Family law

Businesses criticise idea of sharing parental leave

Businesses criticise idea of sharing parental leave

9th May 2012

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have pledged that a new Children and Families Bill will give parents "unprecedented support", and that it will include the ability for fathers to share... Read more

Report blames courts for adoption delays

2nd April 2012

A new report by Ofsted says that the main reason for delays in the adoption process in England is the duration of court proceedings, which on average take 14 months. The... Read more

No change to allow unmarried NI couples to adopt

22nd March 2012

Attorney General John Larkin, QC, says that Northern Ireland adoption laws should remain unchanged until Stormont Assembly decides to intervene and change the legislation. Unlike their counterparts in Wales, Scotland and... Read more

Clarke warns of dangers of equal access rights for fathers

13th February 2012

Justice secretary Ken Clarke has commented on the dangers that could be caused by the newly announced government plans to encourage both divorced or separated parents to have contact with... Read more

1000 children wrongly adopted each year says MP

19th December 2011

Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming has claimed that 1,000 children are unnecessarily taken away from their families and put up for adoption each year. Mr Hemming was giving evidence to the... Read more

Divorce and tax: Principal Property relief

19th October 2011

By Lenore RiceSolicitor specialising in divorce at Wilson Nesbitt Couples who decide to divorce after a marriage breakdown are suddenly confronted with a number of important decisions around how to go... Read more

Landmark ruling on lottery wins and divorce

17th October 2011

The High Court has ruled on what is thought to be the first divorce case involving lottery winnings in England. The names of the couple have not been disclosed, but... Read more

Important case for cohabiting couples before Court

4th May 2011

The Supreme Court is to hear the case of Kernott v Jones this week, with the legal world watching on with keen interest in what could become a landmark decision... Read more

Government study reveals ethnic adoption disparity

27th April 2011

A new study which was published by the government last week seems to support previous criticisms among professionals that there is a disparity in the adoption system when it comes... Read more

More fathers jailed over missed child support

11th April 2011

An increase in the number of fathers being given prison terms as a result of missing child maintenance payments has been criticised as being disproportionate and counterproductive. At least 50 prison... Read more

Plans to charge for child support criticised

18th February 2011

Government plans to charge for the child support scheme have been heavily criticised by Gingerbread, the support group for one parent families. The new scheme proposes that couples agree on a... Read more

Adoption needs to quadruple says Barnardo's chief

28th January 2011

Outgoing Barnardo's chief Martin Narey says adoption is at an historic low in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and says levels need to quadruple if they are... Read more

Half of parents split before kids are 16

8th December 2010

A new report entitled 'Family Breakdown in the UK: it's not about divorce' says that half of all the children born in the UK today will see their parents separate... Read more

Vulnerable failed by the adoption system

8th November 2010

Yesterday saw the end of National Adoption week, a campaign designed to raise awareness and generally inform people about adoption in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. However,... Read more

Government considers compulsory mediation before divorce

18th October 2010

A government review due to be published in early 2011 is to recommend that divorcing couples should be obligated to go through a mediation stage before there is any court... Read more

Half of young couples demand prenuptial agreements

12th October 2010

A survey of 1,000 people by OnePoll has revealed that almost a half of young couples are requesting prenuptial agreements before they get married; 44% of those aged between 18... Read more

Chancellor announces cap on total benefits per family

5th October 2010

Chancellor George Osborne has told the Conservative conference that a ceiling limit will be introduced on the amount of benefits that can be claimed by one family in his efforts... Read more

Higher taxpayers to lose child benefit

4th October 2010

Chancellor George Osborne has announced that higher-rate taxpayers will lose child benefits from 2013, in what he described as a "tough but fair" move that could save the government £1billion... Read more

Cohabitation disputes on the increase

16th August 2010

Solicitors have reported an increase in the number of cohabiting couples taking legal advice after the collapse of a relationship; highlighting again the complex laws concerning cohabitation which many in... Read more

Business and Children lose out as Gov announces spending cuts

24th May 2010

George Osborne has today announced £6.2billion worth of spending cuts and has warned that there is much more to come. The cuts are being made to make a direct impact on... Read more

Recession hit fortune prompts divorce settlement challenge

14th May 2010

Racehorse owner and property entrepreneur John Livock is seeking to alter his divorce settlement with his former wife, Lucy Crawford, which granted her a lump sum of £665,000. At the time... Read more

Tycoon's wife to hand secret files to the taxman

11th May 2010

Michelle Young, the wife currently in the process of divorcing tycoon Scot Young, is to hand a computer disk containing hundreds of pages of emails and other documents detailing her... Read more

Tories would consider re-classifying civil partnerships as marriage

4th May 2010

The Conservative Party have today launched their Contract for Equalities, in which they say that, if elected, they will consider the possibility of re-classifying civil partnerships as marriage. The contract for... Read more

No special treatment for inherited farms in divorce

30th April 2010

A recent case at the High Court Family division has stated that there is no special treatment for long legacy inherited farms when it comes to divorce proceedings. The case involved... Read more

