Divorces and separations can be emotional processes to go through, paying the cost of a family lawyer means you can take emotion away and allow a professional to do their job. Picture from Shutterstock. Seeking a separation or divorce can be a painful process and one that has plenty of costs associated with it. Whether you are seeking a divorce or separation after the minimum waiting period or a much longer time, the costs won’t change. These costs are necessary administration costs and some are personal related costs, but all are necessary to execute the divorce or separation properly. Here […]

The metaverse has been described as the future of the internet. Although its development remains at an early stage, established and emerging companies are spending millions developing metaverse technologies. While a virtual-reality parallel universe is likely several years away, as we have seen with the conventional internet, entirely new areas of law have developed to address the online world. Cyberattack or data breach class actions have become common. No matter what form the metaverse ultimately takes, the law will develop in response. This bulletin is the first in a two-part series that considers the unique legal issues that the metaverse […]

Home > Articles Syvil Lloyd Morris, Solicitor Advocate and co-founder of Bastian Lloyd Morris LLP, explores the concept of parental responsibility and LAA funding issues in the context of a changing society. Syvil Lloyd Morris, Solicitor Advocate and co-founder of Bastian Lloyd Morris LLP The family is an important institution in all societies. In the words of Shakespeare, ‘[t]he voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven’s lieutenants’. However, our ‘millennial and existential values’ (Chiriluta, 2022), have conspired to change the modern shape of the family, and indeed the dynamics of parenthood. […]

COVID-19 prompted a dramatic shift in the way we live our lives, from hybrid home-office working and renewed importance on local communities, to increasing unemployment and growing mistrust in governments. In the aftermath of these big social changes, there is a new transformation on the horizon. If you are considering divorce, then reading up on the details of the new Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 in the Wiselaw no fault guide will give you a clear picture on what to expect. However, in this article, we look at how the pandemic, and the new no-fault divorce laws together are […]

Couples going through or contemplating divorce, should consider how uncapping bankers’ bonuses in the UK will affect financial settlements. The author of this article spells out the issues in play. One of the changes made by the short-lived UK government of Liz Truss and her finance minister, aka Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, was removing the salary cap on bankers’ bonuses. The cap had been introduced by the European Union amidst the global financial crisis a decade ago. Banks were bailed out by the taxpayer, and politically, the public was furious (with reason) at how imprudent lending and risk controls had helped […]

Home > Articles Casey Randall, Head of DNA at AlphaBiolabs, answers some of the most common questions about prenatal paternity testing for legal matters. What is non-invasive prenatal paternity testing? A non-invasive prenatal paternity test or NIPP test, is a DNA test performed while the mother is still pregnant, to verify paternity before the baby is born.  The test can be performed from as early as 7 weeks into pregnancy, right up to the point of labour, with expert geneticists examining the baby’s DNA together with the parents’ DNA to identify which half of the DNA is inherited from […]

A survey of counseling professionals from YourTango.com — the digital leader in love and relationships — offers compelling insights into why marriages fail. The leading cause of divorce? Communication problems, followed by sexual infidelity and “not spending enough time together/not mutually prioritizing the marriage.” RELATED: 5 Divorce Statistics That Predict The Success Of Your Marriage Unfortunately, 54% of experts polled agree with the assertion made by author Dana Adam Shapiro that only 17% of marriages are happy. However, YourTango Expert Meri Arnett-Kremian is skeptical, explaining “I’m suspicious of the bias of his interviewees since they were talking about the breakup of […]

One of the main issues addressed in the Proposal for a Directive of the Parliament and of the Council on liability of defective products (“PLD Proposal”) is proportionality, described as a careful balance between the interests of industry and consumers. In the press release the European Commission notes that by requiring manufacturers to disclose evidence and sanctioning failure to do so with a rebuttable presumption of product defect the PLD Proposal aims at putting consumers on an equal footing with manufacturers. According to the European Commission, the evaluation of the existing PLD identified the burden of proof resting on the […]

