New English court rules will encourage settlement of litigation

  The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), which govern civil litigation in the English courts, have been updated to give greater effect to a landmark Court of Appeal ruling last year, Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil. In that case, the court found that judges have the power to ‘stay’ – or pause – court proceedings so that …

Here’s an Idea: Heal After Divorce in the Kitchen

How do you heal after divorce? There are so many ways. Therapy, meditation, time, and more. But I want to share an unconventional tool to help you not only heal after divorce, but to rebuild your confidence and joy, and to regain your sense of self. During divorce, finding grounding activities is essential, and that …

Civil litigation: Relief from sanctions

The recent judgment of Mr Justice Calver in Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini demonstrates the hard stance a court will take when parties fail to adhere to court timelines, thus hindering the efficient conduct of litigation. The case involved a dispute over alleged fraudulent asset transfers whereby Invest Bank, a United Arab Emirates-based bank, claimed …

Selling The House After Divorce: Letting Go and Moving Forward

Selling the house after divorce can be a deeply emotional process. With a lot of my clients, especially in today’s market, selling the house is not their choice. Due to financial reasons, it is often the only choice, which makes selling their home even harder. Selling the house can feel like you’re letting go of …

Civil Litigation – Judges tire of gameplaying tactics in costs disputes

It has been an assumption for years in costs budgeting in civil litigation: claimants start high and negotiate down, assuming there will be scope for ending up at the figure wanted all along. But have judges had enough of the game-playing? Two judgments in quick succession from Master Thornett have both criticised claimants’ overstated costs …

Money and Divorce: 4 Words You Should Never Say Again

When it comes to money and divorce, I’ll say this: a divorce costs money. A lot of money. Not just for the divorce process itself, but now you’re talking two homes, two sets of bills for everything, two sets of everything for everything! Because expenses basically double, and because there’s so much stress and insecurity …