Why wills are more important when a child is vulnerable or has a disability
Making a Will often gets put on the “to do” list and, although people know they should prioritise them, they are often only thought about once something has happened to a friend or family member. Not making a Will often causes problems for families as, without a Will, the intestacy provisions apply and these don’t […]
Divorce and inherited assets, what happens?
Innovative divorce firm Fair Result help to clear up confusion and tell us exactly what happens to inherited assets during the divorce process. The beginning of every divorce is different. Just like everything in matrimonial family law and the treatment of finances in divorce. Every case is different and often depends on the individual circumstances […]
Where does the money go when you divorce?
“If you love someone and you break up, where does the love go?” As Sex in the City’s Carrie Bradshaw famously questioned, the end of a relationship creates more uncertainty than answers. Yet what Carrie didn’t need to consider in the midst of her heartbreak, but perhaps equally as unsettling – where does the money go? […]
42% of wealthy people plan to separate from their partners
New research from law firm Moore Barlow reveals that almost half of wealthy individuals are planning to end their marriages due to relationship breakdowns caused by the pandemic. A survey conducted by law firm Moore Barlow, reveals that 42% of high-net worth individuals intend to either divorce or separate from their partner in the near future. The […]
No-fault divorce law – how will the divorce process change?
The long-awaited Act for “no-fault” divorce was passed in June 2020. It is now due to become law on 6th April 2022. Disrupter Divorce Firm Fair Result explain just how things are going to change, following this date. The new legislation takes away all elements of pointing the blame in divorce, which have previously caused […]
Security for costs in family proceedings … really?
Piers Pressdee QC, barrister at 4PB, who represented the successful mother in the recent case of MG v AR, considers its implications. The rareness of costs orders in children and financial remedy cases has meant that rules 20.6 and 20.7 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010, providing for the power to award security for costs […]
Could divorce day be postponed to the spring?
Marked in many family lawyers’ calendars, the first working Monday of the New Year is often associated with a flurry of divorce enquiries and has been notoriously coined by the media as “Divorce Day”. Couples often announce their separation after the holidays, to ensure that children experience a normal Christmas. Additionally, stresses over the holidays […]
Re-assessing maintenance payments in the current climate – what lawyers need to know
According to the House of Commons report on the rising costs of living in the UK, published 8th February 2022, in December 2021 inflation reached its highest recorded level since 1992. It is hard to ignore the press coverage of the steady rise in food costs, energy and fuel prices. As of February this year, […]
Russia’s actions “a direct threat to the rule of law” – Law Society
The president of the Law Society, I. Stephanie Boyce, has issued a statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, offering the Law Society’s support to its members in the region and describing Russia’s actions as a “direct threat to the rule of law”. Boyce said: “The Law Society stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian […]
Family lawyers must “challenge” themselves amidst desire for amicable divorces
Family law firm, Simpson Millar, has launched a new single lawyer divorce service, “Separating Together”. The firm says the profession needs to “challenge itself” to better meet the needs of consumers amidst growing demand for a more amicable solution to separation and divorce. The call to action comes in the run up to the […]
Making “alternative” dispute resolution the norm
Dispute resolution is a fundamental part of a family lawyer’s job. The old acronym of ADR no longer rings true. Dispute resolution should not be “alternative” – it should be the focus for family law practitioners, with a court application one of last resort, rather than a first step in seeking to resolve a dispute. […]
Government extends the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme with further £1.2 million investment
Last March, the government launched a Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, with an initial investment of £1 million. This week, they announced a second funding boost for the continuation of the scheme, following a cash injection last October. The vouchers, which are worth £500 towards the cost of mediation, were introduced as an incentive for separating […]
Pharmacies adopt government scheme to help domestic abuse victims
The Home Office-backed scheme “Ask for ANI” is now operating in over half of all UK pharmacies including independents and chains such as Boots and Superdrug. On the first anniversary of its launch, the Home Secretary Priti Patel has applauded the success of the innovative scheme which enables those at risk or suffering from domestic […]
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill advances to third reading
The Public Bill Committee has reportedly completed work related to the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill and has confirmed the Bill is without amendments to the House of Commons. The Bill, which proposes to increase the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership from 16 to 18, is now due to have its […]
Family mediation scheme to help thousands more parents
Thousands more separating parents will avoid stressful courtroom battles as the Government boosts its landmark family mediation scheme with an additional £1.3 million. The extra investment is expected to help more families resolve disputes away from court, such as those involving financial or contact arrangements for children and takes investment in the initiative to more […]
Legal consultancy: the firms of the future?
Today’s Family Lawyer recently spoke to Adrian Jaggard, CEO of Taylor Rose MW, one of the top four firms in the UK currently operating the consultancy model, about how consultancy works and how much of an impact this new breed of firm might have on the industry. A report published last year by Arden Partners […]
Start the year amicably – how to help your clients to divorce amicably
The beginning of the year always brings with it enquiries in relation to relationship breakdowns. The end of the old year is often a period of reflection and the New Year an opportunity for change. No one wants conflict and acrimony when they are working through all the changes that the end of a marriage […]
Parallel parenting
As family lawyers, we often use the term co-parenting but what about those high conflict cases when this is just not possible? This is where parallel parenting comes in. Why not simply co-parent? Particularly in high conflict intractable parental disputes, there may be a desire for either the father or the mother to oust the […]
Resolving agricultural divorce
Agricultural divorces can be “notoriously difficult to resolve” (Wilson J in R v R [2004] FLR 98). There is often a departure from equality in farming divorces due to the non-matrimonial nature of some farming assets. For example, a farm that has been gifted, inherited and/or in the family for generations, in the expectation that it […]
The impact of divorce and separation on employees – “divorces are made in heaven”
This is an inversion of the cliché phrase ”a marriage made in heaven” to signify the unhappiness that can be experienced in staying in an unhappy marriage, as penned by Oscar Wilde in, The Importance of Being Earnest. Interestingly, Wilde did not actually agree that it was important to be earnest at all and rather […]