The government is being urged to introduce reforms to provide better legal protection for cohabiting couples if their relationship breaks down. The number of cohabiting couples has more than doubled in the past generation with 1.5m in 1996, compared to 3.6m in 2021. The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee says there is a
The new ‘No-Fault Divorce’ legislation came into effect from April 2022, but what does this mean and what has changed for separating couples? Thomas Palmer, a solicitor in the Machins Family Team has some FAQs! What was the old divorce law? Under the old law, those starting the divorce process would have to prove their
Victims of domestic abuse will no longer be cross-examined by their attackers in family and civil courts under new measures which have now come into force. The change is part of the government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021). It places a legal bar on parties cross-examining each other where there is evidence of abuse. It follows
The government is providing an extra £5.4 million to help families resolve disputes such as contact arrangements through mediation instead of going to court. Under the scheme, mediation vouchers worth £500 are provided to divorcing couples with the aim of helping them find mutually agreeable solutions and freeing up space in the family courts. It seeks
One of the UK’s leading judges has urged divorcing couples to use the £500 voucher that enables them to access mediation services to settle difficult disagreements. Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, made the suggestion in a complicated case involving a couple who had separated in 2017. The father had regular unsupervised contact with
There has been a surge in the number of divorce applications since the new No-Fault law came into effect in April. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 aims to reduce the potential for conflict amongst divorcing couples by removing the ability to make allegations about the conduct of a spouse and allowing couples to
The High Court has settled a dispute between a cohabiting couple over who should own the home they had shared until they split up. The couple, Mr Lee Hudson and Ms Jayne Hathway, had purchased their home in joint names. They both worked and paid their respective salaries into a joint account. Over time, Hudson’s earnings
The divorce rate among the over-60s has decreased in the last few years, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), however in the medium-term there has been an upwards trend in the divorce rate among the over-60s seen in the last few decades. This is in contrast to total divorce figures which have fallen over the same period.
The Family Court has offered useful guidance on whether money given to a married couple by their parents should be classed as a gift or a loan in divorce proceedings. The issue was raised in a settlement hearing between a couple who had large shareholdings in an energy company they had set up together before
Introduction Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 3.2 million households in the UK have acquired a pandemic pet, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association. This means the country now has 17 million pet-owning homes. The usual first ‘port of call’ when a relationship breaks down is agreeing child arrangements and