Family Law

With the school holidays fast approaching you are probably thinking about your next family getaway. If you share parental responsibility with any other person, you may be wondering whether you need any permissions...

The short answer is no, and in fact most divorcing couples do not ever need to attend court. The vast majority of divorces are uncontested and are dealt with by posting documents to the court for them to be considered and the divorce is then granted. ...

A recent YouGov poll found that over 40% of grandparents aged 50 and above have provided regular childcare for their grandchildren. Children are therefore much closer to their grandparents and the impact of family breakdown or divorce , and the loss of...

Yes. If everyone who has parental responsibility for the child agrees, you can enter into a parental responsibility agreement . The child’s mother will have parental responsibility and the father will have parental responsibility if he was married to...

A Prohibited Steps Order is an order granted by the Court preventing a parent from doing certain activities or events or making specific trips with their child/children. It allows the Court to apply a restriction upon a mother or father’s parental...

In most cases following the breakdown of a relationship between parents, the contact that grandparents have simply forms part of the contact that they have with the parent that belongs to that side of the family.  There are however some very...

As part of Divorce proceedings the Court will need to look at the parties finances. Pensions are often a major asset which will need to be considered. More often than not at least one party will have a pension which has accrued during the marriage. The...

Though there is no straight answer as to whether you can make a claim against your husband or wife’s pension in the event of divorce , we have broken down your options below. Much of it will depend upon the length of the marriage, the amount of...

There is no one definition of domestic abuse or violence that is universally accepted. Domestic abuse can comprise a wide range of acts or behaviours and can cover a range of domestic relationships . Domestic violence or abuse can include (but is not...

Unfortunately unless Harry or Meghan choose to tell the world we will probably never know. Prenuptial agreements are private documents, they are not a matter of public record and are not done through the courts. There is therefore no record of them, other...

Next month the Supreme Court is due to hear the case of a wife currently stuck in a loveless marriage but who has been denied a divorce. Mr and Mrs Owen were married in 1978 and had two children together. Their marriage broke down and they separated in 2015....

If you are married or in a civil partnership and the family home is held in the sole name of your spouse or civil partner if the relationship breaks down you should consider registering your home rights.  Home rights permit...

If you are not married and your former partner is not a legal owner of the property they do not have the right to enter it without your permission. If they insist on doing so you can seek the assistance of the Police in removing...

You are able to issue a Divorce Petition for dissolution of your marriage provided you have been married for at least 12 months. You will need your marriage certificate and also your spouse’s contact details. The court fee is currently £550...

A non-molestation order is an order preventing a person from molesting another person (or a child). The parties have to be associated in some way. Usually they would be former partners, but certain family members and people who have lived together...

From the age of 16 your child can change their own surname by executing a Deed of Name Change.  Under the age of 16 the consent of everyone with parental responsibility is required.  While this does not necessarily...

The short answer to this question is no. You should not access any confidential documents belonging to your spouse or civil partner.  This includes communications regarding their private life and their personal business dealings.  Your solicitor...

An 83 year old businessman has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after failing to comply with a Court order regarding the financial settlement arising from the breakdown of his marriage. In 2015, the Court ordered that his wife be awarded £3.5m of...

Parental Responsibility refers to the rights, responsibilities, duties and authorities that a person can have in relation to a child. Parental Responsibility for a child is automatically acquired at the child’s birth by the following: 1) the...

The term ‘Parental Responsibility’ refers to the rights, responsibilities, duties and authorities that a parent (or, in some circumstances, a third party) can have in relation to a child. By way of example, anyone with parental responsibility ...