Newspapers are reporting that Paul Hollywood, of The Great British Bake-Off fame, has chosen to settle his divorce financial matters out of court. He and his wife have chosen to use a process called family arbitration. There will be several advantages...
Parental alienation continues to be increasingly recognised by the family courts. What is more, judges are taking increasingly robust steps to resolve situations where one parent turns a child or children against the other parent. In the recent case of...
Most of us understand the importance of making a will in order to ensure that our affairs are taken care of as we intended on our death. However, fewer of us consider the importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and what would happen if we are no...
If the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a deal, then the cost of getting divorced in some cases will increase dramatically. If both partners in a marriage currently apply to different countries in the EU for a divorce, then the country where the first...
A consent order in divorce or separation proceedings formalises any financial agreement that you and your partner have reached and converts it into a binding, final order. The order specifies who will pay or receive what with regard to income, capital in...
In the same time as it takes to boil an egg, let me present an overview of "the biggest package of workplace reforms for over twenty years". Following an independent review of employment practices undertaken by Matthew Taylor - the Head of...
The key area I am focusing on today is getting your dates right. You might wonder why this is so important, but the success or failure of a claim can largely depend on the evidence obtained at the outset of a claim. Pursuing a personal injury claim ...
The Charity Commission and the Information Commissioner have today published a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which aims to enable closer working relations between the two regulators, including the exchange of appropriate information, in order to...
The public continues to be concerned about financial transparency within the charity sector , charities’ accounts enable trustees to communicate effectively with interested stakeholders and provide assurance in terms of financial stability and...
This is our second article exploring disclosure within divorce and dissolution of civil partnership proceedings. The first article called “Divorce and financial disclosure” can be found by clicking here. This article explores how...
I recently acted for a client in connection with a claim against Essex County Council as a result of an accident on the highway. The facts of this case are relatively straightforward but there were some slightly unusual factors afoot. The facts The...
When a couple resolve financial matters at the end of their marriage or civil partnership, then it is necessary for both parties to provide full and frank disclosure of their financial circumstances. One or both of the couple often remain sceptical that the...
With the average house price having increased over 40% over the last 10 years*, it is increasingly common for loved ones to assist when buying property . It is important that the terms of this assistance are agreed in principle, advice taken and terms...
When a loved one dies abroad it can be difficult to know where to start, particularly if you are new to the estate administration process and are having to deal with an unfamiliar system in stressful circumstances. Who should you inform when someone dies...
The tabloids have been reporting on a cautionary tale about divorce finances - the temptation to hide assets and the danger of relying on advice from the wrong places. Meet Mrs Byrne Mrs Byrne was thinking about divorcing her husband. The problem...
The 2018 case of Waggott v Waggott confirmed that there is no presumption of sharing income, even very high levels of income, after a divorce . The recent case of O’Dwyer v O’Dwyer has revisited this thinking and provided some additional...
Health, wealth and happiness are the three most important things in our lives. But if you are a small business owner (less than 50 employees) the fact that your clients are failing to pay your invoices on time, may be making you ill. Not having the money you...
When a couple gets divorced then one or both parties’ pensions might be distributed between the couple. In many cases this is done by the pension owner having a percentage of their pension being deducted from their fund. That percentage is then...
On 15 July 2019, the Justice Secretary, David Gauke, announced the new Discount Rate figures used to calculate future losses in personal injury claims . Where a claimant’s injuries are long term or permanent, they may receive a lump sum award to...
A couple of recent cases have repeated the assertion that the concept of “judicious encouragement” should be consigned to the history books. Judicious encouragement was the practice of a family court judge ordering a potential beneficiary of a...
The recent Pensions Advisory Group report suggests that there are four answers to the “pensions before marriage” question. We need to be clear on a bit of terminology, however, before looking at the answers. First, remember that pensions can...
Pensions are often some of the largest assets in divorce settlements and can also be the most widely misunderstood. A new report, released in July 2019, provides stark warnings for professionals working in divorce law. We will be looking at several...
Every week, The Law Society invites law firms to take part in #solicitorchat and gives them the opportunity to answer a few quick legal queries. On this occasion, our Personal Injury team won! Here’s what happened … How can a solicitor help...
Monday 17 June saw two contrasting stories relating to the Health and Safety Executive’s efforts to prevent injuries or fatalities in the workplace. Radio 4’s “Farming Today” featured Andrew Turner, Head of Agriculture at the HSE....
If you’re a service provider in the wedding industry, this is your time of year to shine. Whether you are a photographer, a make-up artist, or a venue, how do you protect yourself from the last-minute cancellation of a wedding? Unfortunately, this can...
On 5 May 2019, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published a consultation to reform corporate transparency. Generally, the consultation looks at guarding against the misuse of UK corporate entities and balancing transparency...
Ambitious targets for the UK to become carbon neutral by 2050 have been announced by the Committee on Climate Change, which is calling on the government to step up and lay down the law for the nation to proactively take steps to lower its carbon footprint....
Bereavement damages have been in the spotlight again following the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Smith v Secretary of State for Justice. Bereavement awards in England and Wales are provided for under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The...
The Charity Commission has issued guidance to assist trustees in managing their charity’s connections with non-charities (such as trading subsidiaries). Essentially charities are being reminded by the regulator to act with probity and ensure that...
A recent government survey has revealed that over two-thirds of high-income charities had recorded a cyber breach or attack in 2018. Of those charities affected, the vast majority (over 80%) had experienced an attack in the form of fraudulent email...
