The biggest shake up in divorce law for over 50 years have come into force. These are ground breaking reforms which introduce the concept of a “no-fault” divorce. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act (2020) is aimed at reducing conflict between separating couples. It means that they will no longer Read more…
The Office for National Statistics has published the divorce statistics for 2020 in England and Wales. There is a caveat about the potential but unknown impact of the pandemic on the figures. Highlights are: Over 103, 000 divorces were granted in England and Wales, a decrease of 4.5% compared with Read more…
The government is extending the family mediation voucher scheme. They have also put in another £1.3 million. It is expected that this will extend the scheme until the end of March 2022. This means that mediators can continue to offer vouchers to their clients. It is anticipated that vouchers will Read more…
A cool £1 billion was either collected or arranged by the Child Maintenance Service last year. That’s a record figure. The increase down to the CMS having stronger powers and and having strong sanctions. This include deductions from personal bank accounts as well as seizing passports and/or driving licences. There Read more…
The number of calls to the Respect Men’s Advice Line, which offers support to men experiencing domestic abuse rose by 60 per cent on this time last year. The charity says the pandemic made the problem worse by an increase in violence and psychological abuse. Covid-19 had also limited the Read more…
Citizens Advice are anticipating and upsurge in marriage breakdown as a result of the pandemic. Citizens Advice has seen a rise in online searches for guidance on divorce since April. This followed a drop when lockdown started. Searches for advice about getting a divorce peaked on Sundays.
A recent study has found that divorce has a terrible effects on the mental health of those involved. The You Gov survey found that 40% of divorcees suffered depression, and anxiety or suicidal thoughts. That’s an big increase on the same figures from 5 years ago. The research also found Read more…
The number of couples getting divorced is at the highest it has been in 5 years. Nearly 108,000 male-female couples split in 2019 – that’s up by about a fifth from the previous year. For same sex couples the number of divorces has doubled in the same time The most Read more…
Turn2Us has improved its benefits calculator. The national charity provides help and support when times are tough. Its faster and simpler to use Includes handy explanations to help users understand calculations Is now easier to return to previous calculation results Has an improved “in-work reckoner” for people looking to return Read more…
There is now an easier way to make child maintenance payments. A new 24-hour automated telephone service has been launched. It’s a free phone number: 0800 171 2345. You can pay by debit or credit card. You will also need your 12 digit customer reference number. You can also use Read more…