The family law case of the decade: White v White

As we bid farewell to the Noughties, I pose the question: which case of the past decade has had the greatest implications for family law and its practitioners?

Full post: Marilyn Stowe Blog

Top Ten Cases of 2009

Another annual tradition seems to be listing the top ten cases of the year. I'm not entirely sure of the point of such a list, but nevertheless here is my selection

Full post: Family Lore

Facebook Divorce

Thanks to @nickbilton for the RT of this story in The Telegraph about the number of online divorces citing facebook as a contributory factor.

Full post: Pink Tape

Surviving a Stepfamily Christmas

I must be moving up in the world: I haven’t dealt with a single last minute spat over who gets the kids on Christmas Day this year.

Full post: Pink Tape

Non-Resident Indians and International Child Abduction

It is now reported that, in a case alleging parental abduction of a young child from England to India, the Supreme Court of India has ruled in favor of the left-behind parent. Anurag Mittal v. Rachana Aggarwal, Case No. 20333/2009, Supreme Court of India.

Full post: International Family Law

Reporting the Reporter

I have a current bugbear, but don’t get me wrong: I don’t want to add to the mass of negativity surrounding the dread word ’social worker’. This post really only concerns the cases where the quality of s7 reports prepared by social workers in private proceedings falls far short of the expected standard.

Full post: Pink Tape

Christmas and the divorced man: is my client right?

One of my clients, a well known company lawyer, has his own theory about Christmas. He believes it is two unnecessary weeks off work, spent living “out of synch” with normality. He believes that Christmas is a “woman thing”.

Full post: Marilyn Stowe Blog

Facebook is bad for your marriage – research finds.

Facebook is bad for your marriage according to research carried out by an online divorce service in the United Kingdom.

Full post: Divorce-Online Blog

Money, money, money

As the American media (who are still allowed to report the matter) wait with baited breath to see whether a certain golfer will shortly be required to make the biggest divorce payout in history, we on this side of the Atlantic also have tales to tell of money and divorce, albeit involving more modest sums.

Full post: Family Lore

Shoddy journalism in “Tiger Woods drama” is driving me mad

The Telegraph are reporting that Elin Nordegren is going to start divorce proceedings against the world’s no.1 golfer in January.

Full post: Divorce-Online Blog

Re R: A warning to mothers

I think that the case of Re R (A Child), reported today on Bailii (and previously in the press), deserves some comment.

Full post: Family Lore

Family judges urged to speak out loud and clear

I was heartened this week to see a leading law figure call for the judiciary to speak out when they see something wrong with the legal system.

Full post: Family Law Blog

Parents charity braces itself for increase in calls over Christmas

Parentline Plus has found that during the festive season, their staff need to provide more support for parents who have split up or are planning to separate than at any other time of the year.

Full post: Divorce-Online Blog

Supreme Court’s first family law case demonstrates a child’s welfare is always paramount

The first family law case, B (a Child) [2009] UKSC 5, heard by the new Supreme Court ruled that a toddler should be brought up by his maternal grandmother, rather than his father, as it was in the child’s best interests.

Full post: Family Law at Lawson West LLP

Tory women are revolting

David Cameron has long made it clear that the party's policies should support marriage by tax advantages; perhaps like those that existed for many years?

Full post: Family Law Blog

Must Children Be in Two Places at Once This Christmas

The dilemma over with whom children spend Christmas morning taxes all too often Judges at this time of year, as separated and divorced parents fight over the date in the divorce courts.

Full post: Family Law Collaborative Divorce Blog

Appeasing the Media

Last week the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Oxford, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, published a Briefing Paper The Media and the Family Courts – key information and questions about the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Full post: Family Lore

Let's Keep Christmas a Family Affair

Does Christmas have to be a difficult time for a divorced family? Here are five suggestions that may ease the tension.

Full post: Family Law Collaborative Divorce

Can pre-nuptial agreements be varied?

Divorce solicitors are anticipating an increase in enquiries concerning pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements following media reports that Tiger Woods's wife is considering reviewing her pre-nuptial agreement.

Full post: Pannone Family Blog

Divorce with dignity is the way forward

Marilyn Stowe discusses the Smith v Smith case (in which her firm represented the successful husband), and the need for reform of the divorce law.

Full post: Marilyn Stowe Blog

Smith v Smith: Crossing the threshold

"The case of Smith v Smith [2009] EWCA Civ 1297, reported today, is of considerable interest." - Case commentary.

Full post: Family Lore

Unintended Consquences

I had an interesting chat the other day with a child’s solicitor about one of the unintended consequences of the public law outline, with its emphasis on pre-proceedings assessment and meetings.

Full post: Pink Tape

Sharia Court approves kidnap

"When I read this story in The Telegraph, I felt such anguish for the mother." Student barrister Wigless discusses the case of the British woman in Qatar who has lost custody of her son to his late father's family.

Full post: Wigless

I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE

"I have been pre-occupied with court cases and other commitments over the last week, preventing me from adding to this blog. During my absence I note that two divorce linked stories seem to have been making the headlines."

Full post: Judith's Divorce Blog