There have been very substantial changes to the law that affects families since the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Child Arrangement Programme came into force in April. The main changes are that 1. It is now compulsory to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MAIMs) before being able to make an application
A man has been told to pay his ex-wife a lump sum so that he can stop making annual payments once he has retired. The case involved a couple who had been married for 22 years before getting divorced in 2005. Both were qualified accountants, but the wife left work to raise their children. When
The father was fromScotlandand the mother fromItaly. The daughter had spent her life living inEnglanduntil 2010 when the couple divorced. The father agreed to let his former partner take their daughter to live inItaly, on the basis that he still had parental responsibility and was allowed regular contact. In 2013, the mother returned toEnglandand put
A woman has been ordered to pay her ex-husband £1.2m, even though the couple had a pre-nuptial agreement that her wealth would be protected in the event of a separation. The case involved the daughter of one of Britain’s wealthiest men. She received an annual allowance of £81,000 from her father and lived in a
Ministers say children will be better protected and family disputes will be less stressful following changes to legislation relating to divorce and separation. The main changes are that separating couples will be obliged to attend mediation sessions to try to reach agreements regarding childcare and finances, before they can take their disputes to court. If
A court has ordered that a six-year-old boy should live with his father because the mother had constantly ignored contact orders over several years. The two parents separated before the boy was born and the mother became the primary carer following the birth. The father tried to establish contact with his son but the mother
Divorcing couples are being urged to use mediation to settle their disputes instead of engaging in lengthy court battles. The latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics show that more than 100,000 people get divorced each year. Family Justice Minister Simon Hughes says mediation can help settle disputes over issues such as money
A woman has failed to get an improved divorce settlement even though her husband had misled the court about the extent of his wealth. The case involved a couple who separated after 17 years of marriage. The assets were divided with the wife getting around 65% in cash and properties, giving her a total of
Marital agreements including pre-nups and post-nups could become legally binding without the need for court approval under a proposed new law. At present, such agreements are not legally binding although there has been a growing trend for courts to uphold them unless they are unfair to one side or the other. Now the Law Commission,
The government says mediation is a cheaper, less stressful process than going through the courts, and also provides more long-term solutions that are acceptable to both parties. According to official statistics, separations involving court action take about four times longer than when mediation is used. Mediation involves couples holding discussions overseen by a trained mediator