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Category: Family

Why a cohabitation agreement can support not undermine your relationship

The Office for National Statistics has revealed there were 80,057 divorces granted in England and Wales in 2022, a 29.5% decrease compared with 2021 (113,505 divorces) and the lowest number of divorces since 1971. The dramatic fall confounded commentators who were expecting a rise following the introduction in April 2022 of no-fault divorce (the Divorce,

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Plea to employers as Divorce Day looms

The family focus of Christmas is often followed in January with news of unhappy couples calling it quits, leading to so-called Divorce Day, as family lawyers receive a surge of enquiries when they re-open after the break.   And as the holiday season gets into full swing there are calls from those on the front-line of

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The highs and lows of blame-free digital divorce 

Divorce applications rose by 20 per cent in the year following the introduction of no-fault divorce, according to figures from the Ministry for Justice. But while the headline process may be easier, couples going through the legal stage of break-up are still experiencing many challenges, writes Georgia White, of the Family Law department at KWW

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What happens when a parent breaches a family court order?

When a court issues an order, it is legally binding and must be followed by all parties involved. Unfortunately, there are instances where one parent may disregard or breach a family court order, causing frustration and potential harm to the child and the other parent. This article by our Head of Family Law David Anstee

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The importance of pensions in divorce

Research released by Aviva has confirmed what we as family law specialists already knew: there is a worrying lack of awareness about the importance of pensions when it comes to agreeing a financial settlement in divorce. Pensions are typically among the largest assets in a divorce, and it’s not uncommon that one spouse has a

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Cost of living looms over divorce thinking

The cost of living crisis is having an impact on the way couples, especially those with children, are managing their relationships, with potentially damaging consequences. A survey of 2,000 adults in England and Wales considering divorce or dissolution reveals 60% of them view their situation today differently to how they saw it a year ago,

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Capital Gains Tax leeway in divorce

The Government has announced plans to relax capital gains tax (CGT) rules in divorce settlements, giving spouses and civil partners more time to transfer assets without incurring CGT charges. If the new rules are approved, they will come into effect from 6 April 2023. As it stands, couples who are married or in a civil

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Divorce and money: How the process works

Divorcing couples are often scarred by disputes over financial matters. Such wrangling can add time and cost to the proceedings, says David Anstee, head of KWW’s Family Law team. Resolving financial matters by consent is a far less stressful way to go, if it’s possible, and couples can get a formal Order in place quicker

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Surrogacy – understanding the options

The number of parents having a baby using a surrogate in England and Wales has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years. Parental orders, which transfer legal parentage from the surrogate, rose from 117 in 2011 to 413 in 2020. Two-thirds of applicants are now mixed-sex couples often in their 30s or 40s. There’s a

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Divorce law: Changes for the good

The divorce law in England and Wales will change next month (April 2022), says Susannah Burley of KWW’s Family Law department. The new law replaces the provisions in the Matrimonial Causes Act which came into force in 1973. Any divorce that is due to go through under the current law must be submitted online by

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