Divorce Questions: What’s the difference between Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute? People are often confused about Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute – why are there two decrees and what does each one mean? Historically there was a six month gap between Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute to give the couple a chance to reconsider their…
Mr Justice Mostyn cautions against couple having new partners before their divorce finances have been settled in court In his recent judgment in the case AB v CB, Mr Justice Mostyn has given a warning to wives considering another relationship while still engaged in disputes over divorce finances. Presumably this would also apply to husbands…
The Sharland divorce appeal will take place in the Supreme Court next year. It’s only a year since the Prest v Petrodel case was decided by the Supreme Court, and shortly the eminent Justices will be tasked with considering another case where Family Law and Corporate Law intersect. Alison Sharland now has permission to appeal…
Possession is nine tenths of the law; or is it? There are various different ways of owning property so it is essential that you identify which applies to you as quickly as you can when the marital road starts to become a rocky one. You can find this out by contacting the Land Registry and…
UK court considers child abduction laws in recent appeal The recent case Re H [2014] saw a father’s appeal to bring back his two children from Bangladesh dismissed, despite the father believing that the children were being unlawfully detained there and that they were at risk of significant harm. The Facts The High Court previously…
Decree Absolute – The divorce process explained Decree what? One of the most common questions asked of a divorce solicitor by their clients is when does the marriage actually end. And we can see why it’s confusing: towards the end of the process your solicitor will make an application for decree nisi and then a…
Dogs ‘n’ Divorce – who gets the pet? It initially struck me as peculiar when I was recently asked by a client ‘who will get the dog after the house is sold and we have moved out?’ I didn’t find it peculiar because she was unsure about the law in relation to the beloved family…
More parents are attending family court without a lawyer. Due to changes to the law in 2013, Legal Aid was withdrawn from most private family law cases, leading to a rise in parents attending court without representation from a family law solicitor or barrister. Government figures show that in 2013/14 just under 20,000 more parents…
New figures from the Ministry of Justice show that less people are using mediation – despite backing by the government. National Family Mediation (NFM), the largest provider of family mediation in England and Wales, has called for the government to consider providing initial mediation awareness meetings (MIAM’s) for free. Earlier this year it became compulsory…
9 of the most common divorce myths debunked After practising in family law for seven years, it occurs to me that a number of questions I am asked when I first meet with a new client are strikingly similar. In a generation of celebrity and social media, it comes as no surprise that divorces are…