As kids are lining up for A Minecraft Movie this Easter, many families are making the most of fun days out together in the sun. But if you've recently gone through a separation or divorce, co-parenting might feel like a bit of a challenge—almost...
The good times and the bad times Life is a funny old business, full of ups and downs and with many a curveball thrown in when you least expect it. You might be planning your wedding, buying your dream home or making a will to provide for your children....
What is Stamp Duty Land Tax? Stamp Duty Land Tax, commonly known as SDLT, is a tax on property and land purchases in England. This is a tax is levied by H M Revenue and Customs (HMRC). You pay the tax when you: buy a...
Now you can give the Conveyancing Process the green light You’ve finally found it. The perfect house, the next chapter, the one… so what happens next? It’s time to get serious. Buying and/or selling a house is one of the biggest...
Domestic abuse can affect anyone... ... even the rich and famous – there are countless examples of celebrities, actors, rappers, musicians and sports stars arrested for domestic violence. The widely publicised cases of Chris Brown, Mel Gibson,...
It has never been more important to consider our digital assets when planning for the future. In a world where we are increasingly reliant on cloud accounts to store our data and information and where our transactions and interactions are increasingly...
In her words: Lisa's Survivor Story* It’s a love story: Girl meets boy, they fall in love, they live happily ever after. Except it doesn’t always happen that way, does it? Yes, I met a man and fell in love. We got married and we had three...
Holidays are no excuse for Domestic Abuse Each year both national and local domestic abuse charities, police forces and counsels run campaigns warning of the sadly predictable rise in instances of domestic abuse during the Christmas break. News outlets...
Gaslighting and Mental Health For those of us who are old enough, we will remember watching the movie Gaslight as a child with our parents/grandparents, the movie was a psychological thriller about a young woman whose husband slowly manipulates her...
LPAs are more important than a will In an episode of The Martin Lewis Money Show earlier this year, the MoneySavingExpert.com founder himself stressed the importance of having a Lasting Power of Attorney. Having had his POA since his thirties, Martin...
With the shops starting to fill up with Christmas chocolate, mulled wine and bucks fizz, we cannot miss the fact that Christmas is fast approaching. For children whose parents are no longer living together, it is important to think ahead and begin...
In her words: Stella's Story Does a leopard change its spots? If I could send myself 10 years back in time and be the outside looking in, I would be wanting to shake that woman and ask her ‘ Why? ’ - Why would I allow myself to go...
Considering a winter house move? Or new year, new house perhaps? It’s widely known that putting your property on the market at the beginning of the year can attract high levels of interest and help you get a head start on the competition. And with...
More than the holiday blues: domestic abuse & children Although the summer holidays seem a dim and distant memory, at this time of year we often see an increase in domestic abuse that has been fuelled by money worries, excessive alcohol consumption and...
You don’t know what goes on behind closed doors When talking about domestic abuse, I typically find that people assume only women can be victims. This is not true. Whilst statistically the majority of cases involve a female ‘victim’ and...
… and we’re not talking the banana kind! Hot on the heels of the shock end to Kevin Costner and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s respective 18-year marriages, Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, America’s Got Talent) has...
Summer lovin’ or summer stress? For many of us, it’s hard to imagine summertime conjuring up anything other than images of long sunny days, fun-packed family outings, lazy afternoons and picnics in the park. But if you’re divorced or...
…. being ‘the only things certain in life’ ? Perhaps he was, but we’d like to throw ‘change’ into the mix. When talking death and taxes, you’d be forgiven for thinking that your will ticks those boxes, yes? But...
As we cautiously look forward to a Christmas spent with loved ones this year, we’re coping with the current Plan A measures and waiting with baited breath for rumoured Plan B or C restrictions to be imposed. And despite it being a magical time of year...
Life’s ups and downs Working in the legal sector means we really do see people through the good times and the bad. And this last 18-months has been an eye-opener! Thanks to the global pandemic, weddings have been postponed , moving house was well...
Good News Despite being pushed back to Spring next year , the long-awaited Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill 2020, which introduces ‘no fault’ divorces into England and Wales for the first time, is due to come into law on April 6...
Is the end of the Covid cooker in sight? The last 18 months have really taken their toll on families, causing stress and dividing many, regardless of whether they’re living together or apart, nearby or far away. Isolation, shielding, quarantining,...
The ‘unprecedented’ year As we head towards Christmas checking what we can and can’t do in our tiers and confirming our Christmas bubbles, we can’t help but look back at this strange and dark year. Who could have predicted it? 2020...
Short term savings, long term pain Historically, many people have put off writing a will for fear of the costs involved but more recently the cheaper alternative option of the DIY will has emerged as a growing trend. These wills are readily available via...
What the statistics say The current pandemic has a lot to answer for. Earlier this year, divorce rates were noted to be soaring in China and the US following the coronavirus outbreak, and since the UK lockdown began in March this year, at...
Divorce law shake-up Following more than 20 years of ‘consideration’, the UK has finally caught up with countries such as the US, Australia and Scotland by introducing the new legal concept of a ‘no-fault divorce’. Under the...
