• When to go to back to court regarding maintenance

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    A maintenance order is part of the outcome in many divorce cases. These maintenance orders can be time limited, or they can continue during the joint lives of the former spouses until an event, such as the receiving party’s remarriage, terminates the payments.   Whilst these payments are initially ordered on a “joint lives” basis, maintenance orders are always capable of being reviewed and varied. Over the past two years, there has been a significant shift in judicial thinking when it comes to maintenance orders. A joint lives order was almost a certainty for an economically weaker party divorcing in …

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  • How the changes in pension drawdown rules might affect you

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    The changes in the pension drawdown rules earlier this year have been well-publicised.  As from April 2015 a person aged 55 or over has the option to draw a tax free lump sum of up to 25% of the value of their pension. While this gives the person holding the pension more flexibility it can have adverse consequences for their spouse in divorce.   There is now a risk that a spouse who reaches the age of 55, prior to a final Financial Order being made, could withdraw 25% of the value of their pension in an attempt to dissipate …

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  • Are we heading towards no-fault divorces?

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    At present, the law sets out the circumstances in which a divorce can be obtained.  If a couple wishing to divorce would like to do so without apportioning blame against one another, the current law requires them to wait for a period of two years before they can proceed.  If they do not want to wait that long, then one of them will need to cite another reason for the divorce – usually either adultery or unreasonable behaviour.   The apportioning of blame can make an already difficult process much harder.  An element of unpleasantness can be introduced at a …

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  • New Research Highlights Diversity Of British Families

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    Research carried out by Netmums shows that 60% of British families have married parents with their own biological children. Therefore 40% of families are made up of different structures.   The research shows that there are 35 different types of families recognised in Britain today: 20% of families have unmarried parents 10% have a single parent 1 in 111 families are headed by gay, bisexual or transgendered parents 6% of families have biological and step-children living together   At Family LawAssociates, we advise and assist all kinds of families with a wide range of issues which may be affecting them. …

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