Divorce Day 2026
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,
Family Law
Sara Sharif, murdered by her Father and Step-Mother, failed by the Family Court? What needs to change?
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,
Government to consider changes to Cohabitation Law? Why is this a big deal and what it means for you.
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
Good Divorce Week 2025
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
Government Action to Protect Children from Abusive Parents in the Family Courts?
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
Landmark Package to Pursue Domestic Abuse Perpetrators
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,
Standish -v- Standish – Clarification as to Non-Matrimonial Assets
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
What is the express financial remedy procedure?
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
What is the Drive Partnership, the Drive Project and what does this have to do with Domestic Abuse?
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
Why the Family Justice System is facing delays and what this means for Legal Aid and families.
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
The hidden risks of a DIY divorce: why a financial order is essential
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
What is the collaborative process?
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.
National Stalking Awareness Week
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,
Civil Partnerships 20 years on…
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
Private School and Divorce – Who pays the School Fees?
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
What is the Pathfinder Pilot Scheme?
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.
Internal and External Relocation
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
What do Financial Remedies Proceedings look like?
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
Parental Alienation
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
What happens if my spouse dies during our divorce?
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
Divorce Day 2025
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’.
Navigating Pensions in Divorce Proceedings
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.
The Queen and Domestic Abuse
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
What is a Section 7 Report?
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
Tis the season for separated parents to discuss Christmas child arrangements
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
Do unmarried couples have the same rights as married couples?
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
Domestic Abuse and the Financial Remedy Process – A Call for Change
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
Raneem’s Law: A Groundbreaking Step Towards Tackling Violence and Abuse.
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
TOLATA Claims
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
Lauryn Goodman -v- Kyle Walker and Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989
The legal troubles between influencer Lauryn Goodman and professional footballer Kyle Walker have been much reported in the media. This dispute involved an area of family law that we deal with at Johnson Astills commonly referred to
What is Special Contribution in Matrimonial Finance?
In divorce under English Law, the Court begins with a 50:50 starting point when considering a financial settlement. The court then decides whether there should be a departure from equality. Contribution is one of the factors which the court
What are Legal Services Payment Orders?
The financial remedy process that accompanies divorce proceedings can be very expensive, especially as each party will often have their own legal costs to pay. These fees can prove difficult to meet for those who earn significantly
LGBTQ+ Families – who has parental responsibility?
For opposite-sex parents, the question of who has parental responsibility for any child may be easily answered. However, the same cannot be said for LGBTQ+ parents, who may face certain obstacles in obtaining parental responsibility. With June
How has the update to the Family Procedure Rules affected Private Family Law Proceedings?
On the 29th April 2024, the Family Procedure Rules were updated and a new term introduced – “Non-Court Dispute Resolution”, or NCDR. The update puts great importance on MIAMs and NCDR, but what does this mean for
Do convicted paedophiles lose their parental rights?
Currently, parental rights are ‘absolute’ in law and can only be managed through a court order. However, a new law could mean that in the UK convicted paedophiles who are parents, would automatically lose the right to
Happy 3rd Anniversary – Domestic Abuse Act 2021
Four years after the domestic abuse bill was first promised in the late Queen’s speech in 2017, it finally became law on the 30th April 2021. The act further improves the effectiveness of the Justice system, providing
What is Civil Mediation, and how can it help me?
Often, court proceedings can be very costly and time-consuming, including solicitor fees, court fees and the hassle of navigating the court system. This can leave parties stressed and financially worse off. To try and minimise the court’s
What is Arbitration?
If you have reached an impasse in respect of a family law dispute, it may be tempting to make an application to the court to resolve the matter. However, there are other forms of dispute resolution which
‘Raneem’s Law’
The Labour Party have introduced the idea of a new law called ‘Raneem’s law’ – named after Raneem Oudeh, who was murdered at 22 years old alongside her mother Khaola Saleem. Ms Oudeh and Ms Saleem were
Private Adoption and Donor Conception. Nothing spreads love like starting a family this Valentine’s Day!
Whilst Valentine’s Day is more commonly thought about in the context of romantic love, other types of love can be celebrated on this day. Why not celebrate familial love this Valentine’s Day by considering the ways your
What is new to Family Law in 2024?
As the new year has begun, here is what you can expect to see in the year of 2024. Media in the Family Court (The Transparency Pilot): For decades there have been calls for more transparency in
When should I raise conduct in Financial Remedy Proceedings?
When deciding on the fairest division of the assets, the Court will take into account factors listed in section 25(2) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. One such factor is the conduct of the opposing party, but
Why you should sort out your matrimonial finances when obtaining a divorce
When a couple obtain a divorce it is important to have a Financial Order from the Court – more often than not this Order can be agreed, meaning no Court attendance or formal court application. This is
Divorce Day 2024
Family Law Practitioners receive a higher volume of calls in and around the first working days of the New Year from people deciding to take steps to end their marriage and issue a divorce application. This has
Navigating divorces and child arrangements over the Christmas period:
Going through a divorce and organising child arrangements with an ex-partner can be very stressful. However, with the festive period approaching, this stress can be exacerbated and causing this to become a very worrying time. Below are
What if something happens after my Financial Order is approved by Court?
Following the conclusion of financial remedy proceedings, your situation could change unexpectedly, and you may feel that had this happened during the course of the proceedings, it would have affected the outcome of those proceedings. The Courts
How Much Is My Public Sector Pension Worth?
For many people, a large part of the Divorce process will revolve around how their financial assets will be divided. However, for those who work in the public sector, the value of their pensions has been unusually
Beware of the Remarriage Trap
Dissolving your marriage may feel like the end of a very long and turbulent road, and that you have finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. However, should you remarry, you may fall foul
Separated Parents: Can I take my child on holiday abroad?
With the summer holidays fast approaching, many will be seeking some summer sun overseas. However, for some separated or divorced parents, this can be problematic and we suggest having the conversation about holidays as soon as possible,
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022
A new piece of legislation came into forced on the 27th February 2023, which means it is no longer possible for anyone under the age of 18 to marry or enter into a civil partnership. This is
