Family Law Blog : April 2014

The question whether or not celebrities are addicted to divorce, and what the implications of this are, is one that has been going around in my head for several years now. Some days, it can certainly seem that there is just an endless procession of those in the public eye – some I have heard of and some I have not – talking about maybe getting a divorce, splitting up, getting back together, splitting up again, moving out, being pictured...

For many, the new Children and Families Act 2014 is a long-awaited step in the right direction. It provides statutory recognition that it is in a child’s interests for both parents to remain involved in their life. To quote the from the Act exactly: “… the involvement of [each parent] in the life of the child concerned will further the child’s welfare”.There is an exception to this, namely where a child is at risk...

Applications from one divorced parent to move abroad with their children can have a devastating effect on fragile inter-family relations post separation. This may seem obvious but some ongoing research really does give an insight into how difficult it is.We blogged late last year on a study which threw up some interesting stats, like the fact that mums were more often than not the ones who applied for relocation. However, it also suggested that, whereas a few years ago,...

Businesses can be a sticky and complicated area when it comes to getting a divorce. Regularly, I am approached by my clients who ask how they can “get their hands on” their spouse’s business assets. Conversely, there are those concerned that their partner is seeking to make a claim on their business and “ruin them” and want to make sure they cannot do this.Often a spouse assumes that their partner’s business...

There has been considerable discussion of ‘conscious uncoupling’ in the media over the last few days. Some of it has been earnest, a little has been inspired, and the rest somewhat amused/bemused. This came of course from the announcement from actress Gwyneth Paltrow, via a blog, that her marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was drawing to a close after 10 years, two children and continued professional success. But there has been little concrete explanation of what a...