Despite an ever growing proportion of the population choosing to cohabit rather than get married, nearly half (46%) of adults in England and Wales mistakenly think that couples acquire ‘common law’ rights after living together for a certain amount of time or having children together. These misconceptions can lead to one party being particularly vulnerable in the
Despite an ever growing proportion of the population choosing to cohabit rather than get married, nearly half (46%) of adults in England and Wales mistakenly think that couples acquire ‘common law’ rights after living together for a certain amount of time or having children together. These misconceptions can lead to one party being particularly vulnerable in the
In short marriages—typically under five years—the court often aims to return both parties to their pre-marital financial positions. Equal division of assets is less common, especially where there are no children. Understanding your rights early can help protect your financial future.
The Family Court has refused to return a four-year-old boy to his father in the United States even though his mother had taken him to England unlawfully. The case involved a mother who had emigrated to the United States and acquired dual citizenship. The father was a US citizen. The couple had separated before their
A judge has ordered that a divorce settlement should include an unequal split in the wife’s favour after her husband had behaved in an extreme and unacceptable way when he sold the family business. The couple had been married for 24 years and had three children, aged 22, 20 and 15. In 2010, they had
Press Release Kathryn Ainsworth from Machins Solicitors is offering the guide for free to local families who are divorcing or separating The Parenting Through Separation Guide is written by family professionals and advises parents of how to put their children first during a separation The guide is launched during Good Divorce Week which runs from
This week is Good Divorce Week, an annual campaign initiative by Resolution, a national organisation of family justice professionals who aim to work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way. Resolution has over 6,500 professional members The initiative’s purpose is to promote a practical and constructive approach to family problems and
A wife has been granted the right to pursue a divorce in the UK even though she and her husband had been effectively divorced in Ghana according to local customs The case involved a couple who had been married in 2017 in Ghana. They had a marriage certificate. Prior to the marriage, the wife had
The mediation voucher scheme is being expanded to help thousands more separating couples resolve disputes without having to go to court. The scheme, launched by the Government in March, provides a £500 voucher for mediation services with the aim of finding amicable solutions to disagreements. It seeks to spare eligible families the trauma of going through
There’s been a large rise in the number of married couples using ‘prenups’ over the last 20 years, according to a new survey. The survey, carried out by Savanta ComRes for the Marriage Foundation, found that one in five couples married since 2000 have some form of a pre-nuptial agreement in place. This compared to
Two children caught up in a parental dispute have been allowed by the High Court to choose to live with their mother in England. The children were aged 17 and 14. Their mother and father were Spanish nationals who had moved to the UK in 2004. The relationship had broken down and the father had