Can I move my child within England and Wales without consent? If you have Parental Responsibility, you do not need permission from the Court or consent from the other parent to move a short distance away with
There are 4 main stages to the divorce process: The application – made either solely or jointly with your spouse. The acknowledgement of service form completed by the Respondent (this does not apply if the application is
The Court process is lengthy, unpleasant and acrimonious, and can often result in parents facing large invoices for legal fees regarding sometimes relatively trivial matters. There are alternatives, but most people don’t consider these in relation to
If you are engaged to be married, the last thing on your mind is likely to be the division of your finances should you end up divorcing the person that you are shortly to marry. However, it
As fewer couples decide to marry or enter into a civil partnership, our family law team is regularly approached by clients asking, ‘Should I sign a cohabitation agreement?’ The law in England and Wales offers cohabiting couples
If you are researching ‘how to apply to court to take child abroad’, it is likely that attempts to reach an agreement with your child’s other parent have broken down. Court proceedings should never be the first
One of the most common questions we hear from separated parents planning a trip is ‘Do I need permission to take my child abroad?’ The answer depends on who holds parental responsibility, whether any court orders are
If you are looking for answers to the issue ‘my ex won’t let me take my child on holiday,’ you are not alone, and you do have options. The law sets out a clear framework for when
The question ‘Can my ex take my child out of the country?’ is one that arises frequently for separated parents, both in relation to a short holiday and a proposed permanent move abroad. The answer depends on
Separation and divorce are among the most financially stressful events a person can go through, and one asset that consistently falls through the cracks is the pension. Knowing your pension rights after separation can mean the difference
New guidance has recently been released by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to “honour”-based abuse. This guidance has been updated to reflect growing concerns around evolving forms of abuse. The aim of this is to better
When a marriage ends, all of the couple’s assets are usually taken into account before a financial settlement is decided, and that includes both spouses’ pensions. Workplace schemes, personal pensions, and, in some cases, additional state pension
If you are searching ‘Pensions on divorce expert’, chances are that you are separating from your spouse and have concerns about how your pension pot will be dealt with. Many clients are surprised to learn that pensions
If you are searching for ‘Divorce lawyers for men’, the specialist team at Johnson Astills is on hand to help. While divorce law is gender-neutral, many men still worry about being treated as the financial backstop, being
If you are looking for a high asset divorce lawyer, it usually means you need more than a standard divorce service; you need clear advice on complex wealth, careful planning, and a strategy that protects your future
When couples separate, the legal differences can be significant depending on whether they are married or unmarried. Married Couples Married couples benefit from specific legal protections and entitlements under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. This legislation allows
Many people pay into pensions their whole lives without really thinking about it. It can therefore come as a surprise when divorcing that pensions are treated as a matrimonial asset, in the same way as other assets
If you are facing a divorce, you will undoubtedly have scores of questions about the process and likely outcomes. One question that our specialist family law solicitors are asked time and again is, ‘How are assets divided
Pensions are often one of the most valuable assets in a relationship, and how they are split on divorce in the UK can have a profound impact on each person’s future financial security. If you need answers
High-net-worth divorces often involve a number of issues not seen in standard divorce cases. The financial stakes are higher, the assets are more complex, and the potential for dispute is greater. That is why seeking specialist advice
The rules for Family Courts in England and Wales are outlined in the Family Procedure Rules 2010. There have been many amendments to these rules over the years, one example being the Family Procedure (Amendment No 2)
Divorce Day is upon us once again. This is the day when family law teams around the UK receive their highest amount of calls, and usually falls on the first working Monday of each year. For 2026,
The Ministry of Justice could come under pressure to fund and accelerate the expansion of ‘Pathfinder Courts’, following an independent review of the murder of 10 year old Sara Sharif, published by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review,
The Government has faced increasing pressure to confirm its plans for reform of its cohabitation law, to strengthen the rights and protections offered to those in cohabiting relationships. More people are living together without marrying. There are
The week commencing the 10th November 2025 has been designated Good Divorce Week by Resolution, an organisation comprising family lawyers committed to resolving family law matters as amicably as possible. Whilst not all of our Family Solicitors
