Vardags Family Law Essay competition 2024/25 | The Winners

For another year, we invited all university students to participate in our essay competition aimed at uncovering exceptional young minds. We asked for students to write an essay of no longer than 2,000 words on a contemporary topic relevant to England & Wales and were truly impressed with the huge flurry of exceptional and thought-provoking essays that we received.

More information on the competition can be found here.

Look at each of the winning entries below.

First Place – The Legal Implications of Influencers’ Family Content in Divorce by Olakunbi Adigun, Cardiff University

Olakunbi Adigun explores how the monetisation of family content has transformed the landscape of family law in England and Wales. In looking at the difficulties around viewing family content as a marital asset, post-divorce content ownership and the legal and ethical concerns around the use of children in monetised content, Olakunbi calls for legal reform to provide clearer guidelines for asset division, protect children’s rights, and ensure privacy in the digital age.

“While existing principles of fairness and recognition of contributions provide a foundation, the rise of monetised family content has outpaced current legal frameworks. Social media accounts and associated revenue streams must be explicitly addressed within family law to ensure equitable outcomes.”

Read Olakunbi Adigun’s essay here.

Second Place – The current legal framework for child arrangements and child maintenance in England and Wales following parental separation by Amandeep Purewal, University of Warwick

In evaluating the legal framework governing child arrangements and maintenance in England and Wales, Amandeep Purewal analyses the systematic issues including domestic abuse, power imbalances and societal biases. Amandeep argues that addressing these issues requires a nuanced understanding of coercive control, financial abuse, and diverse family structures – and such reforms will in turn better protect children and support healthier post-separation family dynamics.

“The legal frameworks governing child arrangements and maintenance aim to safeguard children’s welfare but expose significant gaps when viewed through the lens of domestic abuse and systemic biases. The presumption of parental involvement often overlooks risks in abusive dynamics, while the CMS can perpetuate financial imbalances and enable coercive control.”

Read Amandeep Purewal’s essay here.

Third Place – Can AI Raise a Child? Legal and Ethical Challenges in Digital Co-Parenting by Alexia Jayra D Anand, City, University of London

Alexia Jayra D Anand’s essay explores the legal impact of AI-driven co-parenting apps in family law, emphasising four key concerns: privacy, accountability, fairness, and the emotional nuance often absent in AI. Alexia argues that the family court system must exercise caution in embracing AI to ensure that technological efficiency does not come at the cost of fairness, judicial oversight, and the child’s best interests.

“AI may be great at organising schedules and keeping financial records in check, but can it truly understand family law’s human complexities? While co-parenting apps like OurFamilyWizard have transformed post-divorce parenting by reducing conflict and providing structured communication, their growing role in legal proceedings raises serious concerns.”

Read Alexia Jayra D Anand’s essay here.

Fourth Place – Children’s Rights to Maintain Sibling Relationships After Divorce by Lara Kovenklioglu, University of Law

Lara Kovenklioglu examines the issue of sibling relationships post-divorce, highlighting that current legal provisions neglect children’s rights to maintain these bonds. In analysing case law and legal  frameworks, Lara proposes several reforms, including calling for amends to the Children Act 1989 to include sibling relationships as a factor within the welfare checklist, and asking for courts explicitly address sibling contact to be required in child arrangement orders, similar to the emphasis on parental contact found in the Children and Families Act 2014.

“Although the legal framework in England and Wales emphasises the best interests of the child, it does not adequately prioritise sibling bonds. Case law and policies reveal inconsistencies in how these relationships are treated, leaving many children vulnerable to separation from their siblings.”

Read Lara Kovenklioglu’s essay here.

Fifth Place – ‘Parental Alienation’ as a Form of Emotional Abuse: Should English Law Recognise it as a Form of Coercive Control? by Izuchukwu Nzeukwu, Anglia Ruskin University

Izuchukwu Nzeukwu’s essay delves into the topic of parental alienation, emphasising that despite its prevalence, English law still lacks a clear framework to effectively address this phenomenon. Given its severe emotional impact, Izuchukwu argues that English law should formally recognise parental alienation as a form of emotional abuse by integrating it into existing legal frameworks, not only to safeguard children from psychological harm but also to promote justice and fairness in the family courts.

“While behaviours linked to parental alienation bear striking similarities to coercive control—such as manipulation, isolation, and fear—its ambiguous definition and evidentiary challenges leave courts grappling with how to adjudicate such claims fairly. The Serious Crimes Act 2015 recognises coercive control as a criminal offence, as reinforced by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Still, its scope does not explicitly extend to alienating behaviours in family disputes, leaving a significant gap in legal protections.”

Read Izuchukwu Nzeukwu’s essay here.