Family Law

This is undoubtedly a period of adjustment for us all. However, for parents who are separated and have spent time carefully considering the arrangements for the children following their separation, or are still navigating the court system to finalise the arrangements, this period of disruption is likely to throw up additional challenges. To help you […]

The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has today made observations about the strain the Family Court is under due to the sheer volume of cases that are submitted. Many of these cases are from separated parents regarding disagreements about the arrangements for their children. Despite the Court’s requirement to explore mediation before submitting […]

Our blog of 2 October 2018 “Addressing the ‘imbalance’ – Civil Partnerships for heterosexual couples” considered the case of Miss Steinfield and Mr Keidan who embarked on a campaign to give heterosexual couples the same rights as same sex couples to enter into Civil Partnerships. After successfully taking their case all the way to the […]

In a recent landmark case the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, ruled that a transgender man who gave birth to a child had to be named as the mother on the child’s Birth Certificate. The Case The Claimant was registered as a female at birth but transitioned to live as male, receiveing […]

When a relationship breaks down, and children are involved, it’s rarely just the parents’ time with the children that needs to be resolved, with grandparents are often left wondering about their own contact rights in relation to their grandchildren (especially if they have enjoyed regular time with them before). So what can you do if […]

It’s that time of year when we’re all dusting off our buckets and spades and getting ready for the long summer holidays. However, what happens if you are separated and have yet to agree how your children will spend their summer? Day-to-Day Arrangements You might want to use this time to discuss your children’s arrangements […]

Imagine thinking that you are divorced; then you both remarry only to find out that the Court made an error in your divorce proceedings, that the divorce has been deemed void, and that you and your former spouse are going to potentially face criminal sanctions for bigamy. This nightmare scenario came to light in the […]

‘Married at First Sight’ recently returned to our television screens for a fourth series. The concept of the show is literally in the title; potential candidates apply to be scientifically matched with their ‘perfect partner’ on paper, and the first time they will meet is at their wedding! After tying the knot, they are required […]

Justice Secretary David Gauke announced yesterday that the law will be changed to allow couples to divorce on the grounds that the marriage has broken down without having to make accusations of wrongdoing by one party. At present the law is very black and white, leading to a position where, unless there has been a […]

It has been announced that the founder of Amazon, and the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos has reached a settlement with his wife MacKenzie Bezos in their divorce for a reported record-breaking figure of (at least) $35b. It appears that the Bezos’ were keen to use a collaborative model for their financial settlement discussions, a […]

In circumstances where a child’s parents have separated and they are unable to reach an agreement about the arrangements for the child, either party may decide to apply to the Court for a Child Arrangements Order.  A Child Arrangements Order regulates who a child will live with and whether that child will spend time or […]

Just when family lawyers thought that we were out of joint-lives maintenance orders, a recent case has brought us back in. In Quan v Bray [2018] EWHC 3558 (Fam) , heard in the latter stages of 2018, Mr Justice Mostyn decided that in the particular circumstances of this case, particularly that the wife would not […]