Articles by ‘Simon Bassett’

The Law Society has this month launched a campaign, urging people to seek professional legal advice in family disputes.

More than 800,000 child maintenance cases will be closed down in the next three years as the Child Support Agency (CSA) transfers its case load to other organisations.

The former wife of a businessman, who claims her husband failed to properly disclose the extent of his fortune, has won the right to take her case to the Supreme Court.

A wife who suffered with bipolar disorder has been granted permission by the High Court to appeal against her divorce settlement.

The Government is proposing that the families of missing people could take control of their absent relative’s financial and legal affairs, enabling them to “protect a missing loved one’s life in their absence”.

A couple from Devon have presented a 40,000-strong petition to the minister responsible for equal marriage, asking for the rules governing the conversion of civil partnerships into full marriages to be changed.

Children are to be given a stronger voice in the justice system so that they can tell judges what they think about the family disputes that they are involved in.

Another significant change has come into force for same sex couples who wish to marry.

More than 1400 same-sex marriages took place in the three month period after they became legal.

A campaign to include mothers’ names on marriage certificates has won the approval of the Prime Minister.

The Family Courts are reported to be at breaking point due to the unprecedented number of cases that are brought to Court by people unrepresented by a lawyer. As many as two thirds of cases now involve at least one side that has no lawyer acting for them.

New statistics published earlier this week suggest that parents may be “giving up” on family courts.