Mediation and arbitration are two key processes used to help resolve family situations out of court. Whilst these processes are polar opposites, they can complement each other and are often best approached in tandem.
What is Arbitration?
Arbitration is best described as private law and involves you and your former partner choosing a third-party arbitrator,…

A new year and a new start – for many parents with young children the date of 15 January 2023 will be etched into their minds as the deadline to submit their applications to the Local Authority for which primary school they would like their children to attend.
Deciding which school to send your children…

‘Ground Rules hearing’ when domestic abuse has been raised in a financial remedy case – participation directions
If domestic abuse is raised in a financial remedy case, the solicitor should consider if the victim’s ability to participate fully in the proceedings has been impacted.  If the victim has been subjected to many years of abuse,…

Coercive and controlling behaviour and the family court
 The selected cases in Part II demonstrated how extreme cases of domestic abuse held as gross and obvious personal misconduct such as attempted murder, are likely to be accepted as conduct and have an impact upon the overall financial settlement.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021, includes coercive…

How an abusive party might conduct themselves in financial remedy case and signs of domestic abuse before the court
Following the long awaited definition of domestic abuse provided by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the issue of how coercive controlling behaviour and domestic abuse in all its forms is considered by the family court in…

The Definition of Domestic Abuse
In Children Act cases, solicitors will routinely advise when domestic abuse will be an active issue for the court to adjudicate upon before reaching an overall decision for child arrangements. However, such advice is not so forthcoming when dealing with financial remedy application following the breakdown in a marriage or…

The procedure to apply for a parental order
A surrogacy arrangement is the practice whereby a woman carries a child for another person with the intention that the child should be handed over at birth to the commissioning couple or party and raised as theirs.
Surrogacy in the UK is governed by the Surrogacy Arrangements…