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Published: 20th March 2017
In a test case within the Supreme Court, it has been heard that denying equal pension rights to a husband of a same-sex marriage is sexual discrimination when compared to the rights of a heterosexual wife.
Published: 14th March 2017
The ex-wife of a Laura Ashley boss has argued that she made an equal contribution to her marriage with her former husband, stating that she helped to generate the wealth of her husband by playing the role of a ‘traditional’ wife. The 70-year-old ex-wife is fighting over millions with ex-husband Khoo Kay Peng, 78, in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
Published: 1st March 2017
A heterosexual couple campaigning for a same-sex civil partnership have narrowly lost their fight in the Court of Appeal. This comes after they challenged a ruling that stated they were not able to form a civil partnership, based on the legal requirement of a civil partnership requiring that the couple are two people of the same sex. The judges involved in the case did suggest that there was a potential breach of their human rights and, in the verdict, it was suggested that the government needsmore time to decide the future of civil partnerships.
Published: 23rd February 2017
The Government have confirmed to the House of Lords that they have no plans to reform current divorce law to introduce a 'no-fault divorce' system in England and Wales, despite widespread calls from family lawyers and other organisations to do so.
Published: 16th February 2017
A unanimous decision in the Supreme Court has allowed Denise Brewster an appeal, announcing that the requirement of her and her late cohabiting partner, William McMullan, to make a nomination to the pension scheme should not apply. This decision will mean that Ms Brewster will now receive a survivor’s pension.
Published: 10th February 2017
The Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC) have expressed their concerns over an initiative to stop victims of physical and sexual abuse being cross-examined by their alleged assailants in the Family Court in a letter to Secretary of State for Justice, Liz Truss, and the Minister for Courts and Legal Aid, Sir Oliver Heald QC.
Published: 3rd February 2017
The wife of a millionaire has claimed that her husband tricked her into signing a prenuptial agreement in order to protect his £11m fortune. The wife claimed that she had been told by her husband that it was ‘just a piece of paper’, implying that she had been misled and duped into signing it.
Published: 30th January 2017
Senior UK judges are taking steps to ensure that fathers with a history of domestic violence will not be automatically entitled to have contact with their child. In cases where the father has been proven to have a history of domestic violence, the safety of the child and mother would be considered and the father would not be granted access to their child. The aim is to endthe general presumption that a father must be given contact with their child, even if their history poses a risk to both mother and child.
Published: 19th January 2017
A report has been published by the Ministry of Justice that highlights the implementation of proposals made by the Law Commission.
Published: 13th January 2017
The Justice Secretary Liz Truss has called for the family courts to follow the criminal courts inbanning the cross-examination of victims by ex-partners who have previously been violent to them.
Published: 7th January 2017
In a radical trial that is being pursued by England and Wales’ leading family judge, court hearings are set to be held in the public eye for the first time. In a bid to continue to provide more transparency, the president of the family division of the high court, Sir James Munby, has stated that certain types of hearings would be held publicly. Although correct measures are expected to remain in place to protect identities, a separate plan is being considered to grant the media access to documents that may have been kept secret in previous hearings.
Published: 4th March 2016
There has been much debate over the years as to whether the UK should adopt a 'no fault divorce' system. Although other countries have successfully adopted this system, the postponement of the reading of the No Fault Divorce Bill to April 6th 2022 has frustrated many couples, especially as the as the act was supposted to implemenet on June 25th 2021.
Published: 9th February 2016
Many divorcing and separating couples believe that they can't successfully apply for a mortgage when their sole income (or the majority of their income) is made up from payments of child support, but is this true?
Published: 17th November 2015
A husband has been granted the right to contest that his marriage of almost 30 years should be nullified on the grounds of bigamy.
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