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Delaying the Decree Absolute: another look at Miller Smith v Miller Smith

If one party wants the divorce to be finalised but the other does not, and the parties’ finances have not been resolved, may the decree absolute be delayed? Let’s begin with the basics. The divorce process in England is conducted in three stages: 1. The issue of a divorce petition. 2. The grant of a divorce decree nisi by the court. 3. Obtaining a certificate of decree absolute from the court …

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Maintenance payments and a new partner: bad news for cohabitees? (Part 2)

In my previous post I set the scene in a hotly disputed area of law: maintenance payments and the ex-husband who resents paying after his former partner begins living with another man. The Court of …

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Adultery and Divorce: The Top Ten Myths

There are common misconceptions about adultery & divorce, so here are my ten top adultery myths.

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The FDR hearing and the First Appointment: what you need to know

When a financial application is made to the divorce courts, three court hearings are scheduled to take place: a First Appointment, an FDR hearing and a Final Hearing. Two years ago I published a post called FDR – look out for these stumbling …

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Child Support Agency routinely breaching the human rights of fathers

In a robust judgement sure to cause consternation, the Court of Appeal has condemned the Child Support Agency (CSA) for “obnoxious” and “unreasonable” legal failings in threatening fathers with jail without giving them the right to defend themselves.

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Summer Competition: What next for the Chocolate Box Family?

Here’s a summer competition: It’s a fictitious scenario, with a puzzle at the end, which centres upon a rocky marriage. The wife is shying away from the truth. The husband is consumed with the guilt of an illicit affair.

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Applying for the Decree Absolute and what comes next

I receive a massive number of comments on this blog concerning the decree absolute. It seems to be the one stage of the divorce process that causes most confusion, and so I thought it might time to look at it in a little more detail and consider the important steps to take once it has been granted. Just this weekend a further example of the 163 queries I've so far received was submitted:

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Mesher Orders and Martin Orders: What You Need To Know

Wives and mothers usually wish to remain in the marital home – but it isn’t always a good idea to postpone a sale. A Mesher order is a court order that postpones the sale of the marital home and gives a chargeback to a husband exercisable on the occurrence of specified events. It originated in an eponymous case in 1980, when the Court of Appeal permitted the wife to remain in the …

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External relocation: when a parent wishes to move overseas with a child, what rules apply? By guest blogger Laura Guillon.

If a relationship breaks down and there are children involved, what rules are applied to cases when one parent wishes to move with the children to another country? In this post, we will be looking at …

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Maintenance payments and a new partner – what happens next? (Part 1)

Your ex-wife has moved on and is now happily living with a new partner. They are in a stable, supportive relationship and he doesn’t seem short of cash. So why are you still paying her regular …

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Child Maintenance Payments on This Morning

Earlier today I appeared on ITV’s This Morning, sitting alongside Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield answering viewers’ questions about child maintenance. The volume of calls, emails and tweets was high, and many of the questions about child maintenance followed the same theme. There was a lot of confusion over the process that governs the obtaining of child support, and many problems with non-payment or under-payment of maintenance, whether spousal support or for children.

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Marilyn Stowe on ITV Daybreak & ITV This Morning

Marilyn’s Thought For The Day

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.

- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Awards

UK Blawg Awards 2010

About Marilyn

Marilyn Stowe is the senior partner in Stowe Family Law, which has offices in Yorkshire, Cheshire and London. With more than 30 years’ experience handling divorce cases and family law proceedings she is regarded as one of the most formidable and sought after divorce lawyers in the UK. In 2012, Marilyn became one of the first solicitors to qualify as a family law arbitrator.

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Note

All persons mentioned in the scenarios are fictitious: details have been deliberately changed in order to protect identities and other confidential circumstances of my clients. All advice and information on this blog including posts written by guest authors, is given only as a general guide to the operation of the law on the date of publication. Readers must place no reliance whatsoever on the content of this blog and must always obtain their own legal advice. Marilyn Stowe, Stowe Family Law LLP and guest authors accept no liability whatsoever arising as a result of reliance upon its content.

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