Thursday April 25, 2013 at 9:00am
Moving abroad is a huge step for anyone. I should know. I am now based in Egypt! There is just so much to sort out, and that is on top of the fear of the unknown and doubts about whether it is going to work out or you may end up coming home with your tail between your legs. And then there are the children. It is a huge wrench and adjustment if you have children and want to move abroad, though we all know how resilient and adaptable they can be. However, if you are divorced from your son or daugh....
Thursday March 28, 2013 at 9:00am
Holiday times are not always good times. By holidays, I do not mean sandy beaches, sangria and swimming, on this occasion, but rather when the children are off school and families are able to spend more time together as parents have a few days off work. With Easter upon us, that time is here again and it is not going to be easy for everyone, particularly younger children whose parents are separated or divorced. But there are things that parents can do to make this holiday pass without trauma, to....
Tuesday October 23, 2012 at 9:00am
Being a parent is a huge responsibility. From the very second your first is born, for the rest of your life you are unlikely to ever stop caring for them and worrying about them in more ways than one. In some ways, this aspect of having children is the straightforward bit. No matter what trials and tribulations a family may go through, the relationship between a child and their parents is constant. However, when you look at that relationship in legal terms, it is perhaps not as clear, especially....
Thursday July 12, 2012 at 9:00am
It appears there is still significant confusion around exactly what will be in the Children and Families Bill in relation to shared parenting. I have blogged several times on this issue in the last year. It has been a kind of “will they, won’t they” situation on a number of points in terms of what will be covered in new legislation. The most high profile issue has undoubtedly been around children’s rights to have a relationship with both parents, eg it is presumed both p....
Tuesday July 10, 2012 at 9:00am
So the school summer holidays are almost here again. This used to be a time of strategic planning to care for and look after the children across six sun-soaked weeks, family holidays and chaos around the house. These days, for me, it is more about being pleasantly surprised how much quieter the roads are at peak times than they would normally be without all the school run traffic. Times change. However, there will be millions of families across the UK for whom the preparations mentioned above w....
Thursday May 24, 2012 at 9:00am
There seems to have been an awful lot about parenting and families in the news over the last week or so, so I make no apologies for this being my second blog of the week on parenting! The main talking point of course has been the free vouchers for parenting classes launched by the Government last week. It was dismissed by opponents of the Government – which appears to be most people these days – as being, quite literally, more evidence of a nanny state. It even spawned an unfortunate....
Monday May 21, 2012 at 9:00am
All parents are worried about the effect on their children of divorce or separation. Ultimately, the family courts will make decisions in the interest of the children if parties are unable to agree, but it is always better for children to see that their parents have been able to work things out between them by putting the children first. Of course, this is easier said than done when a relationship breaks down and emotions are high, but it is possible to share the care of your children. So I hav....
Monday March 5, 2012 at 9:00am
I was drawn to an article (Why I’ll never let my ex’s new girlfriend meet my son) a few weeks ago. I have since tried to get it out of my head but it just won’t go away so I felt compelled to share my thoughts on it. To summarise, the mother of the child point blank refuses to allow her son to have any contact with his father if she believes his father’s new partner will be present. I’d encourage parents to read this as an example of how not to do things and instead....
Thursday November 24, 2011 at 9:00am
Upon my recent return to the UK from my adopted home of Egypt, I was sadly excited by the prospect of watching a few EastEnders episodes. The excitement turned to horror as I watched an appallingly written episode which showed a frightening lack of proper and relevant research into current family law and social care practice. In my opinion, it was dangerous. In this particular episode, Roxy Mitchell left her three-year-old daughter in the temporary care of one of her teenage family members (Ben....
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 really....
Thursday August 25, 2011 at 9:45am
In the charred and smoking aftermath of the worst riots this country has seen for (at least) a generation, Prime Minster David Cameron seems to have woken up to the fact that families could be at the heart of mending our “broken Britain”. The Big Society idea first floated pre-election, and sounding good at the time has perhaps never seemed so far away, set against the backdrop of marauding packs of hooligans fighting pitched battle with the police, not in one deprived area uniting ....
Monday August 15, 2011 at 10:00am
Mention “five-a-day” and it is likely the first thing that springs to mind is fruit and vegetables. It is the modern day campaign/tool used by the Government to encourage people to get their fill of vitamins by having five pieces of fruit or helpings of vegetables each day. However, there is another five-a-day that is said to be gaining ministerial support and it is more about effective parenting than just kids eating their greens. Under the scheme, parents will be given a five-a-da....
Thursday April 21, 2011 at 10:00am
Easter is great. Lambs, eggs and chocolate. First holiday of the year – or at least it is for those of us who work. The Easter break for the children is their second break from the classroom. Two weeks – or maybe a little more this time – away from school books and lessons. It is a chance to catch up with family members. It is also an opportunity to highlight a technicality in family law which means hundreds, maybe thousands of children across the country are left without anyon....
Thursday February 17, 2011 at 10:00am
As almost any family law specialist will tell you, agreeing – and getting parents to stick to – maintenance payments for any children is one of the areas most fraught with difficulties. Just the mention of it causes emotions to run high on both sides. For the parent with whom any children will reside, they are keen to ensure the absent party pays their fair share of support costs (at least). For the absent parent, often the father, they have to make sure the arrangement is within the....
Monday November 22, 2010 at 9:00am
I did a double take when I first read the story in the paper about Ed Miliband making his second son “official”. Was first born, Daniel, borrowed then, or in some way not real? What did new arrival Samuel have that his older brother didn’t? When I got down to the details it was simply the press’s usual caring way of explaining a specific situation arising from family law, akin to the mythical “quickie” divorce that enrages me so much whenever I see it. The c....