In just a few months, the Family Court has seen its budget shrink from £2.4bn to £1.6bn. These cuts, as well as ongoing delays in improving the system, are wreaking havoc on society’s most vulnerable families. The latest set of concerns stem from the drastic reduction in legal aid, which also saw the government implement …
Author Archives: spainops
Assisted reproduction: consent given for first child is valid consent for second child (High Court)
In P and others (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008) [2017] EWHC 49 (Fam), Munby P held that the consent given by the birth mother’s partner, to being the parent of any child born by assisted reproduction for the first child born, is valid for any second child born by further assisted reproduction. This judgment …
Encrypted Skype authorised for vulnerable father with agoraphobia to participate in proceedings (Fam…
16th View from the President’s Chambers: Children and vulnerable witnesses: where are we?
In relation to recommendation 2, I said that I had been arguing for a similar bar in the Family Court to that in the Youth and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 ‘but without success to date’. I observed that ‘There are clear resource implications so this is properly a matter for ministers.’ I added, ‘I have …
Family Mediation Week highlights £48 billion cost of family breakdown to the taxpayer as charity cal…
Family Mediation Association spokesperson, Beverley Sayers added: ‘Family Mediation Week helps raise awareness amongst separating couples that lawyers and courts aren’t their only divorce option. If both parties can stay patient and open minded, there are much better and cheaper alternatives to going to court,including mediation, and collaborative family law and arbitration. These are usually …
The deprivation of a child’s liberty
The making of a secure accommodation order lies at the extreme end of the court’s powers. However, they are not uncommon. They are, in fact, fairly regularly used in relation to teenagers who put themselves in risky and harmful situations, apparently through choice. Such an application will usually arise following a period of time in …
How to recover financially from divorce
Right off the top, it’s important to acknowledge that there are no secret strategies for magically avoiding the financial impact of divorce. Divorce is difficult. You may lose half of your assets—or more—during the process of equalization. You may have ongoing spousal support or child support obligations to an ex-spouse. There can be differences from …