Government Ministers announced that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020, which will allow married couples to divorce without assigning blame, came into force on 6th April 2022. This is much later than originally planned, apparently to allow time for the necessary computer system changes to be made to HMCTS’s online divorce systems. The “no…
No-one expects to get divorced, but the sad reality is that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Once a decision has been made to separate and get divorced, it is important to think about the financial consequences of your separation and decide what to do with your assets, such as joint bank accounts, cars, houses…
What is Parental Alienation? Although there is no single definition, parental alienation is recognised to be when a child’s resistance or hostility towards one parent is not justified and is the result of psychological manipulation by the other parent. This is one of several reasons why a child may possibly reject or resist spending time…
The Court does need to be involved to formalise the divorce process; however, it is possible to resolve the majority of issues (for example matrimonial finances) amicably and by consent. Agreeing matters by consent can provide parties with more control over the outcome and can save tens of thousands of pounds in legal fees. We…
For many separated or divorcing families, this Christmas period may be the first school holiday where everyone is living separately. Organising time with your family can become complicated and this can lead to tensions between parents and children alike, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. If this is the first separated Christmas it…
In a recent Supreme Court Judgement, the Court found that an aristocratic couple who had commenced divorce proceedings in Scotland could continue the wife’s claim for the matrimonial finances to be considered in England. Does this lead the way to divorce tourism? The facts of the case Charles Villiers and his wife Emma Villiers were…
Lockdowns and social distancing measures have caused court closures, which will increase delays where there are already backlogs. Further disputes involving supply-chain issues, employment disputes and other commercial matters emerging from the pandemic will further increase the backlog of cases. Courts are using video conferencing technology to conduct hearings, but another way to bypass the…
When parties are divorcing, there are presently three stages of the divorce process: the issue of the petition; the Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute. A marriage is not dissolved until Decree Absolute has been pronounced. The earliest this can occur is 6 weeks and 1 day after the date of pronouncement of Decree Nisi. Often,…
