The Family Court is under immense pressure. The number of court applications, including issues relating to finances on divorce or separation of an unmarried couple and arrangements for children are rising each year. Cases are taking longer to conclude and very often experiencing delays in listing hearings and, as is happening more frequently, hearings are being moved or even cancelled at short notice due to judicial unavailability.

Family Mediation Week 2024 will take place between the 22nd and 26th of January 2024. The campaign, organised by the Family Mediation Council, aims to raise awareness of the benefits of engaging with the mediation service.

January has become known as 'Divorce Month' in the media, thanks to a reported increase in enquiries relating to divorce and separation during the month.

With high mortgage interest rates affecting affordability, it is no surprise that more and more couples are buying a house together in a bid to get themselves on to the property ladder.

Cohabiting couples are now the fastest growing family type in the UK, but the law doesn’t recognise these families in the same way as married couple or civil partners.

Anyone can suffer domestic abuse regardless of age, sex, race, ethic or religious group. The 25th November 2023 marks the beginning of an initiative across the world calling for additional funding to help prevent violence against women.

The term ‘custody’ is a very outdated legal term and is no longer used to describe the care arrangements for a child.

Debts are often a fabric of everyday life; they enable individuals and couples to purchase a property or a car and can form part of day to day spending. When it comes to addressing the finances on divorce both parties’ debts, whether jointly or solely incurred, are taken into consideration.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) can be put into place by a donor (the person appointing the LPA) at any stage of their life and it allows the LPA to make decisions about both the donors property and financial affairs should they lose the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves.

With the advent of ‘no-fault divorce’ in 2022, many couples are now able to focus on the practicalities and financial arrangements post-separation, rather than get tied up in lengthy arguments about whose fault the relationship breakdown ultimately was. This has led to a rise in the number couples approaching solicitors when they have either reached an agreement, or are very close to doing so.

Grandparents are often an integral part to the day to day running of a family, whether that be providing help/childcare or assisting in everyday activities.

Occasionally, issues can arise where one party refuses to comply with the terms of a Financial Order. If this happens you will need to consider the various enforcement options available to you.