Jeremy Clarkson is being reported as having told Piers Morgan that his “difficult divorce” from his wife of 21 years Frances has been one of a number of events in his life that have caused him, in the eyes of this objective onlooker, to spiral out of control. Other events Read more…
The Resolution Manifesto for change in the family justice system covers 6 key areas. We will now look in more detail at the proposals. Protect vulnerable people going through separation This proposal relates to two issues: the availability of some initial advice for people going through a separation and changes Read more…
Section 11 of the Children and Families Act 2014 will come into force today, the 22nd October. This section introduces the presumption of parental involvement. It amends the Children Act 1989 by requiring a Court to now presume, unless the contrary is shown, that ‘involvement’ of the parent in the Read more…
Cases in which one parent wants to move away with the children of the family are extremely difficult. In family law terms these are known as relocation cases and usually involve powerful arguments on both sides. For the parent whose children move away it may mean that they do not Read more…
It was reported in the news on 30th September 2014 that 180 divorces obtained by Italian nationals in the English Courts had been declared null and void. A firm based in Italy had been offering Italians a “quickie” divorce in this country to avoid having to wait the three year Read more…
The animal charity Blue Cross has introduced the world’s first ‘Pet Nuptial Agreement’ to deal with how pets are treated on divorce and separation. The law views pets as chattels i.e. possessions, rather than considering their welfare as the primary consideration. There is limited case law on the treatment of Read more…
We were frustrated to watch Monday’s episode of Coronation Street which involved a completely disastrous mediation session. Nick and Leanne traded insult after insult and made no progress whatsoever in relation to trying to resolve their financial dispute and child arrangements. At a time where many feel that the Government Read more…
Statistics have recently been released which suggest in excess of 19,000 more parents appeared in civil Courts without expert legal representation in cases relating to their children in the 12 months that followed the Legal Aid cuts in April 2013. Prior to April 2013 those who could not afford to Read more…
Binding pre-nuptial agreements became one step closer to becoming law on 27th June 2014 when the House of Lords gave their backing to a draft bill. The current law is that pre-nuptial (also called pre-marital or pre-civil partnership) agreements are one of the factors a court takes into account when Read more…
What have longer daylight hours and more sunshine got to do with family law? There are two scenarios which immediately come to mind: opportunities for parents to spend time with children outdoors and improved prospects of selling property. In situations where the trust between parents has broken down, the time Read more…