The recent ruling of the Supreme Court highlights the urgent need for divorce law reform in England and Wales. The effect of the court’s judgement in the case of Owens –v- Owens is that Mrs Owens must stay married to…
While everyone in the country is rooting for a win in tonight’s World Cup semi-final, for some, a loss will mean more than the loss of a mid-week excuse to hit the pub. Recent statistics have shown that when England…
A heterosexual couple have recently won a landmark legal right to enter into a civil partnership as an alternative to getting married. Civil partnerships were introduced in 2005 in order to provide same-sex couples with the same legal protection and…
The Court of Appeal’s decision in the case of Waggott v Waggott is a warning to any party who is considering appealing a decision relating to maintenance. This case highlights the risks associated with litigation and how appealing a court’s…
The number of cohabitees in the UK is growing rapidly and the cohabiting couple family is the fastest growing family type in the UK. However, the law has not caught up and contrary to popular belief, cohabitees do not have…
A new definitive guideline has been published by the Sentencing Council identifying the principles to be taken into account in the sentencing of domestic abuse offences. According to the guideline, such offences should be considered more serious than similar offences…
An independent review chaired by Professor Mona Siddiqui OBE of the University of Edinburgh has recommended that Islamic marriages involving Muslim couples in England and Wales should be civilly registered. The report also recommends that existing marriage legislation should be…
Child maintenance can be a very complex area of family law. In recent years two separate schemes have been in operation to provide for a transition period. As of 31 December this year, the older scheme, administered by the CSA…
1. Put your children first This goes without saying, but in the midst of all the festivities and last-minute shopping, it’s always worth reminding yourself that Christmas is a particularly special time of year for your children. Minimise conflict, don’t…
Many will be aware of the recently reported allegations of data manipulation in criminal proceedings where toxicology testing has been used[1]. The allegations relate to testing carried out to detect the presence of drugs or alcohol in hair, blood or…