40% of young adults delay marriage because of high house prices

22nd March 2010

A YouGov survey commissioned by a housing campaign group, National Housing Federation (NHF), and involving 1,096 participants, has found that 40% of young adults say they are postponing settling down... Read more

Supreme Court to hear landmark 'Pre-nuptial' appeal case

22nd March 2010

The divorce settlement case of Radmacher v Granatino has become the case to watch for interested parties curious to see how much weight would be given to a 'pre-nuptial' agreement;... Read more

Lottery winner narrowly misses sharing fortune with ex-wife

18th March 2010

The story of Kevin Halstead highlights the potential problems that can arise out of failing to formalise a split between spouses when a dramatic change of circumstances arises. Bus driver Mr... Read more

Supreme Court decision changes when court can order a child to give evidence

5th March 2010

The Supreme Court decision in the appeal case of Re W has changed how family courts should approach the question of whether a child should be ordered to give live... Read more

Ex husband of 'Little Britain' star dies intestate

1st March 2010

  Matt Lucas, the comedian and actor best known for his work on 'Little Britain' will not receive any of the £1million estate of his former husband Kevin McGee who took... Read more

Cohabitation among unmarried couples tends to be 'short lived'

22nd February 2010

A Christian think tank called 'The Jubilee Centre' has published a report providing an analysis of the most current cohabitation statistics. The report, Cohabitation in the 21st Century, used just... Read more

Large increase in divorce rates expected in 2010

4th January 2010

While the economy seemingly being on the up is good news for most, it is suspected that it might not bode well for lots of couples in the UK who... Read more

Reform judge recommends new legal rights for unmarried couples

7th December 2009

In his first interview since taking up the post as law reform watchdog, Lord Justice Munby championed the cause of unmarried couples and their need for new legal rights to... Read more

Solicitor assures no legal aid problem in Northern Ireland

3rd December 2009

Lenore Rice of Wilson Nesbitt solicitors in Belfast, Northern Ireland, confirmed that there "is no legal aid resources problem in Northern Ireland" like that being faced in England and Wales. Clients... Read more

Husband wins right to evict ex-wife from ?14million home

3rd December 2009

Charles Miller Smith, aged 70, and former chairman of ICI, won a court appeal to evict his ex-wife from their £14m Chelsea home on the basis that he was “hemorrhaging... Read more

Mothers recover financially faster from divorce

6th March 2008

While solicitors will note that women in Belfast and Northern Ireland who choose to divorce are usually much worse off financially, mothers may be recovering faster than they used to.Although... Read more

Domestic violence 'not being tackled'

4th March 2008

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland are seeing no let-up in cases of domestic violence in the province and now the government has been criticised for failing to protect females.While... Read more

Suspicious spouses engage spies

26th February 2008

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland are seeing an increase in the number of clients who use private detectives to spy on the partner they are looking to divorce.According to... Read more

Brides in favour of contracts for bridesmaids

5th February 2008

While solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland are well versed in dissolving marriages where one partner has breached the contract, soon lawyers could see bridesmaids penalised for failing to fulfil... Read more

Absentee parents owe £71m

18th January 2008

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland have had to administrate record numbers of separations and divorces in the past year, and as such more maintenance payments for children have been... Read more

Northern Ireland sees D-Day

14th January 2008

January 8th saw a record number of couples getting divorced, with solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland coping with their busiest day of the year for partners splitting up.Solicitors in... Read more

Affairs account for half of NI divorces

3rd January 2008

Affairs are the cause of half of all divorces that solicitors in Northern Ireland deal with, a higher proportion than in the rest of the UK.While only 27 per cent... Read more

Domestic violence packs a bigger punch

31st December 2007

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland have to deal with more cases of domestic violence than ever - and the problem is becoming so large that increasing numbers of women... Read more

NI pilots panic rooms

27th December 2007

Solicitors in Northern Ireland may see many cases of domestic violence averted as the province is to trial the use of 'panic rooms'.As shown in the film of the same... Read more

Lists of assets help divorcing couples

17th December 2007

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland find it much easier to sort out assets splits where full a list of what is shared has been made, but now experts say... Read more

Share-to-buy 'a lifeline' for divorcees

28th November 2007

Solicitors in Northern Ireland who help in divorce cases may see the same clients returning for share-to-buy house purchases, as the trend increases among those who would otherwise struggle to... Read more

Northern Ireland urged to focus on divorce rates

2nd November 2007

There should be investment in children in Northern Ireland to help combat divorce rates and teenage pregnancies, one expert will tell the Northern Ireland Assembly today. Solicitors in Northern Ireland... Read more

New child maintenance system looks promising

25th October 2007

The latest figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions show early signs that the new system of securing child maintenance payments may be working.With an increase in population,... Read more

Widow forced to settle with husband's ex-wife

11th October 2007

Solicitors in Northern Ireland will have watched an unusual case with interest, as a woman whose husband died only hours after they married has been forced to pay £100,000 to... Read more

Life changes fuel endowment sales

9th October 2007

New research has shown that the most common reasons for selling an endowment policy in Northern Ireland are those which involve solicitors.According to aap, the endowment policy company, divorce settlements... Read more

