Stepping Into The Role Of Parent
Blended families and step parents are an increasingly common aspect of modern family life. In some families, a step parent can be the only psychological or “real” parent a child has ever known. Even though they may have no biological or legal relationship to the child, step parents and step children often form stable, continuous […]
Pension Sharing Orders In Divorce
July saw the publication of the Nuffield funded study ‘Pensions on Divorce’ by the Pension Advisory Group (PAG), which identified widespread lack of confidence amongst practitioners when it came to the issue of pensions during a divorce. Usually, after a matrimonial home, pensions are of the greatest value in a divorce, however out of the […]
Lawyer Checker Further Strengthens Senior Management Team
The Practical Vision Network, home of the award-winning Lawyer Checker suite of risk management tools, has announced a further appointment to its senior management team to further strengthen the business. Financial Controller Ceri Hart joins from regional accountancy specialists Bennett Brooks having been a key part of the Solicitors Accounts auditing team. Coming hot on […]
English Courts A Magnet For High Net Worth Foreign Nationals Seeking Fairer Financial Settlements In Divorce
A successful application under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (MFPA) allows courts in England and Wales the power to make financial orders, after a marriage has been dissolved in a foreign jurisdiction. Where there is a substantial connection with England and Wales and when no financial provision was made by […]
A Different Approach To Divorce
The news that no-fault divorce is to be introduced onto the statute books was greeted enthusiastically by many family law practitioners in the belief that a no-fault system should introduce a less combative attitude to divorce. The removal of the requirement to fabricate a situation where one party is almost inevitably cast as ‘victim’ and […]
Forced Marriage Protection Orders Protecting Potential Victims
In 2014, it became a criminal offence to force one or both persons to marry, including taking them abroad to marry and coercing them into marrying, as well as those who are unable to give their consent freely, such as those with reduced capacity or learning disabilities. The Family Law Act 1996 introduced Forced Marriage […]
Increases In Applications To Cafcass In Private Cases
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) recently released its monthly figures on applications to its service for July 2019, for both care cases and private law cases, showing the continuing rise of applications in private cases. Cafcass’s definition of private law cases are ‘applications made following a divorce or separation about […]
Further Powers Given To The Child Maintenance Service
The Child Support Act 1991 made it a requirement that all parents who were liable to pay child support should do so. The Child Support Agency (CSA) was then introduced in 1993 to calculate and collect child maintenance. Despite the clear objectives, the CSA was heavily criticised in its operation, with criticisms of failure of […]
All Family Lawyers Must Now Know About International Family Law
Overview Whereas a couple of decades ago international family law could be safely ignored by many family lawyers, it is now commonplace in very many cases as a feature or as the predominant initial theme. All family lawyers must understand the issues and principles and what to look out for in receiving client instructions. The […]
Guardianship Act Law Change To Ease Grief Of Missing Persons’ Families
From July 2019, The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 will be introduced whereby grieving families of missing relatives will have the legal authority to deal with their finances and assets. The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 gained royal assent 2 years ago but has been gathering dust in parliament, waiting for approval. The Act would […]
Divorce Funds Can You Be Sure You’re Sending Them To The Right Person?
Getting divorced can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Dividing assets and coming to a financial settlement only adds to the stress. When a settlement has finally been agreed, it’s down to you, to safely ensure the transaction of monies from one account to another. But how do you know […]
Is There A Place For Collaboration
The African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” has become part of our language today. As modern life becomes busier and time is more at a premium than ever before, juggling work and family life can be a tricky task. Our “villages” today have become a network of people that get us […]
Outdated Divorce Law Begins A Much Needed Overhaul
At present, a person looking to divorce can only apply after 2 years of separation, with the agreement of their spouse, or after 5 years of separation should they be unable to obtain consent. Otherwise, they must prove adultery, unreasonable behaviour or desertion. For couples wanting to divorce sooner than 2 years of separation, this […]
Choosing A Suitable Cyber Certification Pathway
I’m sure you will all be familiar with Lexcel. The popular Law Society accreditation that is widely adopted by law firms. Lexcel is an accreditation that is widely respected as it helps create strong frameworks within practicing law firms. The new version of the Lexcel standard (‘v6.1’) became mandatory for all assessments taking place from […]
Free Webinar: What Happens If Your Law Firm Falls Victim To A Cyber Attack?
According to reports, businesses were attacked by cyber criminals on average every 50 seconds between April and June this year. After conducting our own research of 100 law firms, we discovered that 82% of those we spoke to, didn’t have the Government recommended Cyber Essentials Accreditation, leaving the door wide open for criminals to exploit. […]
Top Tips For Marketing Your Law Firm
The decision to invest in a new website is often a difficult one to make. Today, we look at some of the most important considerations for your law firm when thinking about commissioning a new website. Trends and technology Perhaps your law firm have had the same site for several years and you’ve grown quite […]
Lawyer Checker Invests Heavily In Management Team
A leading supplier of products and services in the legal sector has announced a major investment into its management team to support future growth. The Practical Vision Network, home of the award-winning Lawyer Checker suite of risk management tools has appointed Julie Williams and David Opie to its management team. Director of Operations Julie Williams […]
Guardianship Provisions For Children
Have you ever given thought as to who you would wish to look after your children if anything was to happen to you? A vast majority of parents assume that if they passed away first, their children would automatically be cared for by the other biological parent and for most families, the other biological parent would […]
Why You Need A Clean Financial Break After Divorce
Amy Winehouse’s ex, Blair Fielder-Civil, is allegedly making a £1 million claim on her estate, even though she apparently paid him a £250,000 settlement when they divorced in 2009. Even though they are divorced, he may have a successful claim. When you get divorced you have to agree what will happen to your finances afterwards. This may be less complicated to work through when […]
Should Prenuptial Agreements Evolve?
With recent changes to UK divorce law allowing applications of no-fault divorces as well as separating couples being able to apply for a divorce on line, should prenuptial agreements (PNAs) evolve to have more legal standing? A PNA is a contract between a couple, before they marry, setting out how finances and other assets will […]