Restrictions fight illness but fuel domestic abuse The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to take drastic measures in an effort to fight the disease and minimise the spread of infection. Lockdowns, self-isolation and social distancing have resulted in...
Life, but not as we know it We live in unprecedented times. Anxious times. Strange, dark and difficult times. Pandemic, social distancing, isolation, lockdown, ‘essentials only’, PPE, homeschool, furlough - these are the words we have come to...
Sweetness or Sadness? Love it or loathe it, Valentine’s day came and went this year as it always does – with the usual commercial assault of hearts and flowers, hugs and kisses, cupid, chocolates and cuddly bears! What came a surprise though,...
Now and then… Heard about last year’s social media ’10-Year Challenge’ trend? If you’re not ‘in the know’, the craze, also known as “glow-up challenge”, "2009 vs 2019" or "How Hard Did...
Ruins not Romance Love it or hate it, there’s no avoiding it… Christmas is here again! And yes, some of us might be all tinsel and baubles, glowing with excitement to share it with a cherished partner. But for others, the ongoing build-up of...
A row over curtains Earlier this year, a businessman and his interior designer ex-wife ran up £1million in lawyers’ bills over property and furnishings alone in their divorce case – with a judge needing to step in and rule on who should...
Bargain Hunters Beware We all love a good bargain! Whether it’s hitting the sales, a steal on eBay or raiding the reduced section at your local supermarket, nothing beats that feel-good ‘win’! And there’s no doubt that the old...
Summer vibes or summer blues? It’s that time of year again – the kids have broken up from school, you’ve got 6 weeks to entertain them, a job to juggle and a holiday to cram in. So, are we all ‘party tummy’ at the prospect...
It’s over, but what happens next? As most of us can testify, the breakdown of any relationship is a painful experience for the couple and their children, and it’s frequently an emotional and exhausting process. Couples can struggle to agree...
Death unites the soaps again… We all love a meaty storyline, but there sure is a morbid thread linking our favourite soaps at the moment. What with Dinah in EastEnders, Liz Dingle in Emmerdale and rumour of a popular character soon to croak in...
New Life Spring has finally sprung and it’s a lighter, warmer place full of new life - as we put those cold, grey drizzly winter months behind us, we find ourselves looking ahead with promise. Divorce can feel a bit like this. And if you’re...
Media Madness We live in crazy times. Almost 3 years after the country voted to leave the EU, the Brexit process continues to drag on and with no deal on the table, emotions are running high across the nation: anger, embarrassment, frustration,...
Pampered pet In the wake of fashion industry icon Karl Lagerfield’s death , his beloved pet cat is reportedly set to inherit a significant chunk of the Chanel Creative Director’s £150million fortune . In an interview with French...
As another new year rolls round again, many of us are looking to make life changes, often following the festive indulgences. Diets and detox top this list but it might surprise you that divorce applications are up there too. January signifies a new year...
Magical mayhem! It the same story every year. As we hurtle towards Christmas and the craziness ramps up, the adrenalin is pumping and the stress levels start soaring. The tree, the decorating, the presents, the wrapping, the delivering, the turkey, the...
Whether it’s the KFC mutated chicken, the earth being flat or goldfish having a 3-second memory, we all love a good old urban myth – y’know, the kind of legend that spreads by word of mouth for its comedy or shock value. The legal world is...
4 out of 10 young adults still can’t afford to buy a house New research by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has shown that 4 out of 10 young people cannot afford to buy one of the cheapest homes in their area with a 10% deposit, let...
Rare divorce case highlights the need for reform The final ruling in what’s been described as the most significant divorce case of the century has not only caused devastation and one party ‘unable to move forward with their...
... before it’s too late. FACT: 1 in 3 will develop dementia Dementia might not be the most jovial of topics - thinking or talking about it, let alone planning ahead for its possibility by means of a lasting power of attorney (LPA), makes a lot of us...
Football Fever As World Cup fever grips the country, many of us look forward to supporting the England squad throughout the tournament – enjoying the hot weather with barbeques and cold beers, eagerly awaiting each game whilst keeping our fingers...
The Royal Wedding - the knot was tied but was a prenup signed? It was arguably the wedding of the year: a British Prince and an American actress, a real-life fairytale. And although this is Meghan Markle’s second marriage, if we’re...
Children come first For many of us, our kids are the apple of our eye, our pride and joy - and how we feel about them doesn’t change as they become adults and maybe go on to have families of their own. Our own personal relationships may come and go -...
March is notorious for being a changeable month in terms of the weather, with the phrase ‘in like a lion, out like a lamb’ describing the stormy start of the month we often see, and the subsequent calming as we enter April. And then we have a...
Valentine’s Day: the final straw Every year, from 1st January onwards, we get Valentine’s Day coming at us from every direction. Wherever you look it’s Hallmark-heaven, with hearts, flowers, chocolates and cuddly toys thrust in our...
