Choosing Family Law Solicitors: A Guide
The right family law solicitor can offer you more than just legal advice; they provide support and guidance through challenging times, ensuring your rights are protected, and working towards the best possible resolution. The consequences of choosing a solicitor who is not well-suited to your needs can be emotionally and financially taxing — making an already difficult situation even harder. […]
Exploring UK Family Law: A Guide
Family law is a specialist area of the UK legal system that deals with issues relating to family and domestic relationships. It encompasses a broad range of statutes, regulations and case law, governing how individuals in family relationships interact legally. The primary aim of family law is to provide a legal framework that supports the fair and just resolution of […]
Do You Need a Child Travel Consent Form?
If you share parental responsibility for your child with someone else, such as your former partner, you may need to ensure that you have their consent before you take your child away, both to avoid legal issues and family tensions. In some cases, you may need written confirmation of this permission in the form of […]
Postnuptial Agreement Guide
When you’re getting married, it can seem counter-intuitive to contemplate separation or divorce. Still, it is not uncommon for couples to plan for the possible breakdown of their relationship by way of a prenuptial agreement. But even without a prenup in place prior to marriage, an agreement can be reached at any point after the […]
IVF Laws in the UK
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has become one of the most revolutionary medical and scientific advancements of our time. IVF is the process of fertilisation that takes place outside of the human body with the embryo being returned to the body to be carried through to birth. While the treatment is not guaranteed to be successful, IVF […]
Prenuptial Agreements: Not Just For the Rich & Famous
A prenuptial agreement can help provide more clarity and certainty about how assets, funds and debts are dealt with after a couple divorces. Traditionally considered to be the preserve of the rich and famous, prenuptial agreements are becoming increasingly common as couples look to exert more control over their finances should they separate. Perhaps you […]
How to Complete C100 Form
Where parents are separating, there can often be disagreement as to the custody or contact arrangements for their children. In these cases, a formal application may need to be made to the court by one parent for a Child Arrangement Order using Form C100. The following article to the C100 form looks at the nature […]
Surrogacy Laws: Rights of Parents & Surrogates
Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry a baby for someone else, usually where that person is unable to conceive or carry a baby for themselves. Using a surrogate or agreeing to become a surrogate is a huge life decision, making it important for those involved to understand their legal rights before […]
Child Arrangement Order: Essential Guidance
A child arrangement order is a court order stipulating who has primary care of the child(ren), and the nature of any contact with the non-resident parent or wider family members. It is not uncommon for divorcing or separating parents to struggle to reach an agreement about child custody or contact, especially if the separation has […]
Grandparents’ Rights to Contact with Grandchildren
The role of a grandparent has become increasingly important in modern family life. When a family dispute comes in the way of that relationship, do grandparents have any rights to protect access to their grandchildren? Do grandparents have the right to see their grandchildren? The current legal positioning England and Wales is that only people with […]
Divorce Mediation: Practical Guide
Divorce mediation can offer separating couples a quicker, more cost-effective and risk averse approach to dealing with child arrangement and financial orders. In this practical guide, we look at what’s involved in the divorce mediation process when deciding post-separation financial arrangements. What is divorce mediation? When you decide to divorce or end a civil partnership, […]
Spousal Maintenance Rules
When a married couple or civil partners separate, it is not uncommon for the financially weaker spouse or partner to seek regular payments from their ex to help with living costs. The following comprehensive guide to spousal maintenance for separating couples looks at the key aspects of this form of financial arrangement, from what this […]
Prohibited Steps Order Guide
If you have serious concerns about decisions being made in relation to your child’s upbringing, you may be able to apply for a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO). What is a Prohibited Steps Order? A Prohibited Steps Order is used to prevent someone from exercising their parental responsibility and taking specific action regarding a child. Under […]
Types of Trust: Guide for Families
Trusts offer a way to protect and manage your assets both during your lifetime and after your death. Assets that can be put into trust include money, shares and investments, and property. But with so many different types of trust, how do you know which is best for your needs? What is a trust? Although […]
Do You Need a Declaration of Trust?
A declaration of trust is commonly used to define ownership rights in relation to a property where multiple parties have contributed to the purchase price. It acts a written record of the financial arrangement between the owners, outlining the proportion of the purchase price that each party paid and the conditions of the ongoing ownership. […]
Cohabitation Agreement: Essential Guide
More and more couples are opting to sign a cohabitation agreement to provide clarity and certainty in the event of separation. A cohabitation agreement can help to avoid disagreements over who owns what and who owes what after relationship breakdown. Unmarried couples do not benefit from the same rights as their married counterparts – even […]
Who Gets Custody of Child in a Divorce?
There are a number of factors to take into consideration when determining who will get custody of a child in a divorce. The biggest factor will be what is best for the child. How that is determined is dependent upon the parent’s current situation. It’s important to stress that ‘custody’ as a legal term and […]
Common Law Partner Rights
‘Common law’ partners usually refers to couples who live together and are in a long-term relationship. In the UK, the concept of the “common law partner” is a myth in legal terms. An unmarried, cohabiting couple do not share the same legal status as a married couple or a couple in a civil partnership. This […]
Civil Partnership Rights
A civil partnership is a legally recognised relationship between two people, either same sex or mixed sex. In legal terms, civil partners enjoy the same legal rights and protections as married couples. This extends to areas such as tax benefits, pensions, inheritance and on relationship breakdown. The primary difference with marriage is there is no […]
Deed of Trust for Joint Property Owners
Shared ownership of property is becoming more and more common, whether between unmarried couples, friends, siblings, or children with their parents. If you’re buying a property with someone else, a deed of trust is an effective way of proving legal ownership of all parties who have a share of the property. What is a […]