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
The Law Commission is seeking views on the possible introduction of electronic wills, which it says are now becoming feasible due to technological advances. It also wants to explore ways to deal with predatory marriages that exploit vulnerable people. During the Covid pandemic, several countries, including the UK, allowed paper wills to be witnessed virtually.
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
The unfortunate dispute that arose recently among Aretha Franklin’s sons illustrates what can happen when a person dies without having made a properly drafted will. The legendary soul singer died in 2018. At the time, it was thought she had not made a will, so her estate was divided equally between her four sons. However,
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
Surveys consistently show that only four out of ten people in the UK have made a will, despite the problems and heartache that could cause for their loved ones. Even the Covid pandemic didn’t inspire people to put their affairs in order. There was barely a 1% increase in the number of wills drawn up.
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.
UK house prices have risen slightly on a monthly basis, but the overall trend is still downwards, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. The annual percentage change for average UK house prices was 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2023, compared with 4.1% in the 12 months to March 2023. The