Every child involved in court proceedings deserves to be safe. However, new evidence published on 21st October 2025 shows that assuming it is always in the best interest of a child to have the involvement of both
On 16th July 2025, the Home Office unveiled a £53million landmark package aimed squarely at the most dangerous domestic abuse perpetrators across England and Wales. The goal of the package is to tackle domestic abuse at its source,
On the 2nd July 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a judgement in relation to the case of Standish -v- Standish [2025] UKSC 26. This case had been closely watched by family law solicitors, including our experts at Johnson
Since the launch of the new scheme in April 2025, financial remedy cases with limited means can be dealt with quicker. The details of this procedure are set out within Practice Direction 36ZH and supplement the Family
The Drive Partnership is a partnership between Respect, Safelives and Social Finance. Respect: a membership organisation leading the development of safe and effective work with perpetrators, male victims, and young people using violence in their close relationships. Safelives: is
In recent years, the Family Justice System in England and Wales has faced increasing pressure and delays within family proceedings have become more common. These delays are significantly affecting families by way of uncertainty in respect of
It is safe to say that divorce has never been more straightforward since the introduction of the ‘no fault divorce’ legislation in the UK. Where online services and easy-fix solutions are readily available, the appeal for separating
There are many options to explore in the endeavour to reach an agreement on the split of matrimonial finances. Given the Courts encourage and require alternatives to be explored, it is important to understand what these are.
This year, National Stalking Awareness Week will take place on 21st April – 27th April 2025 and the aim is to raise awareness around the signs of and how to spot stalking. It is estimated 1 in 5 women,
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 which came into force on 5th December 2005. The first civil partnership registration took place on that same day allowing same-sex couples to enter a similar lifelong
There are many difficult decisions that need to be made when a divorcing couple are separating their finances from each other. For those parents who choose to send their children to private or public schools, there is
The aim of the Pathfinder pilot is to bring together local authorities, police and other support services to gather and share information on a private law (applications brought about by parents) children case at the earliest opportunity.
It is not uncommon that following a breakdown of a relationship, that one party wishes to relocate (with their child(ren)) either in the UK or abroad. This can be a complicated and emotional process with legal implications
In most cases, the dispute between spouses can be resolved without an application to the Court to commence financial remedy proceedings needing to be made. Some cases though cannot be resolved amicably, so it is useful to
What the 2024 Family Justice Council Guidance means for future Court cases Over recent years, the term Parental Alienation has become increasingly common, especially within Court proceedings relating to children. Allegations of alienating behaviours are often (but
Divorce is a stressful period for anyone, but it can be made more difficult by the death of an estranged spouse. The final Divorce Order (previous called a Decree Absolute) is the document that legally ends a
What is Divorce Day? It is believed that couples are more likely to end a relationship after spending the festive period together, therefore the first working Monday of the new year is referred to as ‘Divorce Day’.
It can be a challenging prospect trying to deal with pensions in divorce proceedings. However, it is an asset that your spouse can make a claim over when considering how to divide the finances of the relationship.
On Monday 11th November, ITV released a documentary entitled “Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors” which told the story of several domestic abuse survivors and detailed the Queen’s work to raise awareness about the prevalence of
A Section 7 Report is a court-ordered document prepared under Section 7 of the Children Act 1989. It is ordered when parents cannot agree on arrangements for children’s care, usually only if there are any aspects of
Whilst Christmas might still feel far away, now is the ideal time to give some thought as to how you might manage arrangements with your ex-partner in relation to where and when your child(ren) will be at
The law in England & Wales is clear in stating, if you are living with your partner and you are unmarried upon separation, you will not have the same legal rights available to a married couple upon
The process to split your finances from those of your spouse can be a long, difficult and emotionally draining process. For those who have been subjected to domestic abuse of any kind, the process can be much
On 20th September 2024, the Home Office announced new measures aimed at improving their response to domestic violence within the Police. These measures form part of Raneem’s Law, a legislation announced in response to the failures leading
If you are an unmarried couple who is cohabiting and upon separation you have a dispute regarding a property or land that is jointly owned or have a financial interest in, your principal remedy is to apply
