Family Law Blog

Guidance and advice on divorce, separation, and family law matters

What are the legal benefits of marriage?

While marriage is a wonderful celebration of a couple’s love and commitment to one another and is seen as the next natural step in many relationships, it is important to remember that it is also a legal arrangement. By extension, that means marriage usually comes with certain benefits. Exactly what…

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What is cohabitation?

It is very common for couples to choose to live together without being married or in a civil partnership. This type of arrangement is referred to as cohabitation. Cohabitating relationships can be suitable for many couples, but it is important to be aware of the potential legal implications of such…

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How long is spousal maintenance paid for?

Spousal maintenance refers to an amount of money that is paid from one spouse to another during divorce. The payment is made from the spouse with the higher income to support the spouse with the lower income. Whilst spousal maintenance is not always payable, it will be ordered by the…

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Nominal spousal maintenance order: What is it?

Following a divorce, it may be appropriate for the party with the higher income to make regular maintenance payments so that their former partner is able to meet their ongoing living costs. This is known as spousal maintenance. There are various types of spousal maintenance which can be implemented, one…

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Why is my divorce taking so long?

Divorce can be a challenging experience at the best of times. So, it’s understandable that you would want to be sure that the process is as straightforward, efficient, and quick as possible. Your divorce may be taking a long time owing to court backlogs, disagreements over finances or children, communication…

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Can my ex claim half of my new house?

When you get divorced, the financial commitments you and your ex-partner have towards one another are not automatically severed. If you do not have a financial order which includes a clean break clause, your former partner could potentially have rights to property after divorce, even if you make a purchase…

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Does the length of my marriage affect my divorce settlement?

The length of your marriage will have an impact on your divorce settlement. Generally speaking, the longer you are married, the more likely it is that your divorce settlement will be closer to an equal division of your assets. However, it is also important to keep in mind that the…

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What is a Mesher Order?

A Mesher order is a court order that deals with the family home after a divorce. It is essentially an order for a deferred sale, with the property remaining in the couple’s joint names until a trigger event occurs. Taking its name from the family whose case first established the…

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Conditional Order in Divorce

There are various stages to the divorce process in England and Wales. Regardless of whether you are making a sole or joint application, you will always need to apply to the courts for a Conditional Order (formerly referred to as a Decree Nisi). A conditional order is a stage in…

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What is void and voidable marriage in the UK?

The grounds for getting an annulment in the UK are very strict. Statistics from ONS indicate that only 231 annulments took place in 2021, which tells us that annulments in the UK are rare. For an annulment to be granted, a marriage must be either ‘void’ or ‘voidable’. This can be a…

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What is reasonable access for fathers in the UK?

The rights of parents and especially fathers to spend time with their children after a couple separate can be a highly complex and emotive issue. It’s unfortunately common to hear tales of fathers who are being denied the right to access their children, leading them to question what rights they…

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Breach of consent order

A breach of a consent order happens when a party fails to comply with the legally binding court order. To address this, the non-breaching party can first try to resolve the issue directly with the other person or by sending a warning letter. If that fails, the next step is…

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