You may have noticed a recent post I wrote concerning the prospect of arbitration in family law disputes and the potential benefits it may bring. I’m now delighted to announce that a family law arbitration scheme has launched in England under the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators. From today, qualified arbitrators can now decide a range of financial family law issues with legally binding outcomes or ‘awards’.
The best laid plans often go awry as my last few weeks have certainly proved. Our intention was to take a quick seven-day break in Israel before my niece, Rebecca’s baby was born. We would be home in time to take care of my parents, and my sister could safely go to London to look after her daughter and her new arrival, which was due at the end of this month. However, the new baby had other ideas and arrived two weeks early. And so we set off for our holiday apologetically, our carefully considered plans in disarray. But such is life; what you hope will happen doesn't always turn out the way you wanted it to.
Many people choose a religious ceremony when getting married. More often than not these comply with the requirements detailed in my previous post, but there are some cases in which not all the requirements are complied with and the court must decide whether there is a valid marriage.
Getting married is meant to be an exciting, romantic time and no one wants to think about what would happen if it all goes wrong. But how would you feel if your marriage broke down and you found out that you had never been legally married in England in the first place?
For some time now my sister has been worrying about how she is going to manage when her daughter, Rebecca, gives birth to her first baby. A London resident, Rebecca is due at the end of this month and, understandably, my sister wants to be there and help as much as possible. Known to our family as “Aunty Doo Doo”, my sister already has a lot on her plate. She has been caring for our parents at her home in Yorkshire since my mum became seriously ill last autumn. Along with mum's devoted carer Ruby, my brother-in-law and the two dogs, it makes for a full household!
The Government Response to the Family Justice Review, which was led by accountant David Norgrove and an almost exclusively child-focused committee, was published this week. Most of the report’s recommendations were, as expected, accepted.
I recently posted on the dire situation facing the judiciary, noting the comments made by District Judge Nicholas Crichton about our courts being stacked out with Litigants in Person (LiP), and the detrimental effect it is having
Tomorrow I will be appearing on the This Morning alongside Gloria Hunniford and another guest to discuss the difficult subject of access to grandchildren following the split of their parents. I was the legal contributor to Gloria’s book Glorious Grandparenting and I have posted on this subject on numerous occasions. In the book I do advocate the benefits of mediation in these circumstances.
On Wednesday 8th February I will be answering readers’ questions in real-time from 2pm to 4pm in our forums. If you have a general question concerning the financial implications of divorce that you would like answering, then please post it over the coming week, or during Wednesday afternoon. I won't give you detailed advice as to what you should specifically settle for, or how to resolve your dispute with the CSA, because only a lawyer retained by you can provide such a level of professional support. But my advice is given entirely free of charge and without liability.
I was recently invited to contribute to HuffPost Divorce, where you can now find a slideshow featuring my Top 10 Stereotypical Marriage Wreckers. Some appear to have struck a nerve with readers.
Andrew Williams, the Chief Executive of Stowe Family Law is a proud Yorkshireman and Englishman. Blunt, straightforward and to the point, he has been a prime force in the development of the firm since he joined in 2004. A politician to boot, he was the youngest ever mayor of the City of Ripon.
Many would see it as a natural business instinct to welcome the decline or demise of a competitor. For me, there is little sadder news than hearing about a firm closing, downsizing or being forced to merge. This month has been characterised by such announcements, some particularly close to home which came as a shock.
I read with great interest a post by my colleague, John Bolch of Family Lore, and its reference to the phrase “blood on the court carpet”. It was drawn from a comment originally made by District Judge Nicholas Crichton, who sits in Inner London
Given the concerns of many in relation to Child Support I am delighted to publish a guest post by Anna Pietrowski of Gingerbread, a long-established charity that supports single parent families.
A new case has come to light that is important for anyone going through family separation who owns a property jointly with their partner– as well as the practitioners advising them. What follows is a more complicated post than usual and I’ve done my best to simplify it. For all those unacquainted with Section 36 Law of Property Act 1925 may I first suggest reading my initial post on this subject, which looked at severance of joint tenancy and will help you to better understand the case I am about to cover.
Maintenance payments and a new partner: bad news for cohabitees? (Part 2)
Spouses who go forum shopping for divorce
Delaying the Decree Absolute: another look at Miller Smith v Miller Smith
Mesher Orders and Martin Orders: What You Need To Know
Maintenance payments and a new partner – what happens next? (Part 1)
Introducing family law arbitration…
Seven days in Israel and a lesson in planning ahead: will life ever turn out as we expect?
Religious marriages: what constitutes a valid marriage in England? By guest blogger Laura Guillon
When is a marriage not a marriage? By guest blogger Laura Guillon
The best laid plans…and two birthdays to remember
Marilyn Stowe is the Senior Partner at Stowe Family Law LLP. Stowe Family Law LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA ref 469401. Stowe Family Law LLP is registered with Companies House, ref. 331570, and registered for VAT, number 918 5722 04. A list of members is available for inspection at our Harrogate office.
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