With the festive season in the rear-view mirror and the new year ahead, many couples find themselves reflecting on their relationships. For some, the ever-mounting pressure during the holidays serves as a trigger point in an already fragile and struggling...
Christmas is meant to be a time of joy, family, and celebration — but for some children, the festive season can bring increased risk rather than comfort. Recent research from the NSPCC reveals that two thirds of UK adults believe the risk of child...
As a specialist Wills, Trust & Probate solicitor , I regularly see how unexpected tax changes can affect families — often years after plans were first put in place. One upcoming change in particular is something every business owner should be...
On 21st October 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his intention to “ take presumption of contact out of law. ” At SH&Co. Family Law, Director Nicola Deakin explains what this potential change could mean for parents,...
The What – What is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)? A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a vital legal document that lets you choose a person (or several people) you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so yourself in...
When couples separate, it’s often an emotional and stressful time. Trust and communication can easily break down, making it much harder to reach an agreement about the children — and that’s where legal guidance can make a real difference. ...
Once you have reached an agreement about your finances and property during your divorce you should consider making this legally binding. To do this you will need to draft a consent order with the help of a solicitor and ask the court to approve it. If your...
A freezing order, also known as a freezing injunction, is a temporary injunction issued by the court to prevent one party from disposing or dealing with their assets. In divorce or dissolution cases, it is often used by the applicant to prevent the...
This week is Good Divorce Week – a time to spotlight the need for better support for families going through separation. For some couples, litigation may well be the only way for them to resolve their dispute, but far too many families going through...
If you are considering getting a divorce you may be wondering whether your business will be factored into divorce proceedings. As a starting point, a business is treated as an asset when you get a divorce. If you have an interest in a business, then it will...
If you are considering getting a divorce, you may be looking to understand more about the process, especially as it has changed in recent years. The law on divorce changed in April 2022, when no-fault divorce replaced the old divorce process. No-fault...
Financial disclosure during divorce or separation involves providing detailed information about your financial situation, including your assets, resources, and future financial requirements. Typically, this information is exchanged between you and your...
When a relationship ends, the hardest part is often working out what happens with the children. As parents, naturally you’ll both want the very best for them — but things can become especially worrying if one parent wants to move away, whether...
Selling your home can be an emotional process. For some, it’s the excitement of moving on to a new chapter; for others, it’s saying goodbye to a place full of memories. Whatever your reason, one thing’s for sure — you want the process...
Buying a home is one of life’s biggest milestones. It’s exciting — but let’s be honest, it can also feel a little overwhelming. There are contracts to read, forms to fill in, and deadlines to meet. For most people, it’s the...
Divorce is rarely easy... ... but recent updates to divorce laws in England aim to make the process smoother, clearer, and fairer - especially for children. With no-fault divorce now fixed in place, 2025 brings even more changes that focus on...
Bezos: Third Wealthiest, Second Marriage, First Prenup As the world’s third richest man (behind Elon and Mark Zuckerberg, natch) recently married for the second time, the media has been full of complex ‘airtight’ prenup details. ...
Question: What does the loch ness monster, quickie divorces , bulls getting angry when seeing red and common law marriage have in common? (it’s not a joke!) Answer*: They all hail from the land of poppycock! At Susan Howarth...
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...
