Family and Matrimonial

  • A Guide to the Adoption Process

    The most important requirements for adoption are that the adopter must be over 21 years of age, the child to be adopted must be under the age of 18 and joint applications to adopt can only be made by married couples and civil partners. Unmarried couples can...
  • Business Assets and Divorce

    Divorce is seldom an easy business, but the problems are compounded when there is a family business involved. The division of the spoils has traditionally been the subject of a great deal of argument, but recent cases have at least clarified the thinking of...
  • Child Custody Explained

    Arrangements over the custody of children (called residence arrangements by lawyers) after the breakdown of a relationship are usually best decided without the intervention of the court. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for the two parties to...
  • Child Maintenance Explained

    The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) – a statutory non-departmental public body – was established in 2008 to take on the work of the Child Support Agency. At the same time, the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 ...
  • Civil Partnerships And Same-Sex Marriage Explained

    The first civil partnerships were formed on 21 December 2005, after the Civil Partnerships Act 2004 came into effect on 5 December 2005. Same-sex marriages contracted abroad, however, have been recognised as valid civil partnerships from 5 December...
  • Cohabitation Agreements - Protection for Unmarried Couples

    One of the most common myths in English law is that there is such a thing as a ‘common law marriage’. It simply doesn’t exist and this misapprehension has led the Law Commission to suggest proposals giving additional rights to cohabiting...
  • Divorce and Foreign Nationality

    Approximately one in six marriages in the European Union is between persons of different nationalities. Not surprisingly, approximately one in six divorces also involves spouses of different nationalities. This can make for some complexity on divorce as to...
  • Divorce and Foreign Residence: Children

    When a marriage breaks up, it is usual for the couple to separate physically as well as legally and in some cases the physical separation can be considerable. With the increase in international travel and residence abroad, marriages between persons of...
  • Divorce and Money

    When it comes to dealing with money and divorce, it is important to know what has to be taken into account and the powers available to arrive at fair decisions. For most couples, the basic problem is how to finance two separate households from income and...
  • Divorce and the Company Director

    Divorce is almost never easy and the financial negotiations can be protracted and difficult, particularly when there are business interests involved. In this article we consider some of the issues surrounding divorce for company directors. In the first...
  • Divorce and the Family Home

    Family break-up is always complicated and when there is a property involved, things can get very complex indeed. In principle, when a couple are cohabiting (not married or in a civil partnership) the property belongs as of right to whoever is shown on the...
  • Guide to Parental Responsibility

    The 1989 Children Act aimed to clarify the law regarding who could look after children. One of the main new concepts introduced by the Act was that of ‘Parental Responsibility’ (PR). This is the legal term which emphasises that the duty to...
  • Pensions and Divorce

    Divorces among the over-60s are by no means infrequent and, whilst the potential for acrimony arising from issues concerning young children is absent, they often do produce a great deal of dispute regarding the division of the family assets. There are two...
  • Post-Nuptial Agreements - the Basics

    Although divorce rates are in decline, more than 40 per cent of marriages end in divorce (in England and Wales more than 100,000 couples divorce annually) and when one in five of all men and women seeking to end their marriage have already been through one...
  • Pre-Nuptial Agreements: Wise Planning for the Wealthy

    Following a decision in the Supreme Court , in which a pre-nuptial agreement entered into by a German heiress and her husband was held to be enforceable, wealthy families worried about preserving family assets in the event of a divorce should certainly...
  • Relationship Break Up and Tax

    Getting divorced is never a pleasant experience and couples going through the process have a lot to think about. Whilst management of the tax consequences of the split is not normally at the top of their priority list, these can be considerable, even where...
  • Taking Children into Care - The Legal Process

    We often hear of children being taken into care, but the process by which this occurs is not well known. The Children Act 1989 lays down the circumstances under which it is appropriate for a child to be taken into care or a supervision order made. The...
  • The Process of Divorce

    Although divorce is a commonplace occurrence these days, few people going into their first divorce have much idea about how the process operates. Here is a brief guide. The process for dissolution of a civil partnership is essentially the same, as are the...

