The government is carrying out a review of civil Legal Aid which includes Family Mediators. Family Mediators are covered by the Family Law category. Although 80 per cent of firms provide Legal Aid because it is ‘the right thing to do’, there are some worrying results: Half of firms say Read more…
Just under half of adults are married or in a civil partnership The number of people over 70 who are married rose to 18 per cent Those under 30 who are in a legally-recognised relationship fell to 3 per cent In the last ten years, the number of people in Read more…
Recent research into the experience of children and young people who have to go through private family court proceedings has come up with some recommendations to improve the process. Researchers recommend that children should: Be sent information about who they will meet and what they will be asked before the Read more…
New research has found that the cost of raising a child for a couple is £166,000. For a lone parent it’s £220,000. The Covid pandemic, the cost of living crisis and benefit cuts have left the average working family (two parents who both work full-time, have two children and earn Read more…
An investigation into providers of online divorces has begun. It follows complaints about un-regulated legal services. Online divorce services have grown in popularity since the covid-19 lockdown. The Competition and Markets Authority is to look at misleading claims about both the simplicity of the process and the prices being charged. Read more…
The latest trends in living arrangements have just been published. There are 28 million households in the UK and two thirds of these are just one family. There are 19 million families and just under half have no children living with them. A similar number have one or more dependent Read more…
The number of people getting married in England and Wales has hit its lowest level since 1838. Weddings fell by 60 per cent in 2020 – a figure which will have been influenced by restrictions and lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The average age of those who did marry Read more…
After separation your child or children will need both parents to be actively involved and interested. If you can’t be there all the time think about letters, Skype, phone calls, send photos and ask questions. Both parents should be involved in the education of the children regarding school plays and Read more…
Mediation could become mandatory in all suitable family court cases. This will mean that separating couples will have to try to agree their child custody and financial arrangements through a Family Mediator. This could also reduce the backlogs on the family courts which have built up due to the Covid 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 scheme has supported over 15,000 families. Nearly 70 per cent Read more…