The number of people getting married in England and Wales has reached its lowest since 1838. Weddings fell by 60 percent in 2020, a figure that will have been influenced by restrictions and lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Read more…
After separation, your child or children will need both parents to be actively involved and interested. If you can’t always be there, think about letters, Skype, phone calls, sending photos, and asking questions. Both parents should be involved in the Read more…
Mediation could become mandatory in all suitable family court cases. This means separating couples must try to agree on their child custody and financial arrangements through a Family Mediator. This could also reduce the backlogs in the family courts that Read more…
The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme is being extended until April 2025. It provides separating couples with vouchers worth up to £500 towards the cost of family or divorce mediation. This is costing the government another £15 million. So far, the Read more…
The number of people applying to get divorced is now at its highest in ten years. It’s feared that the cost of living puts marriages under financial strain. That contrasts starkly with 2021 having the lowest level of divorces for Read more…
The proportion of adults in the UK who have never been married or entered into a civil partnership is increasing. In 1991, just over a quarter of adults were single. That is now nearly forty per cent. As of 2021, Read more…
In a recent BBC Radio 4 interview, Sir Andrew McFarlane’s frustration was palpable. This reflected the view of many of his colleagues and family professionals about the number of parents ending up in the court system. In 2020, a Read more…
The Office for National Statistics has published divorce statistics for last year. There was a 9% increase in divorces granted in England and Wales compared with 2020. However, this could reflect catch-up from the pandemic) Women were more likely to Read more…
Family law cases are taking longer to resolve than during the Covid restrictions. The government says mediation is the solution, but removing legal aid for most private law family cases means many couples are not even aware it exists. Legal Read more…
Domestic abusers are now no longer able to cross-examine their victims in family and civil courts. The move follows concerns that perpetrators were using the process as a means of extending their abuse and victims were being re-traumatised by their Read more…