Family blog posts

No Fault Divorce Family lawyers up and down the country were pleased to hear that the no fault divorce bill has finally been approved by parliament. The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill concluded its passage through the House of Commons on 17 June 2020. A...
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We have previously published blogs about the much-anticipated Domestic Abuse Bill (November 2018, January 2019 and September 2019) and here we are in June 2020 and progress in bringing this much needed legislation into law has been frustratingly slow. The Government...
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Our Managing Partner, Elspeth Thomson spoke with The House of Commons this morning (4 May 2020) about family law during COVID-19. Elspeth is a National Committee member and co-chair of the Legal Aid Committee for Resolution, the national body for family lawyers....
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Family lawyers were scheduled to gather last month to hear about developments to the family arbitration scheme. Social distancing rules meant that could not happen and instead the launch of the change to the scheme took place via Zoom on 27 April 2020. Sir Andrew...
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Update 29 April 2020 The video below explains first hand how the family court is running remote hearings: As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, lots of family courts are now closed in order to follow Government guidance and stop the spread of the virus. Some court...
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Where does the Government’s advice to self-isolate and lockdown leave survivors of domestic abuse? 4 June 2020 Leaving the house in lockdown There has been much debate in the media recently about whether Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s chief political adviser,...
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My children are in foster care – can I still have contact/family time during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown? The North East local authorities (Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham) have issued the following...
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Update: 25 March 2020 Children, contact and Coronavirus The government’s announcement on the evening of the 23rd March was clear: only leave the house unless you absolutely need to. However, a question for many separated parents will inevitably be, what does this mean...
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Valentine’s Day is upon us; supposedly one of the most romantic days of the year.  We are also in a Leap Year – according to an old Irish Legend, this is the day when women can propose to men. February may, therefore, lead to more engagements and plans to marry than...
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A name is something, that for many people is a key part of their identity and illustrates their connection to loved ones. However, there are many reasons why a person may wish to change their name. A person may wish to change their name to symbolise a new chapter of...
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