Family Law

The Cohabitation Rights Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 12 December 2014 and has now passed through to the Committee Stage. The news was welcomed by many supporters who have long campaigned for this area of law to be updated in order to reflect the standards of a modern society. […]

The latest figures available show that there are 60,454 civil partnerships currently registered in the UK. Same-sex couples who are thinking of solidifying their relationship can now choose to do so with either a civil partnership or a civil marriage, with the latter option being available since March this year. The first step towards equality […]

47% of UK adults aged 18-34 think that cohabiting couples have the same legal rights as their married counterparts according to recent research. The same survey found that 58% of all adults do not know that the commonly used term ‘common law wife/husband’ is not actually a recognised legal status. The effect of this misconception […]

Courts in the 21st Century have fought to keep up with the communication revolution that is social media. It has proved important for Courts to be au fait with social media sites such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. News reports illustrate that Facebook has actually been a contributory factor in many divorces and that it […]

This week has seen the biggest overhaul to child maintenance since its implementation in 1993. The Government has introduced a new system of administering child maintenance through The Child Maintenance Service (CMS), which has replaced The Child Support Agency (CSA). The new system has three core functions: To promote the financial responsibility parents have for […]

The Children and Families Act 2014 came into force yesterday which heralded the birth of the new Family Court as part of the family justice system reforms. The far-reaching reforms are intended to create a more efficient family justice system. The changes are designed to offer more support to parents and place children at the […]

A dog is for life Family lawyers have seen an increase in dog custody battles in recent years. The saying a ‘dog is for life’ does not sit easily with the fact that the life of a dog outlives the average marriage or relationship. This means that more and more couples are faced with the […]

Saturday 29 March 2014 was a historic day for Britain as same-sex marriage was finally legalised, marking a new era of equality. Several couples across Britain were ready to say their vows the moment the law changed, seconds after the clock struck midnight, vying for the much coveted title of being the first same-sex marriage in […]

How do the 2014 Budget changes effect divorcing couples? Firstly, couples who are divorcing or separating with a jointly owned home will need to pay attention to the 2014 budget changes in respect of Capital Gains Tax (CGT). The change in the rules will have an impact on the spouse who moves out of the […]

A recent case has highlighted the emotional difficulties that can occur when parents object to the treatment of their sick child proposed by the doctors. Doctors at the Birmingham children’s hospital applied to the Court for a ruling that a baby suffering from heart disease should receive blood during surgery. The case was reported in […]

The long awaited report from The Law Commission in relation to prenups is finally available and as we had been expecting for some time the recommendation is that prenups should be made legally binding, subject though to certain legal safeguards. In essence a prenup enables parties to agree the terms of their divorce before they […]

On Monday 3 February, new Guidance came into effect which aims to improve public understanding and confidence in the Family Court system by increasing the number of Court judgments which will be published. Sir James Munby, President of the Family Division, has issued the Guidance in respect of the Family Courts. There are also similar provisions […]