Family
How to tell your children you’re getting a divorce
Making the decision to separate from your spouse can be absolutely heartbreaking. You are facing the prospect of breaking up your family and of moving forward into an uncertain future. Now, you might also be wondering how on Earth to tell your children you are splitting up without adding to their i....
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What is coercive control?
Until as late as 2015, legislation relating to domestic abuse related solely to physical violence. However, as domestic abuse victims know only too well, just because your partner, spouse or family member doesn’t hit, it doesn’t mean they can’t hurt. In 2015, a big shakeup of legislation fina....
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Menopause, divorce and the law
It’s a condition that affects half the population and can have symptoms so debilitating that some sufferers are unable to work. Indeed, 10% of women aged 45-55 have left the workforce as a result of menopause symptoms, according to a 2022 study conducted by the Fawcett Society and Channel 4. T....
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The importance of ‘clean break’ orders
If you have no assets to divide with your ex-spouse upon divorce, then surely there is no further legal action that needs to be taken? Unfortunately, this is of the biggest misconceptions we see amongst our Family Law clients here at Attwaters. The assumption that divorce, once granted, marks the e....
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Protecting yourself legally as an unmarried couple
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of marriages taking place in England and Wales decreased by 36.6% in the 30 years to 2019. Firstly, there is simply less societal pressure to get married these days. People are also less willing to shell out thousands of pounds for a....
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Parental alienation – a “handy tool for abusers”?
A study from the University of Manchester, published recently by the BBC, has revealed that dozens of children have been forced into contact with fathers accused of abuse. In all the cases, the fathers deflected accusations of abuse in the family courts using the controversial legal concept known a....
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Why you need a Finance Remedy Consent Order
When you’re going through a divorce, it is often an extremely sad and very stressful time. In their eagerness to simply ‘get it over with’, some spouses may miss out some crucial legal steps that could have a significant impact on their financial security in the future. Say that and your e....
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No-fault divorce – one year (and a bit!) on
On 6 April 2022, one of the most anticipated pieces of legislation in recent years came into force: the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act, more commonly known as ‘no-fault’ divorce. It had long been felt by legal professionals and the general population that the UK’s divorce law was ser....
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Protecting your family’s wealth and assets with pre-nuptial agreements
Summer is well underway, meaning that wedding season is at its peak. In the leadup to the big day, we’re here to highlight the importance of pre-nuptial agreements and their role in keeping your wealth and assets safe. What is a pre-nuptial agreement? Pre-nuptial agreements are used to ....
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Why you need a cohabitation agreement
The number of couples who are living together without being married or entering into a civil partnership has massively increased in recent decades. According to a Commons Library briefing paper, the number of cohabiting couples rose from around 1.5 million in 1996 to around 3.6 million in 2021 – ....
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How a private FDR could speed up your divorce
As many people who have been through a divorce will know, it can be a long, drawn-out and emotionally difficult process. For some years now, this already traumatic situation has for many families been compounded by the severe delays plaguing the family court system. Government data published at ....
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Does a Conditional Order mean you are divorced?
Going through a divorce is undoubtedly a difficult experience. On top of the emotional and practical stresses, the paperwork involved in the divorce application can be frustrating and time consuming. When you apply for a divorce, there are four key stages you need to navigate; the divorce is onl....
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How long does an online divorce take?
Submitting a divorce application is not many people’s idea of a good time; it is, though, a necessary road to travel to arrive at your new life. Thankfully, you can improve the journey by enlisting an experienced Family Law specialist to act as your guide. Time for a change Since April ....
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Supporting Good Divorce Week 2022
The five days between 28 November and 2 December 2022 mark this year’s Good Divorce Week – an initiative from family law organisation, Resolution, to help divorcing and separating couples resolve their disputes outside of Court. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the family courts are fac....
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Tax changes for divorcing couples coming in 2023
For separating couples, tax is likely to be the last thing on either party’s mind. Even so, consideration should be given to any potential tax implications at the outset of the relationship breakdown to minimise any financial impact. Different tax rules apply to married couples, who benefit from ....
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What counts as a ‘contribution’ in divorce proceedings?
When it comes to your divorce, it is natural that you will want your contributions to the marriage to be recognised and reflected in your eventual settlement. In UK divorce law, ‘contributions’ will include both: Financial contributions – for example, salary, rent or mortgage payments, bil....
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The Bank of Mum and Dad: Protecting family loans during divorce
The phrase ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ – sometimes shorted to BoMaD – has become commonplace in the media to refer to the growing practice of family lending – whether to help a child onto the property ladder, contribute towards wedding costs, or even to support them with living costs and legal ....
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Important summer holiday advice for separated families
Now that coronavirus travel restrictions are all but lifted, many of us are looking forward to a summer holiday in sunnier climes. But for separated families, agreeing arrangements over the summer holidays can be very stressful. Problems often arise when one parent wants to take the children abroad....
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Domestic abuse doesn’t always leave a mark
Long gone are the days when cuts and bruises were needed for domestic abuse to be recognised by the authorities and wider society. These days, psychological and emotional abuse, economic abuse, as well as controlling or coercive behaviour, are all legally recognised as forms of domestic abuse and a....
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New divorce rules to come into force in April
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will bring in fundamental changes to divorce law for the first time in 50 years. The Act will introduce ‘no fault divorce’ from 6 April 2022, and the new process will be entirely online. Couples whose marriage has irretrievably broken down will b....
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