If you follow the news you will see a lot of details coming out of celebrity divorces such as the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case, much of which tends to make you quite glad not to be a celebrity yourself to be honest. You may ask yourself “why are we allowed to see details […]
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill has not quite finished its Parliamentary journey but if the House of Lords deal with the final amendment swiftly, it will then move on for Royal assent. It seems very likely that the final stages will pass without any major hiccups. Interestingly the Lord Chancellor told MPs that the […]
“Family Lawyer says there is no such thing as a quickie divorce!” was a line from a media article about the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill currently making its way through Parliament. It is true but the media seems obsessed with the use of ‘quickie divorce’, particularly around celebrities, as though they have access to […]
Here’s a surprising thing. If you are getting divorced the courts don’t care about who was the better spouse and the reasons driving you to separate will be of no interest to them. That’s a nasty shock to many people who initially regard the legal process as a chance to seek revenge. You may think […]
We are delighted to report that Bethany Rickerby of rhw’s family team has passed the Higher Rights Civil Advocacy Assessment. This allows Bethany to offer advocacy services up to the High Court and use the title of Solicitor Advocate. Many congratulations to Bethany on this accomplishment. If you require family law advice please call 01483 […]
An article on the BBC news website posted on the 20th February 2020 had the headline that Women are most likely to be killed by their partner or ex. This striking and disturbing article is well worth a read. The staggering statistics are that in 2018 alone, over half (61%) of women in the UK […]
Having made it past Blue Monday, (this year, 20th January 2020 was alleged to be that day!), some couples may still find themselves considering a divorce. The period directly after Christmas and through to the end of February often results in one of the highest influx of divorce requests during the year. Whilst divorce may […]
In a day and age where life throws its everyday challenges at us, it is safe to say that most of us want someone in our lives to be able to share those daily triumphs and tribulations with. Dare I say it, we want our own real-life version of a fairy-tale love that Walt Disney […]
Put yourself into this scenario: You have gone as far as you can with your marriage and you want a divorce. You want to get it done, without fuss and delay, and you want to spend as little money as you can. You therefore look online and see websites offering an online divorce service. Some […]
Why is the 2nd December 2019 significant? Well, on the 15th March 2019 the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Bill completed its passage through the Houses of Parliament. The Bill received Royal Assent on 26th March 2019 and came into force on 26th May 2019. The reason the 2nd December is relevant to […]
There are a number of boutique/niche law firms (as well as some very large law firms), who position themselves as the champions of the very wealthy when it comes to dealing with family law and divorce matters. rhw often find ourselves representing clients who have former partners that have instructed one of those types of […]
Individual people have very different attitudes as to how they approach a divorce. Some clients want to know about every single aspect of the legal process, others just want their solicitor to get on with it, whilst a few are surprisingly relaxed about the whole thing. Adjusting to the way our clients want us to […]
It is a well-recognised fact among Family Law Teams that the period after the traditional summer holidays (usually July and August) sees a steep increase in inbound divorce enquiries. Yes, it can be a bit depressing to think that what should be a fun time has actually become the catalyst for a terminal split but […]
As is often the case in divorce proceedings that make national news, two exceedingly wealthy individuals, Sir Andrew Cook and Baroness Angelika Hirsch-Stronstorff, have recently ‘resolved’ their financial proceedings after what can only assumed to be “one hell of a bun fight”. Sir Andrew, the chairman of William Cook, and Baroness Hirsch-Stronstorff, an interior designer, […]
Statistics have shown that grandparents play a vital role in the upbringing of their grandchildren. One in three families rely on grandparents for child care. Sadly, it has been found that 42% of grandparents lose contact with grandchildren following separation. This article will discuss the steps that grandparents can take to maintain contact with their […]
Separated parents taking a child on holiday Taking your children on holiday, whether abroad or within the jurisdiction can prove to be a complicated process after separation. After all, whilst parents are together as a couple, it is simply a case of arranging travel, accommodation and shopping for holiday essentials (although we will all agree […]
rhw are holding a FREE Family Law Clinic at “SiGNAL” in Bordon on the afternoon of Wednesday 1st May 2019 between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. SiGNAL is the popular shared work-space venue in central Bordon. rhw’s clinic will be held in a quiet and very discreet room within the complex. Want to get your life back […]
Valentine’s Day, the invention of the insensitive no doubt. It reminds those who are single that they are – well – single. It reminds those who have been dumped that they have been – well – dumped. It reminds those who have been cheated on that their louse of an ex will be – well […]
