The government has confirmed that it will introduce new legislation to end the blame game for divorcing couples. It’s hoped the new approach will help reduce family conflict. The move follows a public consultation where family justice professionals and those with direct experience of divorce voiced their support for reform. New legislation will therefore be
A cohabiting couple whose relationship has broken down will walk away with an equal share of their £1m home due to a conversation they had in a pub. That was the decision of the High Court in a case involving Claire Chipperfield, 52, and Andrew Horn, 58, who lived together for 15 years and have
A mother should be allowed to keep her children with her in England even though she had detained them against their father’s will. That was the decision of the Court of Appeal in a case involving a family that had lived in both the UK and Australia. The mother, who was English and the father
Cohabiting couples are being urged to draw up living together agreements to decide in advance how their assets should be divided if their relationship breaks down. The Law Society points out that unmarried cohabiting couples are the fastest growing type of family in the UK. Many of them assume they have the same legal rights
The Justice Secretary David Gauke announced today the archaic divorce laws will be reviewed to end hostility between divorcing couples. The current position Couples must divorce on the ground of ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’ established on one of the five following grounds: Two years separation with consent Five years separation Unreasonable behaviour Adultery Desertion
The Justice Secretary, David Gauke, has confirmed that the government is planning to reform divorce law to end the ‘blame game’ that can cause so much stress for some couples when they separate. Under the current system, there are five reasons for being granted a divorce by the courts: adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, two years
The Family Court has ruled that a 10-year-old boy who was abducted by his father and taken to England should be returned to his mother in Portugal. The mother and father, who also had a daughter aged 16, had separated in 2009 and subsequently divorced. In 2014, the father relocated to England but travelled to
Nearly half the people in England and Wales still believe in ‘common law’ marriage, with many cohabiting couples unaware of the risks they run if their relationship breaks down. A survey carried out by the National Centre for Social Research and Exeter University found that only four out of 10 people realised that cohabitation does
The High Court has outlined the issues to be considered when deciding whether a teenage father should be told that he has a child if the mother doesn’t want him to know. The case involved a mother who had become pregnant at 13 but was unaware of her pregnancy until her waters broke. Her family
A husband has failed in his attempt to get a £2m lump sum from his wife as part of their divorce settlement. The court held that there was nothing to justify such a payment. The husband and wife had married in 2007. They divorced in 2016 and had a six-year-old son. They had lived in