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The Legal 500 – The Clients Guide to Law Firms The Legal 500 – The Clients Guide to Law Firms

Divorce and Family team

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Our divorce and separation team understands that the breakdown of a relationship, particularly if children are involved, can be a difficult and stressful time for all those involved. We listen to the needs of our clients and treat each client as an individual. This ensures we are able to tailor our advice and help guide you through the legal process. We can assist you to make important decisions at a time when you may feel unable to do so.

Karen Johnson
 

Retirees and Family Law: Grandchildren

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Whether you are a Nanny, Nanna or Grandma, or a Grandad or Gramps, grandchildren will often hold a special place in the hearts of their grandparents. Those grandparents will often play an integral role in the family as one of the adults often called upon to...

Are you considering a very different Christmas next year?

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In the absence of a significant event, such as the discovery of an affair or other unforgivable conduct, it is rare for the realisation that a marriage has run its course to come on suddenly. More often than not, it is a series of issues arising over a...

The divorce statistics: how long does it take?

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What were the key changes in divorce legislation that took effect in 2022, and how have these changes impacted the duration of the divorce process? On 6 April 2022, new divorce legislation took effect, which meant that couples seeking divorce were no...

Children Centred Divorce services for separating families

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As a parent myself, I can say with absolute conviction that I would do absolutely anything for my kids. For as long as I am able (and they let me) I will be there to celebrate with them on their good days, advise, support and advocate for them on their...

The Divorce Checklist

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The decision to separate is not an easy one. It has significant implications both emotionally and practically and the issues that need to be addressed can be overwhelming. The issues that need to be addressed will depend upon your individual circumstances...

Increased Delays - The not so quickie divorce

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The 6 th of April 2022 saw the introduction of the no fault divorce. Whilst the new rules removed the need to provide a reason for the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, they also introduced a number of obligatory waiting periods before certain...

Top tips when choosing your family solicitor

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Relationship breakdown represents an exceptionally difficult time in a person's life. Whether the decision to separate is made jointly or by one of the couple, the ramifications of such a decision can have huge consequences on almost every aspect of...

Minimum Age for Marriage/ Civil Partnership increases to 18

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On 28 April 2022, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 received royal assent and will come into force on 27 February 2023 . The effect of the act will be to raise the minimum age for someone to get married or enter into a civil...

Separate parenting children with SEN - Communication

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I recently had the pleasure of presenting a Wednesday Webinar on the topic of SEND Parents and Divorce – What you need to know . As a parent of a child with SEN, I would like to consider that I have a deeper understanding of the additional...

Cryptocurrency and Divorce

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When a married couple separates and gets divorced, one of the issues that will invariably need to be addressed is the financial aspect. When considering finances as part of divorce proceedings, all assets are taken into account whether they are in...

The rights of cohabiting partners - A Cohabitation Reform

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On the 4th of August 2022, the Women and Equalities Committee of the UK Parliament published their Report on the Rights of Cohabiting Partners. The inquiry was launched in April 2021 and invited views and evidence from a wide range of people and...

No one likes paying the tax man

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Benjamin Franklin once said “in this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes” and whilst this is true, it would also be fair to say that nobody likes to pay the tax man. Within the realms of family law issues, divorce and...

Does a wife have rights to her husband's property and vice versa?

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The title of this blog is a question that we have to answer frequently but to which the answer is not always straightforward. The term “rights” is in itself ambiguous, as it might refer to a right of occupation in relation to a property or...

Domestic Abuse - Truth and Lies

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As a family solicitor specialising in cases involving domestic abuse, the current trial taking place in America between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is something that interests me greatly. It is not itself a family law case, as Johnny is suing Amber for $50...

Divorce Deadline - No Fault Divorce coming soon

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Divorce law is changing and from the 6 April 2022 , it will be possible for all divorcing couples to obtain a no fault divorce. It will in fact no longer be necessary to prove or allege adultery nor unreasonable behaviour and nor will they have...

The Importance of following correct divorce proceedings

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A recent case of Randhawa v Randhawa saw the court setting aside a decree absolute made 12 years ago. The parties in this case had married in 1978 and the husband had petitioned for divorce in January 2010 on the basis of the wife’s unreasonable...

