The Hague convention – International Child Abduction
Article by Ayeisha Khandia – Head of Family Department at Fountain Solicitors Many of you may have heard of the Hague convention but never been sure of what it really is and how it could affect you. In brief, The Hague Convention on the civil aspects of International Child Abduction 1980 is unlike other laws […]
Congratulations and Well Done to Ayeisha Khandia, Head of Fountain Solicitors’ Family department
She has been representing a father in care proceedings before Sir James Munby, the President of the family division in the High Court.
UK supreme court to consider impact of fraud in divorce settlements
Varsha Gohil and Alison Sharland seek to reopen cases, claiming ex-husbands misled divorce courts about true value of their assets. Alison Sharland received £10m from her ex-husband when they divorced, believing it was half his fortune, before coming to the conclusion that his Manchester software company was worth many more millions of pounds. Her case […]
Cohabitation – What Does it Mean Legally for You and Your Partner?
The sad fact is that there may be no legal protection for you, if you split up with your cohabitation partner. With more than 6 million cohabiting couples in the UK, this leaves a lot of people legally vulnerable. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been with your partner 1 month or 80 years, if you […]
Are we failing parents whose children are taken into care?
Social services can remove child after child from the same mother, without her being offered the help she needs to become a good-enough parent. The result is heartbreak, and very expensive – but now judges are calling for a new approach. It is now well understood that women whose children are taken from them by […]
Law body appeals for introduction of no-fault divorce and cohabitation rights
A family law body is urging the government to introduce blame-free divorce and property rights for cohabitees, The Guardian reports. A nationwide organisation of family lawyers dedicated to non-confrontational divorce, separation and other family issues is prompting the government to play catch-up by introducing blame-free divorce and property rights for cohabiting couples. The family law […]
Sham Marriages – The Home Office Crackdown
By Ramzan Sharif – Solicitor at Fountain Solicitors A sham marriage, or marriage of convenience, or a sham civil partnership describes a marriage or civil partnership entered into for immigration advantage by two people who are not a genuine couple. A sham marriage or civil partnership is to be distinguished from a marriage or civil […]
Legal aid cuts hit divided families as contact centres close down
Child contact centres, where children meet their separated parents who cannot agree access rights, are disappearing as legal aid cuts take effect. The National Association for Child Contact Centres (NACCC) says 40 centres have closed in the last 18 months across England and Wales – and the pace of closures is accelerating. It says that, because it […]
American wife of London banker wins biggest ever divorce payou
The American wife of a London-based financier has won a staggering £337m in a High Court divorce case, a figure that is widely believed to be the highest paid in any divorce case in England, reports the BBC and the Daily Mail. Jamie Cooper-Hohn was married to banker Sir Chris Hohn for 15 years before […]
Couple run up £920k lawyers bill in £2.9m divorce
A couple have spent almost one-third of their entire estate in legal fees contesting a divorce in a move condemned by a judge as ‘madness’, reports the Daily Mail.