The term ‘gaslighting’ was used for the first time ever in a published High Court judgement in the Family Courts. This was a milestone moment, giving the term legal credibility and legitimacy. ‘Gaslighting’ is a psychological term used to describe a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is trying to get someone else (or
When dealing with the finances upon divorce, all assets need to be taken into account including any business interests. It can be particularly contentious when this includes interests in family businesses which have spanned generations. Business interests are likely to be regarded as matrimonial assets and therefore there are circumstances when their value can be
Changes to divorce law will come into effect from 6 April. The government is also introducing a new online service to help couples adapt to the changes. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 reforms the legal requirements and process for divorce. The act aims to reduce the potential for conflict amongst divorcing couples by
The government is providing an additional £1.3 million to enable more separating parents use the family mediation scheme. The extra investment is expected to help families resolve disputes away from court, such as those involving financial or contact arrangements for children and takes investment in the initiative to more than £3m since its launch in
Despite an ever growing proportion of the population choosing to cohabit rather than get married, nearly half (46%) of adults in England and Wales mistakenly think that couples acquire ‘common law’ rights after living together for a certain amount of time or having children together. These misconceptions can lead to one party being particularly vulnerable in the
Which? has recently undertaken a survey whereby 58% of people said that pensions were not discussed or shared as part of their financial settlement. Pensions often make up a large proportion of the matrimonial assets and sharing of pensions should always be considered upon the breakdown of a marriage, particularly when there is a disparity
Generally, a marriage is considered to be ‘short’ if it was less than five years in duration. The Court will however take into consideration the period of cohabitation prior to the marriage if there was a seamless transition between the two. Parties are more likely to be successful with ring-fencing non-matrimonial assets where there was
The courts have taken firm action against a husband who failed to comply with the terms of his divorce settlement with his former wife. The couple had been in a relationship for 17 years and had two children. The financial provision order had been made by consent in December 2018. One of its provisions was
January is the time for making resolutions to give ourselves a fresh start for the New Year. It’s good to take stock and decide to eat less or exercise more but there’s so much more we could be doing to improve our lives and protect ourselves for the future. Here are three New Year Resolutions
The Family Court has refused to return a four-year-old boy to his father in the United States even though his mother had taken him to England unlawfully. The case involved a mother who had emigrated to the United States and acquired dual citizenship. The father was a US citizen. The couple had separated before their