Category : Features

With news stories of surges in divorce enquiries, there can be no doubt that Covid has impacted on married couples and family life.  The implications of life in lockdown has been a strain on many households. Families have found themselves forced into situations  where they may be working from home together, bringing work pressures to […]Read More

How the family justice system is failing victims of abuse and children who are at real risk of harm as a result of a flawed approach to cases involving allegations of abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour On Tuesday, four appeals in private children proceedings involving allegations of coercive and controlling behaviour and serious sexual […]Read More

This article has been written by Fiona Turner a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ English Offices and Noel Ferry a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ Scottish Office. Following the Villiers decision, reinvigorating forum shopping (Villiers v Villiers [2020] UKSC 30), and with the implications of Brexit now a reality, family law practitioners must ensure that […]Read More

Does the Family Court favour mothers when determining with which parent dependent children lives? Of course, the starting answer has to be, “Of course not!” but as with all things there is so much more to consider. This is a subjective question if ever there was one, and also a very hard one as every […]Read More

The rules of litigation against tenants has had a number of changes the last year which have made substantial changes to the ways in which residential and commercial landlords are able to remove a tenant from their property. Leonie Savory, litigator at Tiger Law explains where we are at now and what is the current […]Read More

This article has been written by Fiona Turner a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ English Offices and Noel Ferry a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ Scottish Office. Following the Villiers decision, reinvigorating forum shopping (Villiers v Villiers [2020] UKSC 30), and with the implications of Brexit now a reality, family law practitioners must ensure that […]Read More

The Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement in March 2020 sent shockwaves across the nation, but for separated families the news was even more unsettling. Many pondered whether his very strict reasons for leaving the house meant that children could no longer spend time with both parents in separated families. The initial concern amongst parents, of course, […]Read More

This article has been written by Fiona Turner a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ English Offices and Noel Ferry a Family Law Partner in Weightmans’ Scottish Office. Following the Villiers decision, reinvigorating forum shopping (Villiers v Villiers [2020] UKSC 30), and with the implications of Brexit now a reality, family law practitioners must ensure that […]Read More

Is it really too easy to get a divorce in England and Wales? Mr Ayeh-Kumi seems to think so, as it has recently been reported that he has launched legal action in the High Court to overturn England’s ‘easy’ divorce laws, saying his ex-wife breached his human rights by securing a divorce on grounds that, […]Read More

The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it disruption to all walks of life. This has certainly been the case in respect of international surrogacy arrangements where surrogates, intended parents and the children born to such arrangements, have found themselves in a state of limbo, often in different jurisdictions for unknown periods of time. It is not […]Read More

This article was co-written by Sean Hilton, Senior Associate and James Lister, Partner at Stevens & Bolton LLP The events of this year have had wide-ranging consequences, some of which are yet to be felt and some that are likely to be felt more keenly in the year ahead. However, according to the most recent […]Read More

Knowledge is power, and having this essential tool is a key factor when it comes to family law. The language involved can often seem intimidatory and can leave people feeling confused, frightened, and even excluded from their own negotiations. Having a clear grip on the language of family law will help you through the process […]Read More

A ‘private’ FDR hearing may sound like something created for high net worth divorcing couples, but that is not the case. It can be of great benefit to all divorcing couples. There are a number of advantages to participating in a private FDR hearing. In light of COVID-19, with physical hearings only taking place where […]Read More

The year 2020 has brought pain to many and in many different forms, from job loss, financial worries, illness and even death, the pandemic has struck a nerve with everyone. But what if no one can see your pain? Coronavirus aside, domestic abuse is a silent killer that can cause pain, frustration, and mental exhaustion […]Read More

Following the 2012 legal aid cuts and the recent launch of an online application system, the number of individuals undertaking so called ‘DIY divorces’ is on the rise, but is this the best approach? Whilst a DIY divorce may seem attractive, the true cost, both financial and emotional, may be far greater than expected. Making […]Read More

Two weeks ago the government set out its plans for what a Covid Christmas will look like. Christmas is already a difficult time of year for many. Even under “normal” circumstances, the intensity of the festivities – with overspending on presents and too much time spent with the in-laws causing disagreements – can place a […]Read More

Digital spaces now hold an important place in our democratic societies. “Access to justice” in this context is much discussed issue, however it is not always seen as quite complex as it ought to be, as it includes issues of both ways of accessing the law and access to dispute settlement procedures. However, not everything […]Read More

On the 9th November  I produced an article on legal aid within family law and considered the findings from a recent Council of Europe study which found that the UK is Europe’s legal aid capital and the third highest out of nearly 50 countries analysed. In the article, I focused on how the process of […]Read More

In these strange times, people are taking stock and thinking about what really matters to them. This may lead to decisions being made about their relationship status, i.e. decisions being made to separate, stay together or getting engaged, or due to fewer weddings taking place, postponing marriage until some point in the future ‘when all […]Read More

In the recent Supreme Court case of Villiers v Villiers where a Scottish husband had lodged a writ for divorce in Scotland but his wife, now habitually resident in England, issued a financial claim against him in England and Wales was able to pursue her claim, being so permitted under the current EU law, was […]Read More