It's a long shot question... and a weird one for MN, I know, but my STBX and I are mid-very bitter/angry divorce. He was sentenced last week for sexually abusing our daughter over a period of years.
One thing that seemed to make everyone sit up in court, but especially me, was his family solicitor sitting with him during the sentencing (Crown Court). It was just a bit... weird. His family solicitor has been aggressive throughout our family proceedings and seeing her there, on the day of his sentencing for crimes committed against our own child, has, for some reason, left me feeling angry, uneasy, and even more intimidated by her. Is there a rational reason for her presence that I, as a lay person, am not aware of.
Sorry for the curveball questions on a stormy Tuesday afternoon!
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Any legal eagles about? Why would a family solicitor sit in at a sentencing?
TheVanguardSix · 31/05/2022 15:27
TeachesOfPeaches · 31/05/2022 16:05
Perhaps they're in a relationship
TheVanguardSix · 31/05/2022 16:11
Yikes. Really? With a 64-year-old guy who's been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing his own daughter over the course of 5 years? Oh my heavens. That honestly had not occurred to me. I really hope she isn't because that would be disturbing.
TeachesOfPeaches · 31/05/2022 16:05
Perhaps they're in a relationship
BluebellTimeInKent · 31/05/2022 16:09
When you say by his side, do you mean she was allowed to sit in the dock with him? That is extremely unusual.
Rational reasons she might have been there:
- She wants to hear the judge's sentencing remarks, as this might affect his family case, and they can't afford / legal aid won't fund a transcript
- There are queries in the family court over whether he needs some sort of assistance to understand court proceedings (although if that is the case I'd expect her to write to the criminal representatives rather than just turn up)
- The family team and criminal team work for the same firm, and rather than send a member of the criminal team to whom the case is now going to be closed, it made sense for the one with the ongoing case to attend (although it's pretty unusual these days to get funding to send someone to attend other than the advocate)
Of those, the first is the only one which sounds even remotely likely. I can't imagine that she would have been paid to attend. Legal aid wouldn't cover it and unless your STBXH is sitting on a goldmine, I don't know why he would pay his family solicitor to attend his criminal sentencing.
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