My partner and I are separating, what are my rights as a parent? Family lawyers tend to use the term “parental responsibility” rather than “parental rights”. A mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child. However, parental responsibility is only granted to a father if he: Is married to the child’s mother when the child…
Tax is often quite low down the list of priorities as something to think about, particularly during a relationship breakdown. However, we recommend taking tax advice at an early stage during divorce proceedings. Unless you are properly advised by a taxation specialist, an unexpected tax bill may arise, which is the last thing you will…
The nightmarish experiences of Kate Garraway in trying to cope with the consequences of her husband Derek Draper’s incapacitation by COVID have been made even worse, as she has explained, because the couple had not made Lasting Powers of Attorney. This has left her unable to get hold of critical financial assets, and with no…
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruption to everyone’s lives. Although the government guidance evolves on a daily basis, the current advice is to stay at home unless it is necessary to leave home. This, of course, is impacting the way that we work with our clients. We have, however, introduced new and efficient ways of working that we will continue…
Basic principles – the Three Steps First, if you own something jointly with someone else, then property law may operate automatically to pass your share to the surviving co-owner/s, outside your estate. This applies only to joint assets held under a ‘joint tenancy’. If an asset is jointly-owned under a ‘tenancy-in-common’, then your share does…
How do I know if my lease is protected or not? You should be able to ascertain whether your lease is “inside” or “outside” of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1954 (“the ’54 Act”) Part II security of tenure provisions quite easily from looking at your lease. You have to “opt out” of them if…
If you are a landlord of residential property and have been experiencing problems with your tenant(s) over the last 12 months, you may have served the tenant(s) with a section 21 or section 8 notice to bring the tenancy to an end. If you have issued possession proceedings, you will no doubt have been very…
Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place from Monday 1st to Sunday 7th February 2021. The aim is to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is “Express Yourself”. Place2Be, the charity behind Children’s Mental Health Week, are encouraging children to explore the different ways that…
We understand that getting divorced can be a highly upsetting and stressful experience for divorcing couples, their children, and often their wider families. With this in mind, we want to emphasise the importance of taking early professional legal advice in order to soften the blow of divorce as much as possible. Our team of specialist…
If you and your former partner are thinking of separating and/or getting a divorce, it is likely that you will need to make arrangements and agreements for the future. Family mediation can assist with this by ensuring that any issues that arise on separation are resolved in an amicable and constructive manner, avoiding the need…