Contested divorces are a rarity and that is hardly surprising given that, following two years of separation, marriages can be ended by agreement. However, they do still occur and, in one such case, a judge was critical of a husband who wasted family money in
In big money divorce cases, much is made of the distinction between the so-called sharing principle and needs-based assessments of financial entitlements. However, as a High Court ruling in one such case clearly showed, family judges are in fact focused on just one thing –
There is no such thing as a perfect parent and the law presumes that it is best to keep families together, unless there is firm evidence that children are coming to significant harm. A family judge made that point in refusing to open the way
Family judges recognise that children thrive best if they are able to form relationships with their natural parents. However, in an exceptional case, the High Court came to the aid of a domestic abuse victim in ruling that the welfare of her young children demanded
Those who take the wise step of signing lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) are entitled to give instructions concerning their future medical treatment. But, as a guideline High Court ruling made plain, that right does not extend to requiring attorneys to break the law by
When family judges make financial orders in divorce cases, they are not beating at air and have a panoply of powers to make sure that they are obeyed. A wealthy businessman who spent over £70,000 on his wedding to his new wife, whilst neglecting to
Those who set out to deceive family judges in divorce proceedings rarely succeed and usually end up being hit hard in the pocket for their pains. A successful buy-to-let property entrepreneur found that out to his cost when his ex-wife was awarded the lion’s share
Judges are always on call to deal with the consequences of family tragedy at short notice so, if you need emergency help, you should contact a lawyer straight away. In one case on point, the High Court authorised the extraction and use of a dying
The Supreme Court has announced today its decision in an important case for unmarried partners of people who have died. When a Northern Ireland woman’s partner of 23 years died, she was denied Widowed Parent’s Allowance (a statutory benefit available in certain circumstances to widowed
Tactical manoeuvring designed to ensure that big money divorce cases are heard in England, where judges are perceived as being more generous, does occur. In one case, however, the High Court cleared a wife of any such cynical conduct. The former couple were both German
