Family Law Blog

There has been considerable discussion of ‘conscious uncoupling’ in the media over the last few days. Some of it has been earnest, a little has been inspired, and the rest somewhat amused/bemused. This came of course from the announcement from actress Gwyneth Paltrow that her marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin…

I will often speak with a new client who says they have “reached an agreement” with their spouse in relation to how their assets should be divided on separation or divorce. I am told that they both accept that their marriage has broken down and have sat down together to…

The range of questions divorce solicitors are asked quite mind-boggling – and they are not always related to the legal profession. However, there is a small band of them that come round time and time again. So I thought it might be useful to try and address some of the…

I happened upon an interesting discussion on Radio 5 Live the other day about the importance of checking the credentials of legal services you seek out online. The potential for bogus law practitioners making money out of the internet is the same as in any other sector: the unqualified builder…

This blog was written prior to the change in law in April 2022 which introduced no fault divorce. For advice on your personal circumstances take advantage of a free telephone appointment with one of our lawyers – book here. The quickest way to get through a divorce and keep costs…

A lot is being made of mediation in the UK to help settle family law cases without the need to go to court, but is there any benefit in this new system for expats seeking divorce?  On the face of it, mediation would seem to be tailor-made for those living…

It is a sad fact that however much two adults are hurt during a separation, invariably the children are hit even harder. As divorce solicitors, we hear a lot of their stories and it is always heart-breaking. It is something very private and personal so it was very brave of…

There are many things people may want to celebrate at the end of marriage. A new chapter starting. The end of an unhappy period in their life. The thought of a new relationship with someone who may turn out to be a better “fit”. However, there are probably more things…

Helping couples reach a non-confrontational solution to their separation should be right at the top of priorities for a family law specialist when taking on a new client. Our professional code of conduct dictates we should aim to do this and the practices of the “Rottweiler” lawyer have no place…

As an experienced family solicitor I was more than a little surprised how different the skill set is for a mediator, when I trained with Resolution as a family mediator earlier this year. After years of being expected to give out advice and, dare I say it, rather liking the…

For the uniformed, divorce probably still means going to court to sort it all out. As family lawyers, we know that is far from being a realistic picture. I would estimate that around 95 per cent of the cases we deal with at Woolley & Co, Solicitors get to a…

When you pay for any professional service, including that of a divorce lawyer, you want to be sure you will be able to fully understand and act on their expert opinion. And you’ll want to make sure you use their time wisely and minimise the costs involved. But as most…