Nesting and Child Arrangements

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The term “Nesting Arrangement” refers to an arrangement whereby the children remain in one property (generally the family home) and the parents take turns living in the property and looking after the children. A recent case...

Don't Ignore the Pensions

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A Survey by ‘Which?’, of its members in November 2021 uncovered that only 15% of divorcing couples included pensions in their divorce settlement and 53% said that pensions had not even been discussed. Now, it was a small survey of only 453...

Housing Needs and Divorce

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The question of, where a divorcing couple and their children may live following separation and divorce is often one of the most pressing and worrisome issues facing a couple. Accommodation is a basic necessity and yet the family home is often so much more...

Court fees to increase

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31 August 2021 saw the government publish its response to a consultation process into court fees and proposed increases. A majority of respondents to the consultation opposed such a move, considering now was not the right time due to the impact that...

2021 Domestic Abuse Update

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2021 has seen the government continue to make significant changes within the legal landscape involving family law and particularly Domestic Abuse. To date, domestic abuse has been largely treated in a piecemeal fashion which, at least in part,...

The divorce process: what next for Mr and Mrs Hancock?

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On 28 June, I was invited to talk to Ben Fryer on BBC Essex, in light of the news last weekend that Matt Hancock had left his wife and resigned as Health Secretary after breaching social distancing rules and an apparent inappropriate relationship with his...

How to deal with insolvency in divorce proceedings

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In the UK there are two legal definitions of insolvency. The first is where an individual or business owes more than it owns and the second is when they are unable to pay their debts as they fall due. Insolvency, and the threat of insolvency, brings with it...

Is it possible for someone to lose parental responsibility?

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Parental Responsibility is the term used to describe the responsibilities that a person may have in relation to a child and securing that child’s welfare. It covers the right to make decisions about: medical care, ...

Divorce - matrimonial property v non-matrimonial property

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A recent case* is a good reminder of the importance of establishing different types of property when dealing with financial remedy issues on divorce. The wife had made an application for a financial remedy order as part of divorce proceedings. The husband...

Financial Remedy Applications: what to expect

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Whilst I would consider that an application to the court should be an option of last resort, sometimes it is absolutely necessary. This might be because: there is a benefit to there being a firm timetable, or ...

Powers of the court: the risks of alleging fraud

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A recent case of Crowther v Crowther & Ors [2020] EWHC 3555 (Fam) serves as a useful reminder of the court’s powers to make costs orders in relation to preliminary issues and the risks of alleging fraud. The background of the case...

Alternative Dispute Resolution: how to avoid family court

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Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) means a process by which a dispute is resolved other than through the courts. It covers a wide variety of different options and requires careful consideration both at the outset of a dispute and on an ongoing basis....

The importance of dealing with litigation in a reasonable manner

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This case involved an appeal following a financial remedy order. At the date of the original hearing, the husband was aged 44 and the wife 45. The couple had started living together in 1995, married in 2005 and separated in 2016. They had two children aged...

How long are parents expected to support their children?

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English law recognises the rights and responsibilities of parents towards their children by way of something called parental responsibility. This is what allows parents to make important decisions regarding their children. It is something which...

Parental Alienation and Freedom of Belief

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So what is Parental Alienation? This is a term which refers to a situation when a child's resistance/hostility towards one parent is not justified and is the result of psychological manipulation by the other parent. Whilst a child’s wishes and...

Court overrules divorce settlement twice

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The case of Goddard-Watts v Goddard-Watts was in the news last week. The case is notable because of the highly unusual decision to set aside a financial remedy order, not just once but twice. The millionaire couple, James Goddard-Watts and Julia...

Court proceedings over child arrangements

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Figures were released earlier this month showing that Cafcass received a total of 3,284 new private law cases (involving 4,040 children) in December 2019. This was 7% higher than December 2018. This continues a trend of an increased number of private law...

Will you marry me: the legal implications of marriage

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"Will you marry me?" is quite possibly one of the most anticipated questions that many people hope to hear in their lifetimes. It is a question that is loaded with love and hope for a future filled with happiness. It is easy, and completely...