Civil partnerships were first introduced in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 as a way for same sex couples to have their relationships legally recognised. Since 2019 couples irrespective of sex have been able enter into a civil partnership. There are no real differences when
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Commenting on the Women and Equalities Committee’s letter to Family Justice Minister Lord Bellamy, Abby Buckland, Family Law partner at Kingsley Napley LLP says: “Given the trend of declining rates of marriage, an increase in the age of those getting married and a rise in
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Divorcing couples should not be subject to mandatory mediation, as putting barriers in place to attending court is likely to deny access to justice, the Law Society of England and Wales said today in response to a government consultation. The consultation launched
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For many co-parents, one of the most challenging aspects of separated parenting is when one parent does not choose to spend as much time with their child as the other parent thinks they ought to. In some cases, a parent may not
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The recent announcement by the Chancellor to release the pension cap and the annual contribution limit was seen by many as a tax break for the rich. However, the major beneficiaries of this change was those people in the Public Sector with
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One of the core parts of the divorce process is agreeing on a financial settlement. Especially now, with the introduction of no-fault divorce, it has become more straightforward to get divorced than ever. However, you don’t want to be caught off guard by the
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Contrary to critics decrying no-fault divorce for hastening the demise of marriage, we do not expect the new laws to prompt a long-term rise in the divorce rate. While the number of divorces in April 2023 was double the April 2022 figure,
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When considering divorce the first question people often ask themselves is “how long will it take and where do I start?” Whilst this will most likely be one of the most stressful periods of your life, with very sensible and practical considerations,
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The Law Commissions’ new surrogacy recommendations, which include a specific new pathway to enable intended parents (IPs) to be their child’s legal parents from birth, provided the eligibility criteria and pre-conception safeguards are met, will have a significant impact not only for
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Sadly, we work with many clients who, along with their children, are victims of domestic abuse. Some flee the spousal home with little more than the clothes they stand up in while others stay and suffer in silence – because they fear
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At the beginning of 2022, it was predicted that divorce rates could surge by more than 50% in the UK. The impact of pandemic lockdowns, pressures due to the cost of living increases and changes in legislation such as the no-fault divorce,
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With the highly-publicised court proceedings between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, legislative changes in the UK leading to the implementation of the ‘no fault divorce’ system, and with the latest season of The Crown releasing on Netflix – focusing on the bitter
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