Family and Matrimonial

At the end of October 2013, the Cohabitation Rights Bill 2013 started its progress through Parliament. The Private Member’s Bill aims to give long-term cohabitants rights more akin to those...

There are no hard and fast rules over the division of assets in divorce cases. In particular, an equal partition of assets is not always appropriate, as was illustrated by...

When a care plan for children is agreed and there are conditions that apply, it is essential to make sure that these are complied with, as a recent decision shows. ...

A recent attempt by the wife of a British expatriate, who had lived for many years in Spain, to persuade the English court to accept jurisdiction over their divorce was...

When it is considered to be ‘likely’ (which, in law, means that there is a real possibility) that a child will suffer ‘significant harm’, the court may make a care...

Relationship break-ups where the couple are of different nationalities often present particular difficulties for the courts – especially where the custody of children is in dispute. A recent case...

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 received Royal Assent on 17 July 2013 and is expected to come into force in 2014. The legislation enjoyed a complex passage...

When a man was killed at work due to the negligence of a third party, his child (born six months after his death) was able to bring a claim for...

The correct approach to take as regards screening for a rare genetic disorder when children are being considered for adoption was tested in the family court recently. The case involved...

When a divorced wealthy couple sought to wage ‘litigation war’ against one another, running up legal bills of more than £2.7 million in the process, the family judge was unsympathetic. ...