What happens if you have agreed to a spousal maintenance order, and a decade or two later, life has moved on for both of you, the children have left home, but you are still paying a joint lives order? Does…
Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Domestic Violence Protection Notices were introduced in 2014. Our work often overlaps with that of the police, particularly in the area of domestic abuse. Victims of domestic abuse may choose to pursue a non-criminal option…
The usual approach in cases involving children is that each side pays their own legal costs. In a case heard by the High Court last month*, Mr Justice Peter Jackson was asked to decide whether a 15 year old and…
How does a court deal with a situation where a child is manipulated by one parent into rejecting their other parent, otherwise known as parental alienation? A case came before the High Court in March, dealing with a 9 year old…
A significant number of our cases are heard at the Family Court in Milton Keynes. The Family Court in Milton Keynes is located on two neighbouring sites, in the magistrates court and the county court. The majority of children cases…
In the recent case of K v K*, a Husband and Wife proceeded through the usual steps of a financial application, and at final hearing an outcome was imposed on both parties by the judge. It subsequently transpired that Decree…
In June, the Family Court was asked to deal with the decision as to whether a child should continue to live with her father, or move to live with her mother instead. The court decided that the child should live…
The High Court recently dealt with a non-paying husband and father, imposing a suspended sentence of 14 days of imprisonment, after he refused to pay the amount he had previously agreed to pay in child maintenance and towards legal fees.…
There is an element of “crystal ball gazing” when determining any spousal maintenance order. A court may have to decide upon a person’s likely future earning capacity, and estimate the income needs of two parties. The Court of Appeal however…
We would like to tackle five common myths about spousal maintenance for you: My spousal maintenance payments are fixed for life Spousal maintenance is variable. Either party can apply to the court to vary the amount that is to be paid…