22 January 2010
Divorce cases that involve disagreements about children are often described as “difficult”. Emotions run high; at a local level the judiciary may have to fall upon its own judgement when asked to choose one suitable option above others. Bitterness, heartache and large legal bills can result. Is there another way? I think so.
The majority of children cases relate to the practical arrangements …
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A survey of children’s experiences of divorce was published today. The Children Act 1989, which transformed the face of family law for children, is 20 years old today. So how have children’s …
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Many grandparents are surprised to discover that they do not have automatic rights of residence or contact with their grandchildren. But could their rights be about to improve?
This week it is my …
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22 October 2009
Stowe Family Law recently dealt with a complex and interesting case that has served to highlight the evolving place of children in our society, both in terms of their legal status in the eyes of the courts in England and Wales and in terms of the …
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8 October 2009
In the last post about coping with divorce, I wrote about how distressing the divorce process can be and how, to emerge whole at the other side, it is vitally important to do whatever it takes to …
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Cafcass, which stands for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, was coined by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act in April 2001. A public body, Cafcass looks after the …
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18 September 2009
Unless both parents consent to a child’s relocation from one country to another, such a move can be considered international child abduction. But when a relationship ends, it is tempting to return home, to a safe environment. What if you live in another country and children are involved?
Within Europe there has been an increasing freedom of movement between countries. Adults can move …
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Dirk Lindner’s edgy portrait of Jean-Christophe Novelli and Novelli’s daughter Christina caught my eye as I was scanning The Sunday Times Magazine yesterday. I began to read the interview and I was soon hooked. It was a cracking piece, featuring the well-known chef and his 22-year-old daughter, an aspiring singer-songwriter.
Novelli married young, had little money and worked all …
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14 August 2009
The Mature Times asked me to write about divorce and grandparents’ rights. My article also offers advice to grandparents who are caught up in such a situation and are concerned that they may …
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Every Family Matters, a report prepared for the Conservative Party by Iain Duncan Smith’s ‘Centre for Social Justice’ think tank, received a good deal of press attention at the …
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Earlier this week Sir Paul Coleridge, who sits as a High Court judge in Central London, spoke out about family breakdown. His speech has been widely published: I read about it in the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph. He talked about his sadness …
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Many of my clients place their children's needs before their own. But I have seen many people who, when they are divorcing, struggle to get past their own needs
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14 May 2009
Hindsight is a wonderful thing
My last post concerned a court case which turned into a disaster. My colleagues in our Children’s Department have told me that in these complex cases, the court …
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Children are far stronger than we give them credit for
Yesterday, I read an article in the Sunday Times that ruined my otherwise very pleasant day.
The piece by Daniel Foggo concerned a mother who is being imprisoned because of her “over indulgent” behaviour towards her three children following the breakdown of her marriage.
The unnamed woman had, according to reports by social …
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