There have been many high profile cases where an ex-partner in a divorce case has hidden money or assets to avoid them being included in the joint assets that will be divided by the court or an arbitrator. It is surprisingly common
If you realise that tying the knot was a mistake from which you want to extricate yourself during your first year of marriage, you cannot start divorce proceedings in this timeframe. This is because the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 section 3(1) states
Married and unmarried fathers have the same rights and responsibilities for children as mothers – as long as the child was born after 2004 and the father is named as father on the birth certificate. Either parent can be the “main carer”
The landmark ruling – that divorced surveyor Graham Mills should not be forced to keep coughing up increased maintenance payments resulting from his ex-wife’s bad financial decisions – reinforces the need for ‘clean break’ orders. The Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision
In a divorce, the Respondent is asked to sign and return the Acknowledgment of Service – a document with a series of questions which the court sends to the Respondent with the divorce petition. The Respondent is required to answer the questions
A recent article and new TV series focussed on Britain’s top female lawyers dealing with the lives of the superrich. Perhaps too much was said about such lawyers’ astronomical hourly charges and killer heels, but this made me think about the real
Chronic illness is a very common component in divorce – and can have a far reaching impact on issues relating to finance and children. Long terms conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, lupus, Motor Neurone Disease not only affect people physically but often
The rights and needs of children are of paramount importance in the eyes of the law. One way of offering them a voice during legal proceedings is through the appointment of a guardian ad litem. Generally, a guardian will be assigned to
In my long experience as a family lawyer, children of divorced or separated couples can be happy or unhappy – regardless of contact arrangements. This view contradicts a study from Stockholm University which was widely reported and which claims that children who live full
Non-molestation orders – designed to protect victims of domestic violence from being abused and to stop the abuser from being violent towards the victims – help victims to deal with difficult ex-partners and people they are still in a relationship with. Those who
I have often thought that we should take research into the effects of divorce on children with a pinch of salt and concentrate on common sense, practical measures to reduce the impact. The latest study to grab headlines has concluded that a
Parental responsibility is a legal concept covering the legal rights, responsibilities and authority a parent has for his or her child. Such responsibilities include decisions about where a child lives, along with his or her upbringing, religion, education, medical care – and