Latest News within Family Law

Pensions are often seen as a bit of a mystery, with many people not realising their true value, but in reality, your pension is probably one of your most valuable assets. It is usually the second largest asset in the marriage after the matrimonial home.  During a divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership, the value of your pension assets will have to be taken into account as part of the financial settlement process.

In this article we help to bust one of the most common family law myths, and provide advice on how to proceed if you wish to move out of the marital home.

A Terrible consequence of the social distancing measures introduced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic has been a rise in the number of cases of domestic violence and abuse. The National Domestic Abuse helpline has seen a 25% increase in calls and a 150% increase in visits to their website since the current situation began (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52157620). With the lockdown continuing for the foreseeable future, we sadly expect the number of domestic abuse cases to continue to grow during this time.

Couples may be facing a challenging time due to the unusual circumstances that have been thrust upon us as a result of the COVID-19.

Boris Johnson has announced what is, effectively, a three week lockdown of the UK; banning people from leaving their homes or meeting in groups of more than two people to ensure that social distancing measures are enforced, and the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is kept to a minimum.

Does common law marriage exist? The short answer is “no”, however, almost half of people in England and Wales mistakenly believe that unmarried couples who live together have a common law marriage and enjoy the same rights as couples that are legally married.

What do these ex-couples have in common – Cheryl & Ashley Cole, Liam Gallagher & Nicole Appleton, Ant McPartlin & Lisa Armstrong? Well, they have all argued over who should get the dog during their divorce.

Couples wishing to divorce will soon benefit from a less confrontational process, under proposals announced by the Justice Secretary David Gauke.

Law firm continues to expand reach to better service the needs of clients.
Leading Derbyshire law firm Banner Jones has expanded its Family Law team with the appointment of Solicitor, Adam Kidd, to its Chesterfield office.

When it comes to holidays, most people look to forward to spending time with their loved ones. We all need time to recharge and "get away from it all".

Award winning law firm Banner Jones has further strengthened its Family Law division with the appointment of senior solicitor Shetal Gudgeon and the promotion of Kelly Parks to Director, who takes on the role of Head of Family Law.

Just how binding are Pre-nuptial Agreements in the British Courts? Well a recent ruling of the High Court on a French ‘pre-nuptial agreement’ pretty much spells it out.

The government has launched a consultation on domestic abuse, seeking new laws and stronger powers to protect and support survivors.

A fully online divorce application process is being tested across England and Wales for the first time.

Long gone are the days of hiring a private investigator to prove a cheating spouse. Nowadays evidence of a partner's infidelity might be found online.