Thursday September 29, 2011 at 9:30am
Is it me or do people seem to be paying much more attention to the party conferences than in previous years? It was the Liberal Democrats last week and the TV and (quality) newspaper coverage was robust, as a politician might say. I’m not sure my memory is entirely correct when I suggest that just a couple of years ago some of the conferences seemed to be conducted in a shed in Marlow with a “news in brief” item on p24 of the broadsheets the only glimmer of media interest. It....
Monday September 26, 2011 at 10:00am
I’m going to pick straight up where I left off in my last offering. In it, I was debating the pros and cons of self-help divorce websites, triggered by the launch of www.intelligentdivorce.co.uk which is designed to help divorcing couples reach agreement on the value of their assets without the need to take up additional court time. It is fair to say that my thoughts on it veered one way and then the other so I thought I would get some input from colleagues on the role they thoug....
Friday September 23, 2011 at 10:12am
I was looking this week at what I think is a pretty good new, online service for divorcing couples wanting to work to reach agreement on the value of their assets before then asking a barrister to give an opinion on whether it is likely to be accepted by the court.
However, what spoiled the experience was a careless scaremongering line that suggested that a divorce through a high street law firm “could easily reach £40,000”. On what planet? What are this “typical&rd....
Monday September 19, 2011 at 11:19am
There has been some debate in the last week about Living Together (Cohabitation) Agreements. Despite the Government stepping back from a plan to introduce similar rights for unmarried couples as those who are married, like claims on property and pensions in the event of a split, the Law Society is suggesting that a properly drawn-up Cohabitation Agreement can actually give the parties more protection if things went sour further down the line.
I would take issue with this somewhat.
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Thursday September 15, 2011 at 10:00am
The likelihood of Legal Aid reform continues to be a big issue. Cuts of up to £350 million in the system would see the option of Legal Aid removed for many people in divorce proceedings, with victims in domestic abuse cases, for instance, among a very small group of people who will still be able to seek help with funding. The profession has voiced fears that the measure is being railroaded through despite strong opposition in a public consultation. The aim is to cut costs, as is the rece....
Monday September 12, 2011 at 9:45am
We often talk about children being damaged by divorce and there are many studies which suggest that children from a broken home are worse off in one way or another, whether they perform worse at school, have relationship issues of their own later in life or are more likely to get in trouble with the police. The latest one I saw last week is that children whose parents divorce or separate before they are five are more likely to be problem drinkers, so says think tank Demos.
However, is it rea....
Thursday September 8, 2011 at 9:30am
We conducted a poll among Woolley & Co lawyers a couple of years ago on what the leading causes of divorce were. Each looked at their ten most recent cases and in 43 per cent of divorces, sex was a factor, making it the most common factor in divorce by our reckoning. In most cases this was adultery, but there were a string of other entries, including unusual sexual practices, use of gay chat forums and cross dressing. Each to their own.
From my experience in the profession and speaki....
Monday September 5, 2011 at 9:45am
Mesher Orders aren’t something you hear too much about. Or at least they weren’t, but the climate is changing and talk of them is now becoming more common, even if they are not an ideal option for anyone.
Effectively in a divorce, a Mesher Order sets the date of the sale of the former marital home to when the youngest child turns 18 or finishes full time education or training. While it allows (usually) a mother and the children to continue with a settled life without being forc....
Thursday September 1, 2011 at 9:50am
I touched last week (Courts slowing the divorce process) on the court systems unwillingness to accept emailed documents and electronic payments. After finishing that blog, I felt this was worth a longer mention. It seems to me that such simple steps as these, commonplace in every other industry for years, could go some way to cutting back on the delays I was talking about – or at least avoid any additional processing delays. There is lots of talk about the Government wanting to simplif....