Latest News

Valuable Diamond is Crux of Assets Dispute in Court
Ignoring Court Orders Will Always Result in Sanction
Relationship Status Put Under Spotlight in Divorce Case
Psychotherapy Condition Leads to Contact Order Appeal
Family Court Transparency Pilot is Extended
High Court Considers Limits on the Right of Parents to Name Their Children
Divorce - What Happens When Assets are Simply Insufficient to Meet Needs?
Defiant Mother Sentenced for Refusing Father Contact with Their Child
Divorce - This is Why a Clean Break is Usually the Preferred Outcome
Sometimes Parental Love is Not Enough - Court Sanctions Boy's Adoption
Wealthy Divorcee Hit Hard in the Pocket for 'Delinquent' Litigation Conduct
Big Money Divorcees Pay £8.4 Million Price for Their 'Culture of Conflict'
Adoption - Internet Research Can Never Replace Professional Legal Advice
Overseas Divorce - Supreme Court Identifies Unjust Defect in Matrimonial Law
Pre- and Post-Marital Agreements Given Full Weight in Big Money Divorce
Family Judge's Challenging Interventions Rendered Care Hearing Unfair
Mother Not Responsible for Toddler's Shocking Injuries - Family Court Ruling
Breaking the Deadlock of Competing Divorce Petitions at Home and Abroad
The Validity of a Pre-Nuptial Agreement Often Depends on Top-Quality Legal Advice
Adopted Pensioner's Quest to Find Her Birth Parents Finally Bears Legal Fruit
Ex-Couple Spend an 'Absurd' £5 Million Plus Litigating About Their Child
Mental Capacity and Divorce - High Court Ends 'Empty Husk' Marriage
What Can a Family Judge Do When Faced With a Parent's Absolute Defiance?
Family Judge Intervenes to Protect Unborn Child of HIV-Positive Mother
Pre-Nuptial Agreement Given Only Partial Effect in Big Money Divorce Case
Judge Emphasises that a Care Order Does Not Imply Parental Blame
No Undue Pressure Involved in Divorce Deal Toasted with Champagne
Birth Certificates Are Not Set in Stone - High Court Paternity Declaration
High Court Gives Effect to French Marriage Contract in Big Money Divorce
Foreign Surrogacy Arrangements - High Court Underlines the Hazards
What Amounts to 'Marital Reconciliation'? Unique High Court Ruling
International Child Abduction - Habitual Residence is Often the Crucial Issue
How Much Weight Should be Given to Pre- and Post-Nuptial Agreements?
Leaving Home - Mother Ordered to Respect Disabled Son's Independence
Divorce - There Can Be a High Price for Failing to Negotiate Responsibly
Child's Birth to Same-Sex Couple Triggers Bureaucratic Tangle
Foot-Dragging Divorcee Pays Price for Unnecessary COVID-19 Adjournment
Requirement for Written Consent Waived in Unique Embryology Test Case
Divorce - Financial Proceedings 'Fast Heading for Ritz Hotel Status'
Adoption, Searching for Birth Parents and Rectification of Birth Certificates
Intransigence in Divorce Proceedings Can Come at a Crushing Price
Fathers Should Pay Towards Their Children's Upbringing - But How Much?
High Court Analyses Post-Nuptial Agreement in Guideline Divorce Ruling
Family Judge Heeds Teenage Foster Child's Wish to Change His Surname
Family Judge Labours to Achieve Fairness Between Debt-Laden Divorcees
Overseas Surrogacy Can Be a Legal Quagmire - Always Seek Expert Advice
Judge Opens New Chapter in Woman's Life by Dispelling Dark Family Secret
Equal Sharing Principle Delivers Fair Result in £6 Million Divorce Case
Judge Overturns Divorce Decree Based on Wife's Forged Signature
Teenager's Wishes and Feelings Prevail in Finely Balanced Adoption Case
Father Probably Responsible for Fatal Poisoning - Family Judge's Findings