The question of whether Justin and Lilian need a prenuptial agreement is one on the minds of any Archers fan who also happens to be a divorce lawyer! I make no secret of the fact that I am a huge fan of the Radio 4 soap The Archers. Over the…
The number of enquiries Woolley & Co receive about prenuptial agreements has risen sharply in the last 12 months. Maybe the message is getting through that understanding the full legal implications of your marriage and putting in place measures in case things don’t work out is a sensible part of…
With a new Government in place, albeit one preoccupied with Brexit and unforeseen tragic events, is now the time to put more emphasis on equality in family law? We have marriage and civil partnerships for same sex couples, but what about the rights of cohabiting couples, and the rights of…
Isn’t it about time the divorce laws of England and Wales came into line with Australia, Sweden and Japan, to allow for no fault divorce? The recent widely publicised family law case of Owens v Owens illustrates why this change is so needed. Mrs Owens sought a divorce on the…
In my many years as a family lawyer I have had many requests for help by a separated parent, to take a child abroad on holiday, or for a longer stay. Such requests can usually be resolved often by the simple expediency of providing all the necessary information to the…
Recently I was asked what happens if an engagement breaks down and one party requests the return of the engagement ring. Now you might assume that it would be the property of the person who received the “gift”. This is not so straightforward though and consideration must be given as…
The breakdown of a relationship or marriage is not easy for anyone to deal with. Emotions run high and confusion sometimes reigns. Before rushing to take action, it is important to remember you need time to come to terms with what is happening and you should not take major steps…
As a family law solicitor, I often say that ‘nothing surprises me’. But with the advent of new technologies and the proliferation of social media I find myself amazed by some of the things I read about in Family Law case notes and some of the incidents experienced by my…
Shared parenting seems to be referred to regularly now in media reports about divorce and separation. In all cases that come before the Courts there will be a desire to do what is best for the child or children involved, which is often shared care of the child. But what…
So often many amazing dads out there are far too humble about their qualities and abilities. We want to give dads – or at least one dad in particular – his time in the spotlight and give people the chance to say thanks for all the good dads out there….
As a family lawyer the work that you do changes with the times. The biggest change I’ve noticed in recent years is that I have seen a significant increase in divorce by more mature clients. A recent report in The Telegraph which talked about the rise in women over the age of 65 getting married to avoid spending a long retirement alone highlights how much…