We have been to one court hearing so far but the next court hearing is coming up soon. I’m really worried as I am classed as “extremely vulnerable” and under the current Government COVID-19 guidelines I am advised to remain at home until 30th June. I won’t be able to attend my court hearing. What can I do? Since the beginning of lockdown in March, most family court hearings have been going ahead albeit such are conducted remotely. This means they are done either by video link or more often than not by telephone. This has removed the necessity for […]

What is a Trust and how and when is one created? A Trust is created when assets are transferred from one person (the settlor) to another person, people or company (the trustees) to hold for the benefit of another person or people (the beneficiaries). The trustees of a Trust are under a legal duty to manage and control the assets held within them and to act in the best interest of the beneficiaries. A Trust can be set up during lifetime or set up in a Will to take effect on death. What are the main different types of Trust? […]

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in London hit 27,416 on 19 June, with Croydon the worst affected borough.  Figures released by Public Health England showed that the borough had recorded 1,532 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of the end of last week, while Brent has had 1,497. Read more: UK lockdown: Zoos and drive-in cinemas could reopen from 15 June Barnet and Bromley have recorded 1,315 and 1,291 positive tests respectively. Southwark had the fifth most London coronavirus cases with 1,283. London had zero coronavirus deaths on Sunday 21 June, which is the second time this has happened since the […]

Government reforms to divorce laws were condemned on Monday night as “the effective abolition of the marriage vow” by an MP who worked for Boris Johnson in Downing Street until eight months ago as they passed a major hurdle in the House of Commons. MPs voted to approve changes which mean that a ‘no fault’ divorce could be granted to a couple after a wait of just six months rather than after a separation by agreement lasting two years. The changes also allow one partner to instigate divorce proceedings and start a 20 week “reflection period” before the divorce can […]

The COVID-19 crisis is the worst possible time to make divorce easier, a columnist has said, as the Government attempts to introduce divorce on demand. In the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill, Ministers are proposing to allow people to divorce in just six months without having to give a reason, and without having to let their spouse know until the process is almost finalised. Writing in The Telegraph, Jill Kirby questions why the Government is trying to push through the liberal changes at a time when it should be prioritising economic recovery and healthcare reform. ‘Injustice’ While proponents claim that […]

Serial domestic abusers or stalkers should be registered and monitored in the same way as serious violent and sexual offenders, a group of cross-party MPs have said, as they put forward a proposed change to domestic abuse laws currently passing through parliament. The amendment to the domestic abuse bill for England and Wales, which is at the committee stage of scrutiny, would put serial domestic abuse and stalking offenders on the violent and sex offender register (Visor) and subject them to monitoring and management through multi-agency public protection arrangements (Mappa). Visor is a database of records of those required to register with the police […]

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock hoped things would work out between them, but quarantine only made things worse. A source tells ET that some of the couple’s friends were surprised by the news that the “Since U Been Gone” singer filed for divorce, but “those closest to them know it’s been difficult.” The source says: “Kelly and Brandon had been having problems for several months and were making a conscious effort to work things out. They both hoped quarantining away from L.A. in Montana would help them work things out in their marriage, but instead the change in environment was actually detrimental.” […]

Canada: COVID-19 And Litigation Risk: Does Your Back-to-work Strategy Plan For Litigation Risks? 11 June 2020 McCarthy Tétrault LLP To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. In the first instalment of our three-part series covering litigation and COVID-19, we discuss some of the potential COVID-19 related litigation risks that businesses may face in the upcoming weeks and months, and need to be aware of and plan for as part of a comprehensive back-to-work strategy. Introduction Canadians have heard it over and over: we must flatten […]

Andrew Mackenzie: Arbitration – the flexible alternative to civil litigation Published 12 June 2020 Andrew Mackenzie Arbitration is a commercial, cost-effective and confidential method of resolving disputes. However, with the COVID-19 lockdown impacting court business and creating a backlog of litigation work, arbitration’s flexibility might now be its most valuable attribute, writes Andrew Mackenzie. Arbitration, a form of dispute resolution, is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons by whose decision they agree to be bound. Aside from statutory arbitration, the process requires […]

As employees are increasingly working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, many communications that would typically occur face-to-face are now taking place over chat systems, such as Skype, Bloomberg Messaging, and Slack. Chats are often more informal and unfiltered than other forms of written communication such as email, and often do not provide context for the conversation. And with that comes legal risk. This is because chats may qualify as business documents subject to discovery in litigation—especially when those chats discuss business topics. See, e.g., LBBW Luxemburg S.A. v. Wells Fargo Sec. LLC, Case No. 12-CV-7311, 2016 WL 1660498, at […]