The government is providing an extra £5.4 million to help families resolve disputes such as contact arrangements through mediation instead of going to court. Under the scheme, mediation vouchers worth £500 are provided to divorcing couples with the aim of helping them find mutually agreeable solutions and freeing up space in the family courts. It seeks
The government is providing an extra £5.4 million to help families resolve disputes such as contact arrangements through mediation instead of going to court. Under the scheme, mediation vouchers worth £500 are provided to divorcing couples with the aim of helping them find mutually agreeable solutions and freeing up space in the family courts. It seeks
One of the UK’s leading judges has urged divorcing couples to use the £500 voucher that enables them to access mediation services to settle difficult disagreements. Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, made the suggestion in a complicated case involving a couple who had separated in 2017. The father had regular unsupervised contact with
The term ‘gaslighting’ was used for the first time ever in a published High Court judgement in the Family Courts. This was a milestone moment, giving the term legal credibility and legitimacy. ‘Gaslighting’ is a psychological term used to describe a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is trying to get someone else (or
The government is providing an additional £1.3 million to enable more separating parents use the family mediation scheme. The extra investment is expected to help families resolve disputes away from court, such as those involving financial or contact arrangements for children and takes investment in the initiative to more than £3m since its launch in
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