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...
If you’ve seen the film, you’ll know the words: "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get". How true that is - good or bad, none of us really know what’s around the corner. We...
It’s that time of year again, the John Lewis ad has melted the nation’s hearts and the festive season is firmly underway. But for some parents, it’s not all yuletide greetings and HoHoHo! For those who are separated or divorced, amicably...
In Celebrity Cohabitation News... …and only days after she talked of marriage and baby No.2 being on the cards in the future. OK, it’s a fair cop, it’s fake news - we made it up to get your attention (but for good reason, keep reading). ...
Too young, too busy, too broke Regardless of whether you’re one of the Millennial, Generation Z or even Generation X brigade, these are just some of the reasons that over 50%* of people the UK don’t have a will. A staggering 68%* of this...
Business is booming According to the Institute for Family Business, we have over 4.7million family-owned businesses here in the UK and with new research by cloud accounting software provider FreeAgent revealing an estimated 1.4 million of these...
Soulmate found! Whether you were an obsessed fan or not, you can’t have missed hearing about this summer’s TV hit and arguably everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure, ITV2’s reality-show Love Island . The nation has been hooked...
You’ve been looking for ages and you’ve finally found it – your dream house, the next chapter, happy days… so what happens next? Now that you can give the Conveyancing Process the green light, it’s time to get serious. Buying...
You’d imagine not, in this day and age, but some would argue that discrimination does still exist for certain couples in the UK. Marriage Equality Not long ago, it was widely recognised that marriage discriminated against same sex couples ...
As we approach Easter, it’s got me thinking. At this time of year children are getting excited about the Easter Bunny and chocolate egg hunts, and some of the religious among us are preparing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, of His resurrection...
…for those without a commercial Lasting Power of Attorney. “It’ll never happen to me” …and that’s what a lot of us think, but sadly accidents do happen. All the time and often out of the blue....
Mediation is a commonly misunderstood word in the legal world. The biggest misconception being that mediation can help you mend your relationship, a bit like counselling. The simple answer is, it cannot. It’s not a method for reconciliation but one...
As we fast approach February 14th, Spring is on the horizon and love is in the air. Along with Christmas and New Year, Valentine’s Day is considered one of the most romantic times to pop the question and, according to the Chillisauce Marriage...
It’s that time of year again. January - the month named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions, and a time generally associated with rebirth, renewal and resolutions. And as we reflect on the previous 12 months, our attention turns to how...
…financial stress, marital strain & domestic abuse. As wonderful as Christmas is for the vast majority, existing marital problems combined with financial stress and playing happy families together can put some relationships under extreme...
...this year, I'm giving you my will! OK, so it doesn’t roll off the tongue in the same way as the Wham! classic (at all!) and it might sound a bit gloomy, but take a moment and think about it. It’s the thought that counts That’s...
“Brangelina” split throws co-parenting into the spotlight again Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their rainbow family once looked like the picture perfect family, with the world seemingly following every harmonious collaborative move they made. ...
… how can summer stress can push a relationship over the edge? As the sun sets on summertime, September is fast becoming the top month to divorce. Over recent years divorce lawyers and relationship counsellors have noted a surge in...
Technology, the internet and online services have revolutionised the world as we know it and transformed the way we live on a daily basis – how we make friends, keep in touch with the world, find love, socialise, entertain ourselves, learn, shop, pay...
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 - the joyful sound of your...
In years to come, we could be looking back on 2016 as a landmark moment, the year the legal sector’s recruitment landscape changed. The traditional route to law Historically, if you wanted to become a solicitor, the traditional route...
Consider this: you need to go to court for custody of your children following the breakdown of your marriage; you aren’t eligible for legal aid but nor can you afford a solicitor …what are your options? Well, you can either represent...
Bold Action After chancellor George Osborne yesterday pledged to continue taking ‘bold action’ on home ownership, The Law Society Gazette asked the question: could conveyancers be in for more stamp duty shocks when the government plans to...
Civil partnership equality, and the question of its relevance and importance, has been all over the news recently. Legal Fight A heterosexual couple have taken their legal fight to enter into a civil partnership rather than a marriage to the high...
Shock announcement In November 2015, the BBC reported on the curve ball that property investors were thrown in George Osborne’s Autumn Statement : Buy-to-let landlords and people buying second homes will soon have to pay more in stamp duty, the...
The BBC has recently reported on the new domestic violence law that could see perpetrators jailed for up to 5 years . Effective from December 2015, the legislation targets ‘coercive and controlling’ behaviour: The Crown Prosecution Service...
The Festive Pressure Cooker There’s no ‘bah humbug’ about it – it’s a well-known fact that, historically, the Christmas holiday and all its trimmings can create astronomical tension and unease in families. The continuous...
Magic or Misery? For many children, Christmas is the most magical time of the year. And, as a parent, there’s nothing more wonderful than soaking up their joy and excitement during the build-up, on the day itself and throughout the festive break. ...
Divided Opinion In the US of A, where most things are arguably bigger, bolder and better, prenups are often the norm and simply considered to be sensible planning, much like an insurance policy. But across the pond, here in the UK, if we even hear the word...
Along with bats being blind, Vikings having had horns on their helmets and you never being more than 6ft away from a rat, the ‘common law marriage’ could arguably be one of the biggest urban myths around. Real or no real? Despite living in an...
Because a pre-nup is much more than a Kanye West lyric!
So you have your will and that ticks those boxes, yes? But what about ‘change’? In today’s society, the good news is that we’re all living longer and, in doing so, the opportunity for significant ‘change’ in our lives is...
It has recently been reported across the media a case which most people may find astonishing to read and accept: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-31832392 This is a case where an ex-wife could look to receive a financial pay out after...
We lawyers and lawyer mediators are notorious for talking in lawyer speak, forgetting the vast majority of people want plain speak. How many know what mediation is? When I started to mediate I found:- Many clients thought I would help them get back...
Over the past 9 years the economy has struggled and in line with this many businesses have either folded or had to make significant staffing cuts in order to survive. We recently had a case where an employee was being made redundant after 10 years of...
What is a Forced Marriage? A forced marriage is “a marriage that takes place without the full and free consent of both parties”. It is not the same as an arranged marriage where the families take the lead in selecting a marriage partner but the...
If you haven’t made your Lasting Power of Attorney yet, now is the ideal time to do so. We can help you prepare Lasting Powers of Attorney, both in relation to Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare. By putting these in...
According to the findings in March 2014 from the Office for National Statistics, “In 2011, 12% of adults living in households in England and Wales were living as part of a cohabiting couple”. This has increased from 9.8% in 2001. According to...
The schemes set up to deal with child maintenance for separated parents have been previously referred to as the Child Support Agency (CSA) and the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) with the Child Maintenance Options (CMO) scheme that was...
There has been numerous celebrity divorces that have been mentioned in the media recently, which always refer to “quickie divorces” that take just a few seconds to grant and then the marriage is over. Examples of recent articles we have come...
