Contrary to what movies make us believe, rarely does a woman meet with my firm with the goal of taking every last penny from her spouse. Nor do we ever see women who hide assets so they don’t have to give a fair share to their soon-to-be-ex. Nearly one-third of the women who walk through my company’s doors are undecided as to whether they want to stay in their marriage or leave. They come in search of answers on how to become more educated and empowered to make good financial decisions. These women are looking to gain an understanding of how their finances […]

17.9% (3.4 million) of families now cohabit, whereas in 2008, it was recorded that only 15% (2.7 million) cohabited.  This is a significant increase, and as an associate solicitor practicing in will, trust and estate disputes, goes some way to explain the increase in claims by cohabitees after someone dies.  May couples have the mistaken belief that when they cohabit, they have a ‘common law marriage’, and that this affords them some rights.  However, there is no such thing as a common law marriage in the UK, and upon separation or death, the rights that the parties have, are very […]

Due to stress, lost clients, pressure, long hours or personal conflicts some SME business relationships can sour over time. But where do you stand if you co-own a business with your partner and you are facing a shareholder dispute? Louise Hebborn, Commercial Partner at Stephensons Solicitors LLP, discusses a shareholder’s legal rights. There are 5.6 million small businesses[i] in the UK and 96% of these employ fewer than 10 employees[ii]. Sometimes for a variety of reasons the relationship between SME shareholders falls apart – partners can disagree over the direction of a company, the amount taken out in shareholder dividends or […]

Natalia Potanina is seeking a £5bn payout from her ex-husband in London’s High Court A £15 billion divorce – the biggest ever staged in Britain – is to be heard at the High Court after a Russian oligarch’s estranged wife brought the battle to London to demand a third of his fortune, MailOnline can reveal. Tycoon Vladimir Potanin – Russia‘s second richest man – defeated his ex-wife in a long-running legal dispute in Moscow, but now she is bringing her huge financial claim to Britain – and he has turned to queen of the divorce courts Fiona Shackleton to keep her […]

As a psychotherapist who specializes in treating children and teenagers, I have worked on many high conflict divorces. I have been the therapist for the children, an Expert Witness regarding custody, worked as part of the mediation team and served as a 730 Court Appointed Expert regarding custody and visitation. In the various roles I have had in high conflict divorce cases and also the average divorce cases, there is a common issue I have encountered. The issue I have encounter is making decisions. Many times I have seen divorce cases become vicious because one parent is reluctant about making […]

A new guide to the treatment of pensions on divorce has been published by the Pension Advisory Group (PAG). The long-awaited report brings guidance to family judges, lawyers and pension experts encouraging fairer settlements and helping to manage liability. PAG is a multi-disciplinary group of professionals, including The University of Manchester’s Professor of Social Gerontology Debora Price. It has come together to produce a clear good practice guide to address the shortfall in understanding of how to treat pensions on divorce.  Supported by the Nuffield Foundation, the group’s aim was to create a guide that demystifies the jargon of pensions, […]

Over one-third of divorces happen within the first five years of marriage, and most young couples in Malaysia “rush into marriage” without knowing themselves or their partners well enough, according to Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh. Pixabay Want to be extra sure that you and your beloved will live happily ever after, before saying ‘I do’? Young Malaysian couples planning on getting married could soon be able to take a free Government quiz to check their compatibility, Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Hannah Yeoh said in Parliament on Tuesday (July 9). The quiz hopes to reduce […]