory grounds for divorce and dissolution, including the requirement to establish irretrievable breakdown and the relevant facts
Explain the procedural timeline from petition through conditional order to final order, noting waiting periods and bars
Distinguish defences and bars to divorce, including jurisdiction issues and the effect of reconciliation attempts
Answer three practice questions on divorce grounds under timed conditions
Your checkpoint
Three timed practice answers on divorce grounds and procedure, each self-marked against a checklist of required elements with a written note of missed points
Family & Child Law
Outline the law on financial remedies on divorce, including the statutory factors a court must consider
Compare the clean break principle with ongoing maintenance and lump sum orders
Explain how pensions, the matrimonial home and third-party interests are treated in ancillary relief
Summarise leading appellate guidance on fairness and needs in financial remedy cases
Your checkpoint
A structured two-page case-note style summary of financial remedies covering statutory factors, order types and fairness principles, with a 10-question self-test scored and errors logged
Family & Child Law
Define parental responsibility and explain who acquires it automatically, by agreement or by court order
Explain the statutory checklist applied in disputes about a child's upbringing
Distinguish residence and contact arrangements from prohibited steps and specific issue orders
Apply the welfare principle to two short fact patterns and justify the outcome
Your checkpoint
A written answer to two parental responsibility and child arrangements fact patterns, each applying the welfare checklist and citing the relevant statutory provisions
Family & Child Law
Explain the law on child maintenance, including the role of the statutory maintenance service and court's residual powers
Outline adoption law essentials: consent, dispensation with consent, and the welfare and proportionality tests
Summarise the framework for care and supervision orders, including the threshold criteria and the no-order principle
Identify the key protections for children in the family justice system, such as guardians and separate representation
Your checkpoint
A one-page flowchart of public and private child law routes from referral or application through to final order, annotated with the statutory tests at each stage
Family & Child Law
Explain domestic abuse protection mechanisms, including non-molestation and occupation orders and the relevant statutory criteria
Outline forced marriage and female genital mutilation protection orders and their criminal law overlap
Summarise the treatment of domestic abuse allegations in child arrangements disputes
Answer two practice questions on protective orders under timed conditions
Your checkpoint
Two timed answers on protective orders and abuse in child arrangements, self-marked with a list of statutory criteria that must appear in a full-mark response
Family & Child Law
Consolidate jurisdiction and recognition rules for family proceedings, including forum and applicable law questions
Explain the law on cohabitation and unmarried parents, including property disputes and financial provision for children
Review any remaining syllabus areas not yet covered and close the gaps identified in week one
Complete a full mock examination under exam conditions
Your checkpoint
A completed full mock exam with a marked score, a ranked list of the five weakest topics, and a one-page revision sheet for each of those five topics
Family & Child Law
Re-test the five weakest topics from the mock until each checklist can be reproduced from memory
Practise issue-spotting on unseen fact patterns, allocating time in proportion to marks
Drill precise citation of statutory provisions and case names for the highest-frequency topics
Finalise an exam-day timing plan and a one-page condensed recall sheet
Your checkpoint
A final one-page condensed recall sheet plus a score log showing improvement on re-tested weak topics against the week 7 mock
Milestones
Week 2: Can state the divorce grounds, the facts used to prove irretrievable breakdown, and the full procedural timeline without notes, scoring at least 8/10 on a self-written recall test
Week 4: Can apply the welfare checklist to an unseen fact pattern and reach a reasoned conclusion within 25 minutes, with all statutory criteria addressed
Week 6: Can distinguish non-molestation and occupation orders, state their statutory criteria, and explain abuse allegations in child arrangements, scoring at least 75% on a mixed self-test
Week 8: Full mock completed within time, score at least 65%, and every previously weak topic re-tested to at least 80% recall on the condensed sheet