Glossary
Family court — explained for Turkish readers
The single Family Court of England and Wales, created in 2014, which deals with divorce, finances on separation, children's arrangements and domestic abuse orders.
The Family Court hears almost all family cases in England and Wales: divorce and dissolution, financial remedies on separation, arrangements for children, adoption, and protective orders such as non-molestation orders. It was created in April 2014 to replace the previous patchwork of county and magistrates' family courts. Hearings are usually private.
The Turkish aile mahkemesi, set up under Law 4787 in 2003, covers similar ground, so the term translates directly. The procedures differ more than the names: Turkish judgments are single documents stamped as final, while English proceedings produce a series of orders, and the English court relies heavily on written witness statements rather than on the judge's questioning of the parties.
Turkish custody, maintenance and divorce judgments used in English family proceedings must be translated and certified under Practice Direction 32. Our guide to Turkish court documents for the UK family court explains what the court expects.