Family Law Blog

The fact that you are reading this blog probably means you are familiar with social media. It is possible you came straight to the Woolley & Co website, saw mention of a blog and decided to drop in, but it is more likely you were signposted here. That may have…

In this Guest Blog Michelle Counley of NACSA helps to unravel some of the changes taking place in child maintenance payments. The Child Support Agency has a troubled history and parents, along with taxpayers throughout the UK, have suffered financially as a result. So I’m sure many people will agree…

Reports of domestic violence will rise after April this year. That’s my prediction and it may raise a few eyebrows. However, it makes sense if you think about the knock-on effects of changes to Legal Aid in family law. Cuts of up to £350 million in the system, due to…

Katie Price got married again last week. Is this even news any more? I have not mentioned celebrity marriages for some time, which shows either unusual restraint on my part or simply reflects the fact that there are perhaps signs that the public is falling out of love with C-lister…

I hear from colleagues that the service they have been getting from family courts recently has been improving. Apparently many had experienced cases taking longer, instances of papers going astray and call centres replacing local court staff as Government rationalisation of the courts service kicked in. This was, of course,…

In the second of our guest blogs, in which we invite others to post their thoughts on family law issues, Rachel Tonkin of Family Lives continues the theme from our previous guest blog about putting the needs of children first when going through a divorce or separation. These tips could…

Going back to work after Christmas and new year can be a shock to the system for many. Lazy days spent watching films, eating peanuts and polishing off the Baileys are suddenly replaced by alarm clocks, smart clothes and email inbox mountains. However, going back to work after having a…

So you survived the festive season then, I see? So I would like to formally welcome you to 2013 and wish you a prosperous and happy new year. Both those words are key to my first new year message – happy and prosperous, that is. Everyone has the right to…

It appears that it is men, rather than women, who find it more difficult to get back into a relationship after divorce and so are more likely to go through middle-age and later life alone. Almost 2.5 million people in the UK, aged 45 to 64 have their own home…

I was on a stag do the other week (yes, divorce solicitors do still get invited to weddings and the associated festivities) and I was chatting to a chap who was convinced that the only thing solicitors wanted to do in divorce cases was go to court. He was absolutely…

What is a proper family? Traditionally, the definition appears to have been married heterosexual parents with two or more children. I am not sure I would necessarily agree that is exactly right, but it will do for now. But where does that sit in 21st Century society? A new survey…

A little while ago a client came to me stating that he wanted a “Rottweiler” of a solicitor and I found this approach very strange indeed. As someone who was attacked when riding my bike home from work one night by a vicious Doberman (that looked like a Rottweiler) and…