President of the Family Division


The President of the Family Division is the head of the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales and Head of Family Justice. The Family Division was created in 1971 when Admiralty and contentious probate cases were removed from its predecessor, the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division.
The current President of the Family Division is Sir Andrew McFarlane. Sir James Munby retired as president on 27 July 2018.

Presidents of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division

Upon an intestate death, the property of the deceased legally vests in the President of the Family Division until such a time that the Probate Registry confers a grant of administration to the deceased's personal representatives. The property subsequently vests in the administrators and they have the authority to deal with the deceased's property as per the intestacy rules.