When people are asked what matters to them, the majority say, again and again, their family, and their children most of all. And yet in the face of a failed marriage it is often that most precious child or children that pay the price of the parents feeling that the…
A shocking report in 2014 revealed that a teenager sitting their GCSEs is more likely to own a smartphone than live with their father. The Fractured Families report, from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), also showed that a million children have no significant contact with their dads. The publication…
Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and its role in children proceedings is both to make sure children’s voices are heard and that decisions are taken in their best interests (which is not always the same thing – what a child says he or she…
It is a fact of life that in most cases, when two people end their relationship, one or both are hurt, upset and angry. These are very strong emotions and are pretty normal and understandable. Where it becomes a problem is when these emotions are allowed to spill over and…
I was tempted to entitle this blog Sparkling Cyanide, sadly not a reference to a work by Agatha Christie but in fact a recent case in the family courts which illustrates how the courts become involved when parental ‘responsibility’ isn’t being exercised. The case I am referring to involved the…
As thoughts turn to booking a summer holiday I am increasingly approached by potential clients asking me whether or not they are able to take their children away on holiday and whether they need the consent of the other parent. I view these clients as the enlightened ones who have…
As family law solicitors we come across some really sad and upsetting cases at times, none more challenging than cases of parental child abduction. Over the past two years I have noticed an increase in calls from fathers who literally say “my worst nightmare” has happened – my ex-partner has…
As a family lawyer I am often contacted by distressed parents who are unable to reach an agreement with their former partner as to the arrangements for their children. Clients often feel they have lost the ability to be an equal parent because they are no longer living in the…
Co-parenting seems to be one of those latest buzz word that is pretty irrelevant to most couples – until that is they separate or divorce. Once a family is divided, by the fact that the two parents live apart, co-parenting takes on a whole new dimension and create so many…
The ‘Missing Mum’ case involving Rebecca Minnock who fled with her 3 year old son in anticipation of a Court decision that the little boy should live not with her but with his father has attracted some lurid headlines and furore on social media in the past week. Quite separate…
Making the decision to divorce can be difficult, for those with children it is often even more so. You need to consider how you will tell the children, how they will react and how you can minimise the impact upon them. As family law solicitors we see the consequences of…
Parents who separate are always concerned about the care and welfare of their children. Recent changes means the family courts now put a focus on ‘shared care’, but what does that really mean? I receive lots of calls from parents who have recently separated and want to know more about…