Obiter was a huge fan of glossy BBC family law drama The Split, which ended in December 2024 after three series and a two-part special in Barcelona. So we were giddy with excitement when the BBC announced that a spin-off, The Split Up, was in the works. Episode one of the six-part drama finally aired last weekend. It did not disappoint.

The spin-off centres around a British South Asian family law firm in Manchester. Aria Kishan is poised to take over Kishan Law – which has a reputation for attracting high-net-worth clients – from her father Dhruv. However, it becomes clear Dhruv isn’t confident that Aria can run the firm single-handedly. Aria’s older sister, Maya, is a lawyer but quit the firm to be a stay-at-home mother. Younger brother Kav wants to become a lawyer, but is struggling to pass his final exams. Then there’s Aria’s fiance, Neal, who also works at the firm, and Luke, who Dhruv hired behind Aria’s back.

The show promises plenty of personal and professional drama. Family lawyers will no doubt have got excited to hear Aria explain ‘no-fault divorce’ to a client’s wife.

Writer and creator Ursula Rani Sarma said: ‘What’s wonderful about family law as a chosen field for a drama is that almost all those moments are of heightened emotion. You’re catching people when they are really in positions of crisis, which often makes for very good drama.’

We couldn’t agree more.

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