Family Law
What is the Court of Protection?
Do you have a relative or friend that no longer has the capacity to make sound decisions for themselves? Then you may be familiar with The Court of Protection. What is the Court of Protection? In English law, the Court of Protection is a superior court of record created under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.…
Read MoreMarried at 16
While it may have been something our parents or grandparents frequently did, getting married under the age of 20 these days is not quite as common. Lovestruck teenagers excitedly tying the knot is one thing. But being coerced against your will into such a union by your family is quite another. Child Marriage Child marriage…
Read MoreNo More Blame Game
Changes to the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act set to come in to effect on 6 April 2022 will be a true game changer. At the moment, in order for a divorce to go through as fast as possible, some sort of blame needs to be assigned to the other party. Because of this, it…
Read MoreTo Divorce or Not To Divorce?
There seem to be differing reports on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the divorce rate. Some are reporting a decline while others say there has been an increase over the last year. In the beginning of the pandemic the divorce rate seemed to be on the increase. Amongst other things, the main…
Read MoreLocked into an unhappy marriage
On 25th July 2018, 5 judges decided that Tini Owens must remain married to her husband of 40 years. Mrs Owens had filed her divorce petition citing her husband’s unreasonable behaviour as the ground for irretrievable marriage breakdown. Mrs Owens stated that her marriage made her feel “unloved, isolated and alone” and provided 27 examples…
Read MoreCivil Partnerships Open to All
Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan have today won the right to enter into a Civil Partnership rather than get married. You may recall their campaign to enter into a Civil Partnership with each other suffered a huge setback in February last year when the Court of Appeal refused permission. In a historic landmark judgment, the…
Read MoreGrandparents to have automatic right to see grandchildren after divorce
When going through the process of divorce, the effect on relationships between grandparents and grandchildren can often be overlooked. Whilst one would assume that grandparents have automatic rights of contact with their grandchildren, that it is not actually the case. If a parent withholds contact between grandparents and grandchildren, the only way to have that…
Read MoreIs my divorce valid?
In light of recent media attention, you may find yourself asking exactly the same question. So what has happened? Firstly, you need to consider if you fall into one of the following categories: You started divorce proceedings on or before your 1 year anniversary – legal rules state that a petition must not be presented…
Read MoreDivorce in 25 Seconds?
Can this really be possible? The short answer is no. Following months of tabloid tales, Louise and Jamie Redknapp’s divorce is final. It concluded, so the media reports, in the Central Family Court in London on 29th December 2017 in a 25 second hearing by a judge who said she could not “reasonably be expected”…
Read MoreFinancial Claims After Divorce?
It can happen! Take the highly publicised case of Dale Vince, self-made millionaire, and Kathleen Wyatt. Their divorce was granted in 1992 but their financial separation was left to one side. Mr Vince made his fortune by founding an eco friendly energy company, years after the couple had divorced yet the Supreme Court has ruled…
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