A senior family lawyer recently criticised the way the law is being interpreted by the Court of Protection when deciding how the estate of someone who lacks capacity should be apportioned. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which came into…
The ex-wife of a multi-millionaire sought leave to appeal against the amount awarded to her in the couple's divorce settlement on the basis that it did not reflect the true growth of her husband’s wealth during their marriage. Earlier this…
The Supreme Court has handed down its decision today in the Radmacher case – the everyday story of a massively rich German heiress who fell in love and married and then fell out of love and divorced her husband. Ms…
Divorces among the over-60s are by no means infrequent and, whilst the potential for acrimony arising from issues concerning young children is absent, they often do produce a great deal of dispute regarding the division of the family assets. There…
Gay Couples are a Family | DFA Law Northampton Solicitors News In a recent judgment dealing with child maintenance payments for a mother who left her husband and formed a stable monogamous relationship with another woman, the European Court of…
Persistent failure to pay maintenance payments ordered by the court can lead to substantial penalties, as a father discovered recently. After a history of failing to meet his obligations, the court ordered that a suspended committal order be served on…
Financial problems are one of the most common factors in family relationship breakdown, so divorce cases are not uncommonly carried on against a background of insolvency. A recent case shows the sort of problems that can arise. It involved a…
Sometimes, the courts have to consider the effect on children of allowing the reintroduction of contact with a parent with whom they have had no relationship for some time. In a recent case, this issue came up in the context…
The use of pre-nuptial agreements is still rather controversial. On one hand the idea that one is needed can be associated with a lack of trust and is hardly romantic. On the other hand, there is an argument that agreeing…
A schoolgirl has been allowed to stay in Britain despite the fact that her mother violated international law when she brought the girl and her younger sister back to the UK. In a landmark ruling, the judges at the Court…