The Government is planning new measures to deal with parents who refuse to pay child maintenance. Those who fail to meet their obligations will face accelerated sanctions following the introduction of powers to speed up enforcement action and other reforms to make the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) fairer. A consultation is now taking place on
Actress Sophie Turner and her ex-husband, singer Joe Jonas, have used mediation to reach a shared custody agreement for their two children. The couple had previously announced that they divorced amicably but then the Game of Thrones star sued Jonas, claiming he hadn’t let their daughters return to England from the US. However, they then
Leading law groups have warned the government against making mediation compulsory in family disputes. The Ministry of Justice has just completed a consultation on compulsory mediation for all ‘suitable low-level’ family court cases. The Law Society says it supports government efforts to secure amicable resolutions in family disputes but believes mediation should only be voluntary, not
New regulations are being introduced to impose tougher sanctions on parents who fail to pay child maintenance. The government says the Child Support (Enforcement) Act will see families paid faster as it gives the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) the power to use a liability order to reclaim unpaid child maintenance instead of applying
Usually, in financial remedy proceedings, the decision about whether or not to sell the family home (or any other property) will not be made until the final hearing. However, there could be very good reasons for a party wanting to do so prior to the final hearing. This could be, for example, if the parties
A cross-party group of MPs has warned that cohabiting couples may have to wait for several years before legal reforms are implemented to better protect their rights. The MPs have urged the government to reconsider its timetable and speed things up. Unlike married couples, cohabitants have very few legal protections if their relationship breaks down.
What is the legal position regarding who can take a child abroad? Helpful tips to make the process as stress-free as possible: Please contact us if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of divorce and family law.
A new course and set of resources to help separating couples prioritise their children’s needs has been launched by Cafcass on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Cafcass is the organisation that protects the rights of children in family disputes and court proceedings. It says that when couples separate, the risk of a deterioration in
Separating couples will be obliged to try mediation before being allowed to go to court to settle disputes over financial and child custody arrangements. The government announcement is part of a major shake-up of the family justice system. The proposals will see mediation become mandatory in all suitable low-level family court cases excluding those that
Good Divorce Week (28 Nov – 2 Dec) is an annual campaign run by Resolution raising awareness of all the different ways families can resolve their disputes away from Court. Divorces are on the increase again with the most recent statistics showing 113,000 divorces in 2021 – up nearly 10% on the previous year –