Thursday June 30, 2011 at 10:00am
Branding has never been a real issue in the legal profession. Sure, there are a number of top (usually London based) firms which are widely known in business or celebrity circles, and the top five in the so-called Magic Circle of firms. Then there are more local clutches of firms which might have a number of offices around a certain area. The name, or brand, may therefore carry some authority in that area, but further afield, the name means nothing. The advent of the so called Tesco law, which a....
Monday June 27, 2011 at 10:00am
News reached me that a woman, said to be living on state benefits whilst seeking her share of her husband’s alleged £400 million fortune, has criticised the divorce system in the UK. Well, you would wouldn’t you?
Michelle Young, 47, who incidentally has hired the former head of Scotland Yard’s Royal Protection Squad to oversee her security after threats were allegedly made against her, wants her share of the fortune apparently amassed by her husband Scot, a fixer for ol....
Thursday June 23, 2011 at 10:00am
There is no doubt in my mind that children are the ones who need most help when it comes to divorce – and parents need to act like grown ups and play a mature role in this.
Relationship break-up is traumatic for all concerned, don’t get me wrong, and my role as a responsible family lawyer is to help guide people not just through the legal issues related to formalising a divorce, but also offer support in other ways, especially as someone to recommend other professional services. ....
Wednesday June 22, 2011 at 2:43pm
Plumber Ian Puddick has recently been in the news after he was arrested and charged with harassment of a Mr Haynes with whom Mr Puddick’s wife had an affair. He was found not guilty.
Mr Puddick set up a website, twitter account and linkedin account all designed to expose Mr Haynes as an adulterer. Interestingly Mr Puddick reconciled with his wife, but what did he really hope to achieve from his actions?
No doubt he was upset and angry, but if he thought that drawing public attention to....
Monday June 20, 2011 at 10:00am
The interim report of the Family Justice Review was published a couple of months ago and has caused such a wave of interest that it seems very few people have digested its contents yet. Having been critical of the time it takes to conduct such reviews and get some constructive change to happen, I did sit down and read it all recently. As you can imagine, it is not the most riveting read though there were some fascinating insights in there. It was also interesting to see how certain important nug....
Thursday June 16, 2011 at 10:00am
One of the many divorce myths which we are often faced with is that you cannot commit adultery if you are already separated. Wrong. If you have a sexual relationship with a member of the opposite sex while you are still married, then it is adultery, even if so far as you are concerned your relationship with your spouse has come to an end or you have been physically separated for some time. As such, it can be reasonably cited in any divorce proceedings brought by your former spouse. Important to ....
Monday June 13, 2011 at 10:00am
After years of talking about it, the Legal Services Act is upon us. Officially, it comes into force in October this year and will allow more organisations to offer legal services, something which they have not been able to do to date. It has been dubbed “Tesco law” by certain commentators convinced we will see a rush by supermarkets wanting to sell all sorts of additional services to unsuspecting shoppers. From home conveyancing to divorce, in the same way you can now pick up leaflet....
Thursday June 9, 2011 at 10:00am
Malta. Holiday destination, Mediterranean island, World War II strategic stronghold, where Gladiator was filmed and Oliver Reed died. Also, the only EU country where divorce is not allowed. That could change though after a referendum at the end of May 2011 saw nearly three-quarters of the electorate vote “yes” to divorce laws being introduced. The poll was non-binding so the Government hasn’t committed to change, but Prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi conceded “now it is our du....
Monday June 6, 2011 at 10:00am
I have been critical in the past of Ed Miliband but it was nice to see a politician carry through on a promise and marry his long-term partner Justine Thornton last week. It had been suggested by some, me included, that it might just be a box ticking exercise but the couple looked very happy as they joined together legally after six years together. It did allow their two children to take part in the celebrations, something that is increasingly commonplace. The timeline of old (which went somethi....
Thursday June 2, 2011 at 10:00am
A warning for over-enthusiastic
divorce lawyers this week. Please read slowly and carefully because it’s difficult to keep up with the twists and turns on this one.
In what was billed as a test case, celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White has won a (very) public apology from his wife’s divorce lawyers. The couple are still married after rekindling their romance last Christmas following three years of bitter feuding in the divorce courts.
The multi-millionaire chef decided to sue his w....