I have already blogged here about the need for reform of the law relating to cohabiting couples. A few more thoughts on this subject. As I explained in my last blog, there are two alternatives to the current inadequate law; … read more
The strange case of the phantom children
The Family Court frequently has to decide factual disputes between parents. But what is the court supposed to do when the parents cannot even agree that their children exist? The Family Court recently was faced with a most unusual dispute … read more
Together or alone: should I apply for a divorce on my own or jointly with my spouse?
The no-fault divorce law introduced in April 2022 introduced a way of getting divorced that had never existed before. For the first time, it was now possible for a couple to jointly apply to the Family Court for a divorce. … read more
Cohabitation law reform; what form should it take?
The current state of the law relating to cohabiting couples in England Wales is desperately in need of serious reform. That reform now seems likely to happen in the foreseeable future, but what form should it take? The current law … read more
Conduct is rarely as relevant as you think
Parties who are involved in divorce proceedings can often be surprised to discover that what their spouse has done makes absolutely no difference in their case. Many clients will have experienced misconduct by their exes, some of it quite dreadful. … read more
Oh clicking hell!
A wife whose solicitors accidentally brought her marriage to an end prematurely has failed in her attempt to persuade the Family Court to overturn it. The solicitors had two clients with very similar names. Divorces now take place on an … read more
Is the Family Court about to get tough about alternatives to court?
New court rules are about to be introduced in the Family Court to make it harder for people to avoid using alternatives to court. The Family Court has been overwhelmed by the number of cases that it has to deal … read more
Why has everyone stopped getting divorced?
This week brought us the very surprising announcement by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that divorces plummeted in 2022. In 2021 there were 113,505 divorces in England and Wales , but in 2022, this fell to only 80,057. There … read more
A blunt instrument: the child maintenance system
The current child maintenance formula has the virtue of simplicity, particularly compared to the previous incarnation which was so complicated that solicitors needed specialist software to be able to calculate the figure correctly. However, this simplicity comes at a price; … read more
Some people just don’t want to be helped
One of the frustrating things about being a family law solicitor is that you often encounter people whose legal problems you can solve, but they won’t let you. Of course, many people have legal problems and … read more