The long-awaited online divorce procedure is here. Introduced the Ministry of Justice and trialled in selected areas, the option to file your divorce application, pay the fee and submit supporting documentation online is no open to everyone in England and Wales. How does online divorce work? The new online divorce service doesn’t offer an end […]
Are you watching ‘The Split’? It’s the latest in a line of glossy legal dramas that we’re all familiar with. From the days of Ally McBeal and North Square, to Silk and now The Split, there seems to be an endless appetite for legal drama. Divorce is one of those areas that lends itself to […]
If you and your partner have gone through the heartbreak of realising that your relationship isn’t going to work, dealt with all the paper work relating to divorce, made the decisions about who gets what, and sorted out arrangements for your children, the last thing you want to discover is that for some reason or […]
Divorce can be a lengthy and expensive process, and it can result in relationships breaking down even further, to the detriment of any children involved. Couples in the unfortunate situation of divorce are increasingly seeking Dispute Resolution methods such as collaborative law, rather than facing the stress and high legal costs associated with going to […]
Divorce is often fraught with hostility and emotion and this is only heightened when attempting to agree to any child arrangements. Intractable contact cases can be nothing short of impossible in terms of searching for the prefect outcome – one that means that the best interests of the child are met, while both parents can […]
Separating from a partner is a significant decision that is most definitely not to be made lightly. There are many factors to consider before making the final decision to go ahead with a split. Below is a list of 5 considerations to make before going down the legal route and filing for divorce. 1. Communication […]
Family separations can be a testing time for all concerned, especially for any children involved. It is not uncommon for an outpouring of support to be offered to the divorcing parties and their children, however, little thought is often given to the affected grandparents. Family break-ups bring about very difficult circumstances and grandparents’ rights and […]
We look at the benefits of a ‘post-nuptial’ agreement We’ve been encouraging people to draw up ‘pre-nuptial’ agreements for some time now. There are many benefits to agreeing how assets would be divided in the event that you divorce. Providing both of you take independent legal advice and your agreement is kept up to date, […]
In what can feel like acres of bad news, the recent Australian vote in favour of same-sex marriage equality offered a rainbow-coloured beacon of good cheer to splash across our headlines. The postal vote was non-binding and legislation is needed to create a legal right to same-sex marriage. A bill to change the law was […]
Despite Paul McCartney’s pronouncement that prenuptial (or premarital) agreements are unromantic, there are at least 5 good reasons to ignore this and go ahead. As a couple, you can agree what will happen should you split up The arguments that arise over finances during the course of a divorce are stressful and exhausting. If you […]
‘Irretrievable breakdown’ to be considered by the Supreme Court We featured the Court of Appeal’s decision in Owens v Owens on our blog a few weeks ago. The judgement that, as a matter of law, the marriage between Tini Owens and her husband Hugh had not ‘irretrievably broken down’ was a blow to those of […]
The Court of Appeal has recently reiterated that in cases where there are competing issues to be determined, decisions around who should be the carer and the child arrangements should be made first. Cases involving the relocation of a parent who is a child’s main carer, with the child, following separation or divorce are always […]
The Court of Appeal has recently considered the impact of a ‘lifestyle’ decision by one partner to stop work on any financial settlement following separation. In another recent family law case to hit the headlines, the Court of Appeal considered a claim by the ex-wife that she should have been compensated beyond the £140,000 that […]
The latest headline-grabbing ruling from the Court of Appeal suggests that in the case of a short marriage, the principle of financial equality in divorce may be set aside. The Court of Appeal has recently delivered a judgement in which it departed from the principle of a 50:50 split of the assets built up during […]
