In January of this year, a heterosexual couple lost their court case in which they argued that opposite-sex couples are being subjected to discrimination as, unlike same-sex couples, they do not have the choice to enter into a civil partnership instead of marriage. At present, same sex couples who wish…
At Woolley & Co we have been doing our work online since last century. Now there is astonishing news from the court system. Sir James Munby set out what he positioned as not just a vision, but something that can be achieved within four years with initial implementation from 2017:…
The current State Pension changes from 6 April 2016 and there will no longer be a basic state pension with additional state pension (ASP) elements, but one single tier flat rate pension payable to a person with 35 years of national insurance contributions. Pensionable ages remain as before (subject to…
The radical changes to the rules regarding the use of pension funds to buy annuity policies – described by some as a “pensions revolution” – were at the forefront of the new Governments’ budget announcements in March 2014. Under these new rules, since April 2015 pensioners are no longer as…
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…
If you are facing the prospect of a divorce or separation one area that is likely to be of considerable concern to you is the financial side of things. In short are you going to be able to manage independently from your ex? So, what are the top 5 financial…
With the Government pushing more and more people towards doing their own divorce (at least that’s how I think the government website reads) and more and more companies claiming to offer a cheap online divorce service I think it’s essential that you understand the implications of some of the paperwork…
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…
Social media is an established part of our world now and with live tweeting from Courts, the possibility of service of legal documents via Facebook message and pages and pages of screenshots being submitted in evidence, it is having a profound influence on family law legal proceedings. As a family…
We blogged earlier in the year about the challenges for older people going through divorce and it sparked some healthy debate with colleagues about what is the key advice we need to give to the older generation. We know from the statistics that there is a rise in older couples…
For divorce solicitors the approach of Christmas heralds a number of challenges and concerns. There’s the increase in calls from distressed parents unable to reach agreement about whether their children will spend Christmas Eve with them or their ex-partner. Then there’s the rush to complete and submit paperwork to the…
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…
