Finding accessible, reliable and user-friendly information online can be tricky. Simple google searches can return thousands of results and trying to trawl through that information to work out what is current, relevant and safe to rely on can be exhausting and confusing! If you are facing a relationship breakdown or a dispute regarding arrangements for your children we have set out below a list of top recommendations to help you…
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 introduced us to the new “No Fault Divorce” process, and greatly simplified the way in which marriages are brought to an end. It is no longer necessary to attribute blame, and divorce is now granted simply on the basis that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
However, the divorce process does not sever the financial ties between married couples even after the divorce has been…
There is an ever increasing emphasis on non-court dispute resolution, which you might see referred to as NCDR or ADR. In essence this means resolving your family issue using a method other than an application to the court. Traditionally this meant mediation but a recent change to the family law rules has extended this to include arbitration, neutral evaluation, collaborative law as well as mediation. Basically, these are all types…
As we are starting to understand more about the incoming Government’s priorities what we do know is that the previous pledge around reforming Cohabitation rights, seems to have fallen off the agenda. For family law professionals this is disappointing but a familiar story. Interested parties have been campaigning for years about the need to protect former cohabitants, particularly women, following a relationship breakdown.
For those who have separated it…
Separating from a partner can be an overwhelming and traumatic life event, particularly where there are children involved. Knowing what to do and where to turn can seem confusing. Having a simple plan of action can help you feel more in control. Here are our top 5 tips for helping you get on the right track.
1. Keep communicating. If it is safe to do so, maintaining open communication with your ex-partner…
While the cost-of-living crisis continues to challenge families the prospect of facing a separation or divorce can seem very daunting indeed. Add legal fees to the mix and the whole situation can seem pretty overwhelming. However, for most people legal advice or representation of some sort will be a necessary part of the separation process. Here are our top tips to keep fees down:-
1. Early legal advice.
Do…
For 2024, statistics show that 57% of UK adults have a pet.
The question of what happens to them in the event of divorce can be stressful, and at times heart rending for those involved. Disputes as to the arrangements following separation are relatively common, with the issue coming up in many cases.
It can come as a complete shock to learn that in the English and Welsh…
Mediation has helped many thousands of couples resolve their financial and children issues via negotiation, rather than having to navigate their dispute through court. This has the benefit of not only saving substantial sums of money that they might otherwise have spent on litigation, but also enabling a non-confrontational and more constructive resolution to the issues that they face.
One of the criticisms of the traditional model of family…
Alongside the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) proposals to encourage the use of Non-Court Dispute Resolution, as of 29 April 2024, there have been various changes to Part 3 of the Family Procedure Rules which aim to bring immediate positive impact to the currently over burdened family justice system.
The definition of Non-Court Dispute Resolution has been widened to include arbitration, evaluation by a neutral third party (private FDRs) and collaborative law. Previously…
Sir Andrew McFarlane, the President of the family division of the High Court, has rejected an application to overturn a Final Order for Divorce obtained inadvertently by the wife’s solicitors.
On October 3rd 2023 the online Divorce portal operated by HMCTS issued a Final Order of Divorce in proceedings between Mr and Mrs Williams. The solicitors acting for the Applicant, Mrs Williams, had used the online portal to apply for th…