A leading judge has called for reforms to prevent rich fathers manipulating their finances to reduce the amount they pay towards their children’s upbringing. The call follows a change in the law in 2012 that means maintenance payments are based only on actual income. This means that if a parent wants to pay as little
A husband described in court as “blatantly dishonest” has failed in his attempt to reduce the amount he must pay his wife as part of their divorce settlement. During the divorce proceedings, the husband had claimed to be in a dire financial position, being indebted to a trust he had set up and being excluded
A husband has lost his appeal against a court order awarding his wife a large lump sum and half his pension. The case involved a couple who divorced after several years of marriage. There were no dependent children. The husband was ordered to pay the wife a lump sum of £350,000. The judge found that
A mother has been allowed to change her son’s middle name despite an objection from his father. The case involved a boy who at birth was given two forenames by the parents and registered with both. He was most commonly known by his first name but the father used both and said that he favoured
A mother with a troubled background has won the right to oppose adoption proceedings involving her youngest child. The Court of Appeal was told that the mother had depression and problems with alcohol that had led to aggression and chaotic parenting. Her son had been removed to foster care in June 2015. His two older
Campaigners from the civil rights group Liberty are urging the government to ensure that equal pension rights for same-sex couples will be enshrined in UK law after Brexit. It follows the landmark ruling in which ex-cavalry officer John Walker won a landmark ruling to secure the same pension rights for his husband that a wife
A father has been unable to enforce a court order for contact with his children because no official body was prepared to provide supervision. The case involved a father and mother who had two children in England. They moved to Estonia in 2008, but in 2013, the mother returned to England with the children. The
Look at any Court Order or written agreements to see if it sets out the arrangements Whilst the agreement of the other parent is not needed if you holiday in the UK, it would be sensible to seek his/her consent in the absence of a Court Order or written agreement. It is illegal to take
A wife has won her appeal against a divorce settlement that gave her husband an equal share of the marital assets. The case involved a couple whose relationship, including cohabiting and marriage, lasted six years. They had no children. At the start of their relationship they both earned around £100,000 a year, but during the
A wife has been told that the assets of a trust she set up with her husband cannot be included in their divorce settlement. The case involved a couple who had established a charitable trust to conserve South China’s tiger population. It held land for conservation purposes. The trust was fully discretionary and held considerable