Parental responsibility Posts

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....

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....

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 u....

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....

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....

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....

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....