The backlog for processing Lasting Power of Attorney (LPAs) applications is beginning to ease, according to figures provided by a government minister. There have been concerns that processing by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has been taking too long, preventing families from being able to act on behalf of a vulnerable relative. A
Two leading experts in dementia research have been appointed to spearhead the national mission to tackle dementia, which was launched in memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor. Hilary Evans is the Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, the largest charitable funder of dementia research in Europe. Nadeem Sarwar is currently a senior leader at
Separating couples will be obliged to try mediation before being allowed to go to court to settle disputes over financial and child custody arrangements. The government announcement is part of a major shake-up of the family justice system. The proposals will see mediation become mandatory in all suitable low-level family court cases excluding those that
Hundreds of thousands of people register Lasting Powers of Attorney each year and it isn’t hard to see why. Life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last 50 years meaning most of us can expect to live into our eighties and beyond. While that is undoubtedly good news, it does raise issues about how we
Good Divorce Week (28 Nov – 2 Dec) is an annual campaign run by Resolution raising awareness of all the different ways families can resolve their disputes away from Court. Divorces are on the increase again with the most recent statistics showing 113,000 divorces in 2021 – up nearly 10% on the previous year –
Legally, both men and women must be paid equally for doing equal work. Equal work is the same job, or jobs that are similar or which are considered to be of equal value to the employer. Equal pay does not only apply to basic salary and wages, but also includes any packages and benefits that
Christmas and other holiday periods should be among the happiest times of a child’s life but sadly they are often marred by divorced and separated parents arguing over access rights. Tensions between couples often come to the fore at this time of year but it’s the children who are likely to suffer the most as
The number of divorce applications has reached a 10-year high, with the sudden increase thought to be largely due to the introduction of the no-fault approach to ending a marriage. The figures for April to June 2022 show there were 33,234 applications, the highest number for a decade. Analysts suggest the increase is down to
The government has launched a scheme to tackle dementia and doubled research funding in memory of the late Barbara Windsor. It comes after Dame Barbara’s husband, Scott Mitchell, met Boris Johnson at Downing Street and outlined the significant suffering caused by dementia and the slow process of finding treatments and cures. This led to the
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