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…
Couples going through a divorce may soon have to use mediation rather than take their case to court. Under new plans—currently being drawn up by the government—they will also be ordered to pay their partners’ costs if they turn down Read more…
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed it will continue to fund the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme until 1 April 2022. The FMC hopes to confirm the length of the extension soon, but in the meantime, they can confirm that funding Read more…
Divorce applications increase in the first week of the new law There were three thousand divorce applications in the first week after the introduction of the new Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act, which is a 50% increase on the weekly Read more…
The biggest shake-up in divorce law for over 50 years has come into force. These groundbreaking reforms introduce the concept of a “no-fault” divorce. The Divorce, Dissolution, and Separation Act (2020) aims to reduce conflict between separating couples. It means Read more…
People don’t decide to end a long-term relationship lightly, especially when children are involved. Divorce and separation are two of the most painful life events anyone ever goes through. They can lead people to question everything they thought they knew Read more…
In the middle of what may be the most difficult time in your life, it can be very difficult to know where to go for help. When you need more support than you have ever needed before, you don’t know Read more…