Our mantra at Woolley & Co – and among many responsible family law specialists – is to make your divorce as amicable as possible. We know this is easier said than done. Divorce is a horrible thing for any family and emotions will be running high. The divorce system in…
In the wake of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s split — which was reportedly fuelled by disagreement over differing parenting styles – I wonder to what extent this was a key factor in the breakdown of the relationship, or whether it is only now becoming a major issue as a…
When people are asked what matters to them, the majority say, again and again, their family, and their children most of all. And yet in the face of a failed marriage it is often that most precious child or children that pay the price of the parents feeling that the…
A shocking report in 2014 revealed that a teenager sitting their GCSEs is more likely to own a smartphone than live with their father. The Fractured Families report, from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), also showed that a million children have no significant contact with their dads. The publication…
Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and its role in children proceedings is both to make sure children’s voices are heard and that decisions are taken in their best interests (which is not always the same thing – what a child says he or she…
It is a fact of life that in most cases, when two people end their relationship, one or both are hurt, upset and angry. These are very strong emotions and are pretty normal and understandable. Where it becomes a problem is when these emotions are allowed to spill over and…
I was tempted to entitle this blog Sparkling Cyanide, sadly not a reference to a work by Agatha Christie but in fact a recent case in the family courts which illustrates how the courts become involved when parental ‘responsibility’ isn’t being exercised. The case I am referring to involved the…
As thoughts turn to booking a summer holiday I am increasingly approached by potential clients asking me whether or not they are able to take their children away on holiday and whether they need the consent of the other parent. I view these clients as the enlightened ones who have…
As family law solicitors we come across some really sad and upsetting cases at times, none more challenging than cases of parental child abduction. Over the past two years I have noticed an increase in calls from fathers who literally say “my worst nightmare” has happened – my ex-partner has…
As a family lawyer I am often contacted by distressed parents who are unable to reach an agreement with their former partner as to the arrangements for their children. Clients often feel they have lost the ability to be an equal parent because they are no longer living in the…
Co-parenting seems to be one of those latest buzz word that is pretty irrelevant to most couples – until that is they separate or divorce. Once a family is divided, by the fact that the two parents live apart, co-parenting takes on a whole new dimension and create so many…
The ‘Missing Mum’ case involving Rebecca Minnock who fled with her 3 year old son in anticipation of a Court decision that the little boy should live not with her but with his father has attracted some lurid headlines and furore on social media in the past week. Quite separate…
