Family Court’s divorce settlement emphasises wife’s role in childcare
February 18th 2025A Family Court judge has finalised a divorce settlement that highlights the importance of the wife’s role as the primary carer for the couple’s nine-year-old twin sons. Nina Bernard, Graduate Solicitor Apprentice in our Family Law team reports on this recent case. District Judge Hatvany ruled that the 58-year-old wife would receive a larger share of the couple’s assets to meet the needs of the children who live with her.…
Judge halts mother’s court action after children refused contact
November 29th 2024A mother’s application to re-establish contact with her four children has been rejected by the court after the children expressed strong opposition to seeing her. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports on this case. Her Honour Judge Suh concluded that forcing the children into direct contact would harm their emotional well-being, stating that “their welfare is my number one concern”. The children, aged between 9 and…
Divorcing couple in £200,000 dispute over date of their separation
November 14th 2024A divorcing couple have been in a £200,000 dispute over the date of their separation following a long marriage. Shannon Bateson, Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The husband (H) claimed that the couple separated in 2014, while the wife (W) insisted that they remained together until 2021. The difference in their positions had significant financial implications, with over £200,000 at stake in the final settlement.…
Judge settles complex case involving two siblings and their stepfather
October 28th 2024A High Court judge has settled a complex case relating to a stepfather’s parental responsibility for two siblings. Sarah Tweedie, Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team, reports on this recent case. The children were referred to in court as D, aged 14, and K, aged 10. They had the same mother but different fathers. The two fathers played little part in their children’s lives. The mother started a relationship…
Husband in divorce case jailed for failing to reveal pension details
October 21st 2024The husband in divorce proceedings has been jailed for 19 days for failing to provide details of his pension. Shannon Bateson, Associate Solicitor in our family law team reports on this recent case. The husband, referred to as “H”, was found in contempt of court after repeatedly ignoring orders to submit Form E and the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) of his pension. These documents are critical in determining the financial settlement.…
Court rules on sale of £42m home and luxury yacht in divorce case
October 14th 2024A high net worth divorce case has resulted in a ruling for the sale of a £42 million family home and a €35.5 million luxury yacht. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports on this case. The case centred on competing applications from the husband and wife, who have three children. The husband sought to terminate the wife’s home rights under the Family Law Act 1996, with…
Mother ordered to return child to home country under Hague Convention
October 9th 2024A mother who “gambled” that she would get away with absconding with her daughter to England has been told she must return the child to her own country under the Hague Convention. Sarah Tweedie, Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team reports. The case concerned a Romanian couple and their 9-year-old daughter. The mother brought the girl to England without the father’s agreement in 2023. She accepted that she was habitually resident…
Consultation on Child Maintenance extended to include more views
September 30th 2024The consultation on child maintenance payments has been extended to ensure there is enough time to get a full range of views, including feedback from all relevant organisations. Shannon Bateson, Associate Solicitor in our family law team provides an update. The consultation was launched on 8 May 2024 by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to discuss ways to increase the number of children being kept out of poverty. The proposals, put forward…
Family Court upholds divorcing couple’s pre-nup agreement
September 26th 2024A recent family court ruling has upheld a divorcing couple’s pre-nuptial agreement (PNA), which specified that only jointly accrued wealth during the marriage should be considered as matrimonial assets. Amy Fallows Senior Associate Solicitor & Head of our Family Law team reports on this case that highlights the importance of clear pre-nuptial agreements in divorce proceedings. The central issue revolved around the interpretation and enforcement of the agreement which they signed before their…
Father who showed no interest in his child loses parental responsibility
July 4th 2024A father with serious criminal convictions who showed no interest in his daughter has lost parental responsibility for her. Sarah Tweedie, Associate Solicitor in our Family Law team, reports on this recent case. The father had parental responsibility for the two-year-old girl, referred to as A because he was her biological father and was named as such on the birth certificate. The issue arose when the girl’s mother applied to…
