'Being sensible': Images and practices of the new family lawyers

Any predictions that solicitors acting for divorcing parents might become r edundant, as increasing use is made of mediation services, are unsubstantia ted by the research on which this article is based. This study shows how so licitors, far from retreating from issues of arrangements over the future o f children of divorcing parents, are busy adapting themselves to the new wo rking environment. For some this process involves themselves qualifying as mediators. For these and others, it entails acquiring and presenting to the ir clients an understanding of 'child psychology' which enables them to adv ise their clients on how to sort out their differences in ways that will sa feguard their children's welfare, By constructing children's welfare within a legal discourse of justice and protection of their clients' lawful inter ests, solicitors are able to convince themselves that justice, in cases inv olving children's welfare, is achieved by persuading their clients to 'be s ensible' and sort out their differences, and that those-parents who are ope nly hostile and/or pursue their own (selfish) interests have lost sight of justice and need to be brought back into line, The article demonstrates how solicitors claim to achieve these ends and raises questions about their pr actical and theoretical implications.