What is Parental Responsibility?‘Parental Responsibility’ or ‘PR’ is the bundle of rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and obligations that...
    If you are separated from your child’s other parent or are currently involved in Court proceedings regarding your children, and want to take the...
    The Local Authority may issue care proceedings when they have concerns that a child is at risk of significant harm. Examples of neglect Examples...
    Is DIY divorce worth the risk? The UK competition watchdog has announced that it intends to examine claims made by online divorce services in light...
    Porter Dodson Partner, Julia Perrins, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for services to legal practice at the recent Devon and Somerset Law...
    It can be very daunting attending court for the first time, especially during care proceedings. Care proceedings are a court process started by a...
    What is a PLO letter? A PLO letter will be sent to you if a Local Authority become concerned about your child’s wellbeing. The Local Authority will...
    Recent figures have indicated that, with over 3.5 million partners currently cohabitating in the UK, cohabiting (i.e. unmarried) Partners are the...
    John Lewis released it’s highly anticipated 2022 Christmas advert on 10th November. The British Department store used it’s iconic Christmas...
    Following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 in April this year, many people are choosing to issue their own...
    Family law is evolving all the time to meet the changing needs of our society and to keep pace with scientific progress. Parents need to be aware of...
    Marriage is certainly on the decline. Data from the office for national statistics shows that the latest marriage rates are the lowest on record....
    On 6th April, radical changes to the law on divorce came into force when the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was finally implemented.
    Porter Dodson, has been ranked once again in Chambers UK (2022).
    On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding no-fault divorce. Read more in our blog post: No-fault...
    What is parental alienation? Parental alienation involves the psychological manipulation of a child by one parent against the other, without any...
    Are you considering a prenuptial agreement? According to a recent survey*, if you’re under 25, the answer is yes. Of the 136 respondents aged between...
    On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding no-fault divorce. Read more in our blog post: No-fault...
    Resolution is a group of family lawyers, and other professionals, that promotes a non-confrontational approach to resolving family disputes. Members...
    When couples divorce, if they are unable to agree on how their assets should be split, the Court can be asked to determine how their resources should...
    There are two ways to bring an end to a marriage – annulment or divorce. While a divorce legally ends a marriage, an annulment declares the marriage...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    How often have you read in the news about celebrities and footballers achieving a “quickie divorce”? In fact, there is no such thing – not even for...
    The World Mental Health Organisation has designated 10th October each year as a day to raise awareness for mental health and for people/businesses in...
    Collaborative law is an alternative way of dealing with divorce, children issues and the resolution of financial matters following the breakdown of a...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    Cohabiting couples are the fastest growing family type in the UK, with approximately 3.3 million in 2016. Unmarried partners often assume they enjoy...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    Following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 on 6 April 2022, if you wish to start a divorce you can do so based...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    When it comes to deciding who keeps what following a divorce, some personal belongings, often termed as ‘chattels’, are more emotive than others....
    With the introduction of workplace pensions, pension benefits are fast becoming one of the most valuable assets that will need to be taken into...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    Common law marriage is fake news A ‘common law marriage’ does not exist. It is a myth, a figment of the imagination, a fiction, a nonsense: it does...
    The divorce process is stressful enough. Many do not realise that obtaining a divorce does not bring to an end the financial links between divorcing...
    Although bothmediation and collaborationare alternative methods of resolving issues betweendivorcingand separating couples, they differ...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    You may think that once you are divorced, your surname will revert to your maiden name or whatever surname you used before your marriage.
    Results from a recent survey by The Office for National Statistics identify that the number of couples divorcing has risen for the first time in 7...
    A recent report* highlighted that too much time spent checking social media whilst on holiday could result in arguments and even complete...
    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) yesterday refused to intervene in the case of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard.
    A lawyer ex-husband sought permission to appeal an Order that he continue to pay maintenance to his former wife but permission was refused.
    As a result of this case, on 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding no-fault divorce. Read more in...
    A recent report of a hearing in the Appeal Court is a timely reminder that when people divorce, a judge is entitled to take account of all of the...
    A Judgement of the Court of Appeal is a timely reminder that people who divorce should conclude their financial arrangements, or run the risk of...
    A recent hearing before High Court Judge Peter Jackson flagged up the often very difficult decisions the Family Court is forced to make when parents...
    Following the case of the wind farm millionaire, Wyatt-v-Vince, where the wife successfully obtained a lump sum payment many years after the parties...
    If you are considering getting divorced, you are likely to have many questions about the process. One of the key questions asked is ‘when is best to...
    Despite declaring a decision by the Supreme Court to allow his ex-wife to pursue a financial claim against him twenty years after they divorced,...
    The rather sad tale of equestrian lover Kristin Liden is a timely reminder of the precarious position of the so-called common law wife.
    Jane Morris gave up her career after she and her husband decided that she should stay at home and care for their three children. Her husband, Peter...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    In just about every collaborative case handled, and the same is true for mediated cases, there comes a point where one or other of the parties, or...
    The Royal Courts of Justice is set to hear a challenge against the legal ban on heterosexual couples entering into civil partnerships today, 19th...
    The Law Commission, which advises the government on reform, has carried out a scoping review of marriage law and concluded that it is outdated,...
    The Supreme Court has today handed down two important Judgments. These send a clear message to all those involved in settling their financial...
    A recent census by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that 9% of people in the over 65 age bracket had divorced by 2011. Ten years...
    A Judge in the West Country has taken the unusual step of asking for help from the Press to trace a Somerset mother, who has gone on the run with her...
    Further to our earlier post on a former wife making financial claims years after divorcing her ex, five Supreme Court Justices have ruled that the...
    The press have widely reported the case of Wright, where a divorced wife was told by the court to get a job and not to expect her former husband, a...
    The Supreme Court is dealing with an appeal that could have far reaching consequences for people who divorced decades ago but did not deal with...
    Family courts will presume that each parent will play a role in the life of their child as a result of the parental involvement provision which came...
    In a recent ruling regarding financial settlement in a divorce case, Mr Justice Mostyn said that new relationships are a “fly in the ointment of...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    Recent media coverage of the case of a child removed from hospital in Southampton and taken to Spain for medical treatment highlights how important...
    This week sees the second reading of a private member’s bill, the Divorce (Financial Provision) Bill, which was introduced by Baroness Deech earlier...
    The Telegraph reported this month that Family Law firms have seen “a surge of interest” in pre-nuptial agreements since the publication of the Law...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    New applications for Child Maintenance are now being dealt with by the Child Maintenance Service. Existing cases using the Child Support Agency will...
    The Children and Families Act was given Royal Assent on 13th March 2014 meaning reforms will be introduced as part of the re-launched family court...
    The Children and Families Bill awaits implementation shortly. We used to have “custody” and “access” of children on separation of parents. Then in...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    The Law Commission has called for pre-nuptial agreements to be made legally binding in England and Wales. This recommendation follows a three year...
    Amanda Jones, Associate and Family Law Solicitor, explains the value of pre-nuptial agreements.