Leading family lawyers are calling on the government to provide new legislation to protect the rights of cohabiting couples. The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that there were 3.3 million cohabiting couple families in the UK in 2017, more than double the number recorded in 1996. They are now the fastest
A mother has won the right to keep her son in the UK after the father took legal action to take him to Australia. The case involved a couple who met and formed a long distance relationship in 2011. They had a son together but separated soon afterwards. She continued to live in England with
A woman has won the right to challenge a financial settlement agreed after the break-up of her same-sex relationship. She says her former partner lied about the extent of her wealth. The Court of Appeal heard that Helen Roocroft from Bolton had been in a civil partnership with property developer Carol Ainscow. They separated in
A father who lashed out at his children in a restaurant has been told he can only have indirect contact with them for at least the next two years. The case involved a couple who had three children together during their marriage. Following the breakdown of the relationship, the father wanted to remove the children
The announcement that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are to divorce has caused headlines across the world. For many years they seemed the perfect couple but now they’re preparing to do battle over custody of their children and possibly several other matters as they strive to reach a settlement that is fair to both of
A wife has been granted a divorce settlement that is fair to her husband but reflects her lavish lifestyle during the marriage. The case involved a couple who had been married for 12 years. The husband was from Saudi Arabia and the wife was an American. Their matrimonial home had been in England, and the
Update: Ely v Robson [2016] EWCA Civ 774 This case involved a property dispute following several years of cohabitation. Mr Ely, the Claimant, solely owed the property in which both parties cohabited. In 2005 the parties separated, but they continued to live in the property together. Ms Robson’s elderly aunt also resided with them, as
Self-help disclosure essentially describes the situation that most family solicitors have faced, where your client helps themselves to potentially confidential documents that belong to their partner. During divorce proceedings this is particularly common. Clients often believe that it is entirely innocent and perhaps even legal to take a peek at the odd email, letter or
A new scheme has been launched to encourage the use of arbitration in family disputes involving the welfare of children. The Family Law Arbitration Children Scheme was set up four years ago to help families resolve financial issues. Now the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators, which runs the scheme, wants to extend it to cover
A wife has been awarded more than £1.5m in a divorce settlement that acknowledges her contribution to the marriage but protects the wealth her husband had accrued before they met. The case involved a husband and wife, currently aged 83 and 67, who began cohabiting in 1998 and married in 2000. At the time of