Separated parents are being warned by Family Court Judges that bringing minor, daily parenting disputes to court clogs the legal system and delays critical cases. Courts are strongly urging parents to resolve low-stakes differences through mediation, arbitration, or family therapy. They say that parties who bring unnecessary disputes to court Read more…
Hiding or destroying a signed prenuptial agreement is a severe form of fraudulent non-disclosure in court. When a party conceals a legal document out of fear that it will diminish their financial payout, family court judges treat the action as a breach of duty and a key indicator of dishonesty. Read more…
Divorce rates among men over 65 have risen by 23 per cent. And for women it is up by 38 per cent. One in six divorces involves someone aged over 60. One big reason is longer life expectancy so with decades of life left, many people see retirement as a Read more…
Many people who have gone to court have described the proceedings as causing them additional harm beyond the circumstances of their case. Or that their mental health had got worse following their experience in court. This particularly affected those involved in family proceedings. A significant minority spoke of feeling suicidal. Read more…
These days it’s not just the rich and famous who are taking out pre-nups. More of us are deciding it makes sense to have a legal agreement that sets out what happens to the money if the marriage ends. Younger couples particularly likely to sign one, even when there aren’t Read more…
60% of people think that those living together should be able to leave assets to each other free of inheritance tax. This currently only applies to married couples or those in civil partnerships. Half of those polled thought that unmarried couples who have children together should acquire rights within 5 Read more…
Eighty percent of the most financially complex divorce cases take place in the south of England. Tangled finances result in one fifth of divorced couples continuing to live together in the family home. Divorces in London are five times more financially complex than those in the north east of England. Read more…
Quiet divorce is when a couple check out of a relationship without actually separating. They might still share a home, finances, social obligations, even holidays, but emotionally, they have retreated from the usual intimacies of a long-term relationship to lead parallel lives. Perceived upsides include tax efficiency and financial stability, Read more…
One in three children are affected by poverty. One in four families cannot afford basic goods and activities. Support for families is likely to remain limited, so many future parents will continue to experience economic insecurity. More people are renting rather than buying their home; single-parent families often live in Read more…
The government has confirmed that the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme will continue until March 2027. This means that anyone with a significant dispute involving a child or children under 18 can continue to get £500 towards their mediation with Surrey Family Mediation. This means that your first mediation session will Read more…