Judge calls for assets split review

1st October 2007

Solicitors could see a change in divorce law after the most senior family judge in Britain and Northern Ireland has said that the law on assets splits should be reviewed.Sir... Read more

More divorce in Northern Ireland

5th September 2007

While the number of divorces in England and Wales dropped by 6.5 per cent in 2006, solicitors in Northern Ireland had to deal with nine per cent more divorces last... Read more

Children could benefit from cohabitee laws

7th August 2007

Solicitors have said that children of unmarried couples who separate could benefit from proposed changes to the law, which would allow cohabitees in Britain and Northern Ireland similar legal status... Read more

Cohabitees 'should' enjoy new rights

1st August 2007

The Law Commission has recommended that people who have cohabited and then split up should be given the same rights as married couples who divorce.If implemented, it could mean that... Read more

Domestic violence campaign hits NI streets

25th July 2007

More victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland may be persuaded to visit their solicitors ad make their case known as a new campaign has just been launched by the... Read more

Divorcee must pay for ex's debts

20th July 2007

In the second case of its kind, divorcee Vivienne Avis may be forced to sell the home she has lived in for over 20 years due to the bankruptcy of... Read more

Northern Ireland unveils new domestic violence campaign

18th July 2007

Police in Northern Ireland are stepping up their efforts to tackle domestic violence, in a bid to encourage more people to report such incidents.The initiative will run for two weeks... Read more

Love not legally binding

13th July 2007

With the trend for people in love to live together and even have children without being married increasing, it is vital that people get their financial arrangements sorted out through... Read more

Children should be in on proceedings

2nd July 2007

Lord Justice Wilson, a senior judge in family law who sits in the Court of Appeal, has said that children should be included in legal proceedings so they can understand... Read more

Father jailed for CSA breach

27th June 2007

A solicitor has been imprisoned for failing to pay child support to his ex-wife for their three children, despite the fact that he looked after his sons half the time.Michael... Read more

Partners get 'divorcee' rights

12th June 2007

Cohabiters who separate are due to be granted similar rights to married couples who divorce, according to the Times.The new plans, which will be published next month, will mean that... Read more

DWP to enforce maintenance payments

7th June 2007

With solicitors in Britain and Northern Ireland having to deal with an ever-increasing number of divorces, new legislation may mean that separated parents do not have to chase each other... Read more

Unmarried adoption bid quashed

5th June 2007

The Lord Chief Justice has quashed a bid by an unmarried couple to overturn the law banning those who are not wed to adopt children, the Belfast Telegraph reports.At the... Read more

More laws than ever during Blair years

4th June 2007

Solicitors in Britain and Northern Ireland will have had their work cut out for them over the past decade as statistics show that Tony Blair has passed a record number... Read more

More people waiting to get wed

29th May 2007

People in Northern Ireland are getting married older, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.While in 1996 only 28 per cent of brides were aged thirty or... Read more

Improvements to custody service that is failing fathers

23rd May 2007

Judges are being given new powers to impose community service orders and fines when contact orders are breached by resident parents in custody cases.From October 2007 the new legislation will... Read more

Solicitors seeing more unusual cases

14th May 2007

Around two million people seek legal advice a year and although some cases will always be in a solicitor's daily remit, people are increasingly seeking advice for more unusual matters.According... Read more

Concerns over domestic violence changes

11th May 2007

It has been claimed that changes to the domestic violence laws of Britain and Northern Ireland could make the problem worse.Solicitors across the country often report low numbers of domestic... Read more

Divorcees may fund ex's debts

10th May 2007

An unprecedented decision yesterday ruled that a divorcee would have to fund creditors when her ex-husband was declared bankrupt, the Times reports.Solicitors have predicted an influx of trustees in bankruptcy... Read more

Landmark judgement on common-law couple

26th April 2007

Solicitors across Britain and Northern Ireland will have been paying close attention to the case of Mr Stack v Ms Dowden, as judges ruled that the unmarried couple should have... Read more

More divorces due to infidelity

24th April 2007

Adultery was cited as the leading cause for divorce last year, accounting for 32 per cent of all splits, up from 29 per cent in 2005, according to a new... Read more

Splits cause pressure on housing market

3rd April 2007

High divorce statistics and reduced marriage rates mean that an increasing number of people are living alone, adding pressure to prices in the housing market, according to the latest reports.Mortgage... Read more

IFA shows domestic violence the red card

26th March 2007

The Irish Football Association has announced that it is backing a campaign to end domestic violence against women after it was revealed that there was a 90 per cent rise... Read more

Divorce 'costs £28k'

20th March 2007

New research has suggested that the average cost of divorce in Britain and Northern Ireland now stands at £28,000.According to figures released by insurance provider Norwich Union, solicitors are seeing... Read more

Divorce 'really can cost the earth'

19th March 2007

As the UK continues to see more celebrity and big-money divorces, ordinary couples are being given some advice on how to manage their finances in the event of a break-up.Divorce... Read more

'No fault' divorces mooted

12th March 2007

Solicitors in the UK are calling for the development of no fault liability in divorce cases.A lawyers' group has suggested that a 'no fault' divorce system should be introduced into... Read more

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