Family Law Category
Legal services consumer survey shows clients prefer small local law firms
Prospective clients looking for a law firm may find the Legal Services Consumer Panel's Tracker Survey of 2019 interesting reading. The report is based on findings from a YouGov survey of more than 3,500 users of legal services over the last two years and so is a significant sample. The findings, in this time of comparison websites, that 'shopping around' is often a bad thing for…
Good Divorce Week – lawyers align with Resolution to call for a fairer family justice system
This week marks Good Divorce Week 2018, a national campaign designed to raise awareness of how separating parents can minimise the impact of conflict on their children and calling for government to reform the divorce process by remove the element of blame. Backed by Resolution, formerly known as the Solicitors Family Law Association, the campaign for no-fault divorce also promotes the work of family law…
Co-parenting is not straightforward but the children should always come first
Last week we were given the delightful news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first baby. This exciting royal announcement followed soon after the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson's wonderful display of co-parenting at the recent nuptials of their youngest daughter – it was touching to observe their overwhelming pride and emotion as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder while their daughter Princess…
Owens .v. Owens – has UK divorce just got more difficult?
The long-awaited decision of the Supreme Court in the defended divorce of Mr & Mrs Owens was finally delivered today (Wednesday 25 July). Sadly Mrs Owens will remain locked in her loveless marriage until 2020, by which time she will have been separated for five years. Whilst it was acknowledged that the current law had not kept pace with modern relationships, the Supreme Court was…
Never mind the twaddle, be clear on your rights before deciding whether marriage or civil partnership is right for you
In my view, a recent Supreme Court ruling in favour of Rebecca Steinfield and Charles Keidan is a decision that serves only to confuse the public. At the end of June, the court ruled unanimously that Steinfeld and Keidan had been discriminated against because only same sex couples could enter into a civil partnership. While I am not trying to dissuade anyone from this argument,…
Don't overlook the children during separation or divorce – it is important their voices are heard
For all family lawyers and mediators, on-going refresher training is essential if we are to ensure our knowledge and skills remain relevant and up-to-date. I recently undertook training in consulting with children to boost my family law mediation skills. It is a long established principle first set out in the 1989 Children Act's welfare checklist that during divorce the feelings and wishes of children should…
Cohabitees seeking justice from a fatal accident claim need specialist legal advice
The devastating loss of a loved one killed through someone else's fault is a situation that, frankly, our law struggles to deal with: what value should be put on the loss of a life, and how should compensation be calculated? The dreadful answer is that, although financial costs such as funeral expenses can successfully be claimed, in law a life in itself has no financial…
Awareness of dementia as a disease is key to supporting sufferers, families and carers
Most people, when asked to name a symptom of dementia, automatically think of memory loss - yet there is so much more to dementia than impaired memory. Dementia is not a natural part of our ageing process, it is a disease of the brain that can affect a person's visual-spatial skills, orientation, emotions and language, as well as their ability to organise. In the UK…
Don't let an unfounded fear of being single trap you in an unhappy relationship
Relate, the UK's largest provider of relationship support services, has recently published a report on how single people in the UK feel about being single. Having polled a representative group of 4,000 single people, Relate's data provides interesting indications of how society views being single versus being in a relationship. With some exceptions, especially perhaps during the Christmas period, people do generally enjoy each other's…
Why do our divorce laws still treat pets like furniture?
It is no secret that the UK is a nation of pet lovers. Many of us think of our pets as integral members of the family. But what happens to our furry friends when families break up? While the average length of an English marriage is 11 years, most domestic dogs and cats will live longer than this and, in some cases, much longer. So…
From the first meeting, Mr Garry Sleet was friendly, approachable and professional, with many years of experience behind him. He has been in constant communication with me throughout the claim and I was kept informed of all progress as it happened. I am so happy and can't thank him enough for everything he has done.
Garry Sleet