Article Category: Family Law – Insight & Opinion

There is a common belief in ‘common law marriage’. Some believe that seven or maybe ten years of cohabitation turns their relationship into a ‘marriage’ but the reality is, no matter the length of a relationship, marriage is only marriage with the certificate to prove it. Therefore, the rights for cohabiting couples as opposed to… Read more »

For many people, the pension fund is the largest asset after the matrimonial home. Pension sharing on divorce or at the end of a civil partnership can help to achieve a suitable balance of splitting the assets. However, unless a ‘Pension Sharing Order’ is made then the benefits will usually be lost to one party,… Read more »

As the holiday season approaches, we have received a number of queries recently from clients who are planning on travelling with children as a separated parent, and asking whether they are able to take their child abroad without the consent of the other parent. The simple answer is you are not allowed to take your… Read more »

A common question raised with me is whether pre-nuptial agreements exist in English law, and more importantly, are they worth the paper they are written on? In short, the answer to both of these questions is yes! A pre-nuptial agreement is a bespoke document drawn up before marriage to state what happens to a couple’s… Read more »

Divorce- the misunderstandings Divorce is always a daunting prospect.  There is often the fear of the unknown and worry for the future.  Generally, it is a common misconception that financial provision on divorce favours the wife. There is no starting presumption that the wife should be provided with greater financial provision than the husband, however… Read more »

Father’s day is a time to acknowledge the importance of Fathers. For most, it is a day of recognition and togetherness. However, for some, the day may be an unhappy reminder of time lost with their children or a time to recognise the signs of parental alienation. When a relationship between adults fails, any number… Read more »

Many people feel trapped in an unhappy marriage unable to move on as they simply don’t know their options for funding a divorce, believe they cannot afford to pay for a divorce or fund the cost of obtaining a financial settlement. The aim of this article is to offer practical advice explaining both traditional and… Read more »

In 2014 the Alzheimer’s Society published a study on the increasing prevalence of dementia in the UK. It found that 1 in 14 of the population aged over 65 are suffering with dementia and 40,000 people living in the UK have early-onset dementia. These statistics raise many questions about the care available for patients but… Read more »

In modern society our family circumstances are more diverse than ever. Increasing numbers of people are considering remarriage and a new term ‘blended’ families has been introduced for those households bringing up children from previous relationships together. When your family circumstances change it is imperative to consider the position of your Will. Recent research has… Read more »

The general starting point when considering division of matrimonial assets on divorce is an equal division of the assets unless there is good reason to the contrary. In limited cases where one party to the marriage feels they have made such an extraordinary contribution to the creation of wealth within the marriage that it would… Read more »