Family lawyers are feeling isolated from the legal community since the country went into lockdown in March, according to a poll conducted by family law group Resolution.

The day after the prime minister asked the nation to work from home if they can, Resolution, which has 6,500 members, said two-thirds of the 425 practitioners who responded to its Twitter poll said they felt less connected to their colleagues and peers. Nearly half said their professional development had suffered, with members giving examples of missed training opportunities due to events being cancelled.

Resolution chair Juliet Harvey said: ‘It’s worrying, albeit not entirely surprising, that family practitioners are feeling isolated from their peers and colleagues at a time when that sense of connection, purpose and shared values is more important than ever.

‘With many offices still closed and more members working remotely, we’ve lost the ability to have those all-important informal water-cooler conversations that help to connect our profession together and solidify our shared purpose.’

Resolution says its three-day conference next week will focus on networking and professional development.

Harvey said the conference will have a ‘virtual café’ to allow practitioners ‘to have those informal conversations they’d normally have over a coffee or a sandwich’.