Family Law Blog : Divorce & Separation

Social media is an established part of our world now and with live tweeting from Courts, the possibility of service of legal documents via Facebook message and pages and pages of screenshots being submitted in evidence, it is having a profound influence on family law legal proceedings. As a family…

We blogged earlier in the year about the challenges for older people going through divorce and it sparked some healthy debate with colleagues about what is the key advice we need to give to the older generation. We know from the statistics that there is a rise in older couples…

For divorce solicitors the approach of Christmas heralds a number of challenges and concerns. There’s the increase in calls from distressed parents unable to reach agreement about whether their children will spend Christmas Eve with them or their ex-partner. Then there’s the rush to complete and submit paperwork to the…

Whilst it’s not surprising that emotions can run high in divorce proceedings (we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t get upset about the breakdown of our marriage) there is a limit to what behaviour is acceptable. A recent case in the High Court (Veluppillai v Veluppillai) has highlighted the best…

From TV programmes and films to the chat down the pub, mention divorce and ‘going to court’ is so often mentioned. Although many cases don’t end up in court I understand there is still a lot of confusion. It occurred to me that many people might not actually know what…

The recent case of Joy v Joy – Morancho and others reminds us once again that a full, frank and honest disclosure of your financial circumstances must be provided to one another and to the court before financial claims can be either negotiated upon or decided by the court. In…

The most recent ONS data on marriage and divorce revealed a fact as divorce lawyers we are all too aware of – divorce is on the up, and the increase is being driven by a rise in divorce amongst older people. Whilst the increase in overall divorce rates might be…

There appears to be more and more people dealing with their own divorce without first seeking advice from a family lawyer. A 2013 YouGov survey showed that 26% of people involved in divorce had taken the DIY route, with younger people and those in London far more likely to take…

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…

The cost of divorce is often in the news, with scare stories of divorce costing tens of thousands of pounds and having a knock on effect on personal finances many years into the future. So it’s understandable that if you talk to a family law solicitor you want to understand…

Is it possible for divorce lawyers to give gender neutral legal advice? Or are we ‘sexist’ because we often deal with clearly defined roles within a marriage? I was asked recently whether I favour male or female clients. I thought back over the clients I have helped over the years…

Divorce doesn’t have to go to court, but unless you and your partner are willing to talk, to negotiate and to settle that’s exactly where your family dispute will end up. Top tips for avoiding the divorce courts When your relationship breaks down not only are you dealing with the…