Channel 4’s Dispatches Commentary: Do Family Court Proceedings Tear Lives Apart?

You may have seen that, last week, Channel 4’s Dispatches examined the family courts system and revealed real-life cases where the courts have ordered the police to forcibly remove children from loving homes in private law matters where there have been allegations of “parental alienation” If you did, you may be wondering whether you can trust the…

What is a “gifted deposit”?

A gifted mortgage deposit means that all or part of your deposit is given to you by someone else. It can come from a family member or a friend, although some mortgage lenders prefer to lend in these circumstances where the gifted deposits come from a family member which is something to bear in mind…

Michael Cutler

How do I change my child’s name?

There are a number of reasons why a parent may wish to change their child’s name. For example, a parent may be distressed by calling the child by the child’s registered name, for instance, a child named after an absent or violent parent. Or, a parent may wish all the children of the family to…

Do I need a pre-nuptial agreement?

If you are planning to get married or enter a civil partnership, you may wish to enter into an agreement that shows what you intend to happen to your money and property if the marriage or civil partnership were to end. For example, what will happen to property that either of you brought into the…

How do you end a civil partnership?

To end a civil partnership, you or your partner will need to apply for dissolution. To apply for dissolution, you must have been in a civil partnership for at least a year. The person starting the dissolution process is called “the petitioner” and the other person is called “the respondent”. Petition The document that starts…

How do you end a same-sex marriage?

To end a same-sex marriage, you or your spouse will need to apply for a divorce. To apply for a divorce, you must have been married for at least a year. The person starting the divorce is called “the petitioner” and the other spouse is called “the respondent”. Petition The document that starts the divorce…

Our Fixed Fee Divorce Service

For most, the breakdown of a marriage induces feelings of fear and uncertainty. This is likely to be exacerbated in the current climate, as the pandemic has brought constant change and ambiguity into everyone’s lives. At Colemans Solicitors, we strive to provide you with some comfort and certainty in challenging times, by offering  a fixed…

Asset Protection Trusts

The Problem What we are talking about here is care home fees. Residential care is expensive.  Even if you have no special needs, fees of £1,000 a week are common in the South East.  At some £50,000 per year, this can run through your capital very fast. Many people feel this is unfair, and that…

RENT CONCESSIONS – ADVICE FOR TENANTS

  Even as the COVID-19 social restrictions are easing, uncertainty abounds. We remain hopeful that the path to easing restrictions will continue unimpeded but reports on the spread of new variants of the virus remain cause for some concern. Against that background  we are still finding that tenants have been and continue to look to…