New child maintenance powers to protect victims of domestic abuse
The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill received Royal Assent on 29 June 2023. Receiving Royal Assent means it is now a part of our law. You can access the Act here: Child Support…
“Resolution” take on Compulsory Mediation
Resolution is an organisation with 6,500 members who are family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. The family lawyers at Blanchards Law are…
Pet Custody: How do you prove ownership?
A pet is part of our family, like our children. When parties separate, it could be a difficult decision as to who keeps the pet. If no agreement can be reached between two people, this will give rise…
The New Divorce Law vs Domestic Abuse
The landmark case of Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41 initiated drastic change in family law of England and Wales. As a result, new legislation came into force in April 2022. When filing for divorce, the…
Occupation Orders/Injunctions in Family Law
During the legal process of a divorce, or separation, there are many reasons why couples remain living under the same roof; normally financial. Life in the family home can become tense, stressful and…
Fact-finding hearings – where are we now?
As family law specialists, we are finding that in more and more cases concerning arrangements for children, much thought must surround any issues of domestic violence within the family and the…
Is Your Foreign Marriage Valid in England?
Nestled amongst the leafy green countryside of Berkshire, lies the suburban village of Bray, made famous by none other than the world-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal whose restaurant, The Fat Duck,…
Non-Molestation (injunctive) Orders
At Blanchards Law, we are accustomed to dealing with all aspects of relationship and family breakdowns. Sometimes, this relationship breakdown escalates from the quite normal tensions between the…
Contested Probate
Widow wins High Court challenge after husband leaves her out of his Will. I explored a recent case (Kaur v Estate of Karnail Singh & Ors [2023] EWHC 304) where the widow and her four daughters…
Schedule 1 under the Children Act – child maintenance ‘Top Up Orders’
At Blanchards Law we have come across many occasions whereby an imbalance of earnings between parents can severely affect the primary carer of the children, while the absent parent lives a far more…
