Introduction 

Three years ago the European Chapter of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers ("IAML") established an essay writing award for young family lawyers to be awarded on an annual basis. The first years were a great success. The Award aims to promote research and excellence among young family lawyers and to increase awareness among other legal professionals of the work and objectives of the IAML.

Prize The annual Award consists of a prize of €1,000 to the author of the winning essay and € 500 for the two best runners up. The main Award will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Chapter to be held in Bordeaux, France, from March 19th to March 23rd 2014. The winning essay will be announced approximately two months prior to that meeting. The winning author will also receive a travel bursary of up to €2,000 to allow him/her to attend the meeting to include travel expenses.

Selection A selection panel of the European Chapter will be responsible for the selection of the winning essay. The winning essay will be selected according to originality, the importance and complexity of the legal issues involved, the relevance of the subject matter to the IAML, any research undertaken and the structure, writing style and presentation.

Subject Matter The essay will address a topic of relevance to the IAML and European family lawyers, typically with an international dimension and/or an analysis of recent or planned developments. This year's topic will be

“Should applicable law rules about Division of Assets in Europe be replaced with lex fori? Discuss in general or with reference to the law and practical experience in your country”.

The essay should be not less than 2,000 words and should not exceed 3,000 words in length (excluding footnotes), preferably in English, although essays written in a language other than English will also be welcomed.

Eligibility The author of the essay must be a qualified practising family lawyer of up to ten years qualification and/or experience and be residing in a European country.

Publication The winning essay will be published on the IAML website and also in the IAML Newsletter. The entry should not have been published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, although can subsequently be published elsewhere with appropriate reference to the IAML. The invitation to apply will be published on the IAML website and all Fellows of the European Chapter will receive a notice to circulate details and highlight awareness of the Award in their respective jurisdictions.

Time Deadlines The essays for consideration in respect of the award should be submitted no later than 15th November 2013. Submissions should be sent electronically to Donna Goddard of the IAML at [email protected]