We are constantly asked: what have been the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the family law realm? While the temptation to generalise must always be resisted, it would be fair to say that a degree of opportunism has emerged with litigants attempting to better their positions in both the parenting and financial realms, with the instability occasioned by the pandemic being proffered as reason to bend judicial discretion, in ways favourable to those alleging distress.