A specific issue order answers a specific question in relation to a child. The Children Act defines a specific issue order as an order giving directions for the purpose of determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise,…
Domestic abuse and divorce
I have written before about the tendency of the family law system to divide areas of life into discrete boxes. If you have engaged a solicitor to help with divorce, financial and children issues, you may well find that this…
What is a child arrangements order?
The French Senate passed an amendment last week providing that on relationship breakdown there is now a presumption that there will be shared care of the children from that relationship. If a judge makes an order other than shared residence…
What is parental responsibility?
“Who has parental responsibility for this child?” is a question which often pops up on forms that you fill out for your child, whether at school or at the doctors. Courts are sometimes required to make a decision about this…
The international posting: expat divorces
I was interested to read recently that the wonderful scientists of Oxford University have located a molecule in the human body which acts as a brake, delaying adjustment to new time zones. It is called SIK1. As a result of…
What are my rights when divorcing?
It is entirely understandable that people seek an answer to the question “what are my rights?” when entering a divorce process. Rights in this context are about entitlement, and what that individual is entitled to. So what are you entitled…
The UK divorce rate: who is divorcing and why
I have attached below the figures produced by the UK Office of National Statistics, which is the recognised UK national statistical institute. The UK divorce rate statistics included in this table deal with divorces for the calender year 2011. The…
Did you know the gender of your first born child affects the likelihood of divorce?
Parents of first born girls are significantly more likely to divorce than parents of first born sons. The probability that a first marriage with a first born daughter will end in divorce is 2.2% higher than for a first marriage…
Can I keep the house or will I be forced to sell after divorce?
To enable anyone to answer the question “Can I keep the house or will I be forced to sell after divorce?” for you, you will need to be able to give them a broad idea about what your total “asset…
Contact disputes and court orders
In my earlier post “What is shared residence?” I looked at how residence disputes focus on whether a child should reside with one parent, and spend time with the other parent, or reside with both parents. It is not the…