Going through a divorce is usually an extremely painful experience. We typically enter a marriage expecting it to last forever, “until death do you part”, but the unfortunate reality is that often, something else beats death to the punch. In the United States, for example, between 40-50% of all first marriages end in divorce. Although painful, sometimes ending a marriage is the right choice to make, if both parties have grown apart or there has been inexcusable behavior taking place, such as abuse or infidelity. But while high divorce rates are a common topic of conversation, we don’t often discuss […]

Susan Moss is an attorney in New York City. She occasionally serves as an attorney for children during contentious divorces. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Susan Moss. It has been edited for length and clarity. As an attorney who works in family and matrimonial law, I mostly work with adults. But occasionally, I’m appointed by a judge to serve as an attorney for children. That means I’m there solely to represent the kids who are caught in the middle of their parents’ battle. I’ve had a front-row seat to the end of many marriages. Here’s what […]

Couples who ‘slide into marriage’, because of family pressure are up to 50 per cent likely to divorce than those who marry for love, finds a major new study from Marriage Foundation. The study, Attitudes towards marriage and commitment looked at 2000 adults who had ever married. We then focussed on a smaller cohort of 905 couples who married for the first time after the year 2000 in the era of online dating. They were asked how much they agreed or disagreed with each of twelve reasons for why they might have got married. Those who said they “felt they […]

The Financial Vulnerability Taskforce has launched a good practice guide to highlight the range of vulnerable circumstances arising from the impact of divorce. According to The Law Society, this has resulted in a spike in no-fault divorce applications, contributing to delays and backlogs in the civil law courts. Keith Richards, chair of the FVT, said: “Whilst the change in law removes bureaucracy and cost, the unintended consequences may be increased financial vulnerability. “Collaboration between financial advisers and the legal profession is at the heart of good outcomes for clients going through separation and divorce, and experts from both professions have contributed […]

A change of name can be a change of forename, surname, adding or removing parts of the name, adding hyphens, or even changing the spelling. A deed poll is a legal document that is witnessed that proves a change of name. There are two ways to change the name of a child under the age of 16. You can either: Make an ‘unenrolled’ deed poll; or Apply for an ‘enrolled’ deed poll. An ‘unenrolled’ deed poll for a child must be drafted by either a solicitor or a specialist deed poll agency. An ‘unenrolled’ deed poll is […]

Although companies resolve most commercial litigation cases without trial, it is still essential for them to prepare for every possibility. Commercial litigation cases can involve a wide variety of different issues. Understanding what will be covered is essential to have a successful case. This article explains issues covered in a commercial litigation case. Breach of Contract A breach of contract occurs when one party does not fulfill its obligations. The other party may then sue for damages. In this case, the issue would be whether or not the other party breached the contract and what damages they incurred. Intellectual Property […]

Post Views: 140 UK, October 20th 2022 – Newly released family court statistics show 1 in 5 divorcing couples made a joint application, taking advantage of new laws. However, it also showed that 31% fewer financial order applications have been made. UK divorce solicitors, Woolley and Co. Solicitors, have assessed recently released family court data from April to June 2022 to see how no fault divorce has affected the picture. It revealed that there have been 33,234 divorce applications since no-fault divorce was introduced – the highest quarterly figure in 10 years. However, coupled with this were some surprising revelations surrounding […]

Divorcing couples are facing financial risk because of the potential confusion around new divorce laws. The new law, introduced this year, aims to make divorce more amicable but has potentially led to thousands of divorcing couples to not seek a financial order. UK divorce solicitors, Woolley & Co. Solicitors, have assessed recently released family court data from April to June 2022 to see how no fault divorce has affected the picture. It revealed that there have been 33,234 divorce applications since no-fault divorce was introduced – the highest quarterly figure in 10 years. Out of these applications, over 1 in […]