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the World’s wealthiest man and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, a novelist, announced on the 9th of January 2019 that they were getting divorced after a period of “loving exploration”. The announcement has raised some eyebrows amongst fellow family practitioners and I’m sure that certain Washington State attorneys are delirious […]
Christmas is often projected in the media as being 100% fun and festive and for many it is. However, the truth for some people is often something a little less fun and is actually very stressful due to their domestic circumstances and/or finances. If you are having relationship issues already, the Christmas period can accentuate […]
For a case that generated so much interest, both with Family Lawyers and the general public, the end result of the infamous Owens case was a rather disappointing finale. Just to recap: Mrs Owens petitioned to dissolve her marriage on the basis of Mr Owens’ unreasonable behaviour. Mr Owens defend the allegations and, eventually, the […]
rhw are delighted to announce that our Family Law Team are now listed in the Legal 500! This demonstrates the level of commitment and dedication the team has shown over the past few years and the fact it has been recognised by those who spend their lives assessing this area of Law. If we can […]
The current divorce law dates back to 1973 and allows parties to get divorced on the ground that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and provided that they can prove one of the following facts: Adultery – one party being unfaithful with a member of the opposite sex in […]
Family-based arrangements are where child maintenance is agreed between the parties directly, as opposed to applying to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to agree payment arrangements. Recent research carried out by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that family-based arrangements are now more popular amongst the parties involved and more successful in terms […]
On Tuesday 24th April 2018 thousands of viewers across the Nation tuned in to watch the first episode of the new legal drama on BBC one, The Split. But for many of us in the legal profession, family lawyers in particular, it left us with a “splitting” headache after trying to digest some of the […]
We women are not always very good at showing one another the solidarity of sisterhood that perhaps we should. I give you an example. I was having birthday drinks with some friends recently when one of my friends piped up: “How do you feel about being a part time Mum Samantha?” I replied “What do […]
The case of Kim Waggott and William Waggott which was dubbed ‘the meal ticket for life’ has returned to court. Kim Waggott had been awarded £9.7m in the original financial proceedings, with £175,000 in annual maintenance payments for the rest of her life. However Mrs Waggott considered the deal an unfair one as she would […]
Just before my 17th birthday my parents separated. I remember the night well. I was sat in the dining room struggling my way through my sociology A-Level homework. I left the room to go for a break and as I passed the sitting room, where my parents were, I overheard my Mum say, “When are […]
Doctor Foster is addictive TV viewing. The first series focused on the discovery and effects caused by the betrayal of adultery and the second series on the aftermath of a bitter divorce. So to test your knowledge of family law, as portrayed in the series, which of the following statements are fact or fiction? Series […]
When on holiday recently I read a book by Sophie Kinsella called ‘The Wedding Night’. Yes, I know that some of you literary snobs will disapprove of my choice of books but before you judge me read on. The book focuses on two sisters; one who is going through a bitter divorce and the other […]
There is only one ground for divorce; the irretrievable breakdown of marriage. One of the most commonly used facts to prove that a marriage is beyond repair is unreasonable behaviour, and the petitioner must provide some examples of their spouse’s bad behaviour in the divorce petition. The behaviour must be such that the petitioner cannot […]
It has struck me that when you are planning a wedding or civil partnership ceremony no-one informs you that your legal rights are going to change as a consequence of the marriage. The time in which you are arranging your wedding or Civil Partnership, is a happy time. Many people will congratulate you on the […]
We are delighted to welcome Darren Francis to rhw’s growing Family Law team. Here is some background to Darren’s career and life thus far! Darren recently joined the RHW Family team after qualifying and practicing in a Legal 500 firm in London. He specialises in all areas of family and children law, including issues relating […]
Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld have challenged the Civil Partnership Act 2004 which states that “two people are not eligible to register as civil partners of each other if… they are not of the same sex“. Charles and Rebecca did not want to get “married” but there was no other option, and they believed this […]
rhw’s Family Law Facebook page is now live so you can keep up with our Family Law team on your favourite social media platform. It’s early days yet but please take a visit and if you like what you see please ‘Like’ our new Facebook page! rhw will be looking at launching more pages on […]
Many of you will be familiar with the Government’s proposals to make mediation compulsory for separating couples. Under the new rules, the spouse who initiates the case will first go to a professional mediator, who will be required to engage the other party in mediation and arrange a session - either together or individually. If […]