Divorce solicitors across the city braced themselves for the annual rush of new work, following the Christmas break. The first working Monday of January is known throughout the profession as ‘D-Day’ (divorce day). A number of factors contribute to this spike in separations, namely the emotional and financial pressures of Read more…
Is it fair to limit inheritance tax exemptions to spouses only or should other family members be included? This month, Ben Brown discusses how an unexpected bill can have catastrophic consequences for those you leave behind… I came across a very sad case in the Sunday Times recently concerning two Read more…
The general rule in the Family Courts is that cases are dealt with in private. This dates back to the Judicial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports Act) 1926. The Act states that it is unlawful to print or publish: The names, addresses and occupations of the parties and witnesses; A concise Read more…
Earlier this month an article in The Guardian looked at one consequence of the cuts to legal aid – that perpetrators of domestic abuse are being given the opportunity to cross examine their ex-partners in court. This however only makes up a very small part of the bigger picture on Read more…
This week (23 to 27 November 2015) is ‘Dispute Resolution Week’ organised by our representative body Resolution, formerly the Solicitors’ Family Law Association. This is the fourth year of the campaign which is designed to publicise and promote ways of resolving family disputes without going to court. For many years Read more…
The issue of surrogacy has been in the news recently due to allegations that an Australian couple rejected a baby boy born in Thailand under a commercial surrogacy arrangement. The baby’s twin sister was accepted but the boy was not as he has Down’s syndrome. The law governing surrogacy in Read more…
The Government proposes to implement a Residence Test for people applying for Civil Legal Aid (ie not criminal legal aid). The Residence Test will limit legal aid to those with a “strong connection” with the UK. The Human Rights Joint Committee has prepared a Report particularly focusing upon the likely Read more…
Reports suggest that the authorities anticipate a significant increase in cases of domestic abuse during the World Cup. The suggestion is that extended periods of higher than usual levels of drinking may well lead to an increase in the incidence of abuse within the home. What is not clear is Read more…
Since the cuts to legal aid for family cases in April 2013, there has been a rise in the number of companies offering loans to fund legal costs. These ‘litigation loans’ are only available for financial cases in which the client is likely to receive a settlement with which they 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…