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Welcome to our Divorce Law Blog.
Our Family Law team here at Thornton Jones Solicitors were really pleased to learn of further funding by the Government into the Mediation Voucher Scheme; a scheme which enables eligible families to apply for a £500 voucher to be used towards the...
A legal guardian is someone who has the legal authority to take care of a child should anything happen to the parents. A parent of a child is not normally considered a guardian, though the responsibilities may be very similar. Typically, a guardian...
Once an application for a Child Arrangement Order has been made, Cafcass (Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service) will start making basic safeguarding enquiries with the Police and Social Services. All parties will be contacted by...
To apply a Child Arrangements Order, the law requires you to first attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, often referred to as a MIAM. This is a meeting with a qualified mediator who will inform you about forms of alternative dispute...
Any parent is automatically entitled to apply for a Child Arrangements Order irrespective of whether they have parental responsibility for the child or not. If you are the guardian or special guardian for a child, you can also apply. There are certain...
Whether you are a parent or grandparent of a child, you are able to apply to a Court for a Child Arrangements Order (often referred to as a CAO). Typically, although not limited to, individuals apply for a Child Arrangements Order where either separation of...
It is finally happening. ‘No fault’ divorce is approaching and approaching fast. The change in law does coincide with my own personal nuptials. I hope this doesn’t provide a bad omen for my relationship. EDIT: This blog was originally...
When you decide to separate or divorce, a huge worry for many couples is what will happen to the family finances, particularly the family home. This can be an extremely stressful time for separating couples and the prospect of having to discuss and agree on...
When parents separate, children of all ages can be left feeling a variety of emotions including anger, confusion and upset. They often feel that decisions are being made about their future over which they have no control over or say, and this can build...
Here at Thornton Jones Solicitors this Family Mediation Week we are drilling down on a number of really important aspects of mediation and focusing on those aspects to ensure that when you do embark on family mediation, that you do so primed and ready to...
Embark on separation and you’ll be sure to hear the word ‘mediation’ and you may not fully understand what it is and how it might help you. Commonly, people assume that when couples separate that a long, expensive, and emotional time...
Co-parenting after divorce is rarely easy. Often, the breakdown of the relationship will have been an emotional and stressful one, and you may have negative feelings towards your ex-spouse. Where relationships break down, the division of the assets can lead...
After another turbulent year thanks to the pandemic, families have again been put under increased strain in 2021, whether that be due to having to live and work in close quarters, increased financial challenges, or the very direct impact on families...
I read with interest an article which appeared in the Law Gazette recently about plans that Dominic Raab has to keep individuals from bringing their family disputes to Court. These plans include making mediation the default process in family disputes and...
Today marks the start of ‘Good Divorce Week’, an annual campaign led by Resolution in an attempt to change practices and behaviours so that when divorce happens, the impacts on everyone involved are kept to a minimum. What does a...
In my role as a family law solicitor, I often find that clients are confused by pensions and are reluctant to deal with or consider either their own or their ex-partner’s pensions when separating or divorcing. Given that there are...
It’s not uncommon for a couple who live together to believe that since they are in a relationship, and cohabiting, that they have certain rights akin to those of a married couple. Do unmarried couples have the same rights as a married couple? What...
I recall one time I had afternoon tea with several members of my family and we had an interesting discussion about divorce and what getting divorced actually means for individuals going through the process. Throughout our discussions, I was reminded of...
What is a Prenuptial Agreement and Do I Need One? When you marry, you imagine it’s for life, but separation and divorce is a very common outcome with a third of marriages ending in divorce 1 and when separation and divorce happens there is...
Have Your Lives Taken You In Different Directions Like Kim and Kanye? No amount of riches can shield you from life and the challenges that it throws at you and during a global pandemic, as couples, we are forced to spend more time in close quarters...
It’s here again, National Divorce Day, a day on which some divorce lawyers report a spike in the number of enquiries from people wishing to commence divorce proceedings. Although largely considered a myth by many, with 2020 being in most a...
What is Collaborative Law and why choosing a Collaborative Law Approach to Divorce Could be the Right Approach for You. Often when couples decide to separate and ultimately divorce there is the expectation that both parties will need to embark on a...
Today is the fifth and final day of the Good Divorce Week and today we discuss parenting after parting. Jane Auty, one of our Family Solicitors here at Thornton Jones says; “Parenting after parting is vital in continuing the great work you’ve...
On this Day 4 of the Good Divorce Week we are discussing how you can help your children by helping yourself. Jane Auty, one of our Family Solicitors says; “It's easier said than done, but at a time when stress levels are peaking, emotions are...
Today is day 3 of Good Divorce Week and in this Blog Jane Auty, one of our Family Solicitors, discusses how to address anger and emotions. Good Divorce Week is a week long campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of a collaborative approach to separation...
Today is day 2 of Resolution’s Good Divorce Week, a week long campaign which aims to help separating and divorcing parents reduce the impact on their children and to maintain strong and meaningful relationship with their children after divorce. Today...
Today marks the start of Good Divorce Week, a week long campaign led by Resolution with the aim of ensuring that where parents are separating and divorcing that it is done in a way that has the least impact on their children. Throughout the week we’ll...
Here at Thornton Jones we love to stay engaged and involved and when the topic is relevant to our business we love to take part in The Law Society's #SolicitorChat that they hold weekly on Twitter. This week our super Family Lawyer, Hannah Bowes...
Yesterday, I was ecstatic to learn that the new No Fault Divorce Bill has finished its journey through Parliament and even though the new legislation will not be accessible until autumn 2021, this marks a significant change in the law. ...
On the 23 rd March 2020, the government placed the UK into ‘lockdown’ and consequently we are only able to leave our homes if we have a ‘reasonable excuse’. Since its implementation, the lockdown has caused individuals to...
Earlier this week I published a blog giving my thoughts on how to deal with a situation where you are separated, self-isolating, and you share the care of your children with their other parent. Things seem to be moving very fast indeed and only a few...
During these unprecedented times we find puzzles that typically we’d not expect to have to solve. Yet we are in the midst of a crisis that may mean the isolation of your children with their other parent and despite agreements and potentially Court...
We see many instances where separation and divorce involves children , and with such cases there needs to be a discussion about co-parenting. When you separate or divorce it’s easy to let your animosity towards each other become all too apparent to...
I for one can understand and relate to the significance and importance of a child’s relationship with their grandparents. However, in the legal world, whilst a Court would acknowledge the importance of their role in a child’s life, their rights...
It’s the last day of Family Mediation Week (20th - 24th January 2020), a week long campaign where we encourage conversations about mediation and raise awareness of mediation and its benefits for separating families. Today we look at what clients...
Today is day 4 of Family Mediation Week (20th - 24th January 2020), a week long campaign where we encourage conversations about mediation and raise awareness of mediation and its benefits for separating families. Today we take a peek at how ...
It's day 3 of Family Mediation Week (20th - 24th January 2020), a week long campaign where we encourage conversations about mediation and raise awareness of mediation and its benefits for separating families. Today we look into the benefits of...
Today is day 2 of Family Mediation Week (20th - 24th January 2020), a week long campaign where we encourage conversations about mediation and raise awareness of mediation and its benefits for separating families. Today we provide a little insight into...
This week is Family Mediation Week (20th - 24th January 2020) where we encourage conversations about mediation and raise awareness of mediation and its benefits for separating families. In conjunction with the Family Mediators Association, throughout...
Once again we have reached the first Monday in January which the media has penned as “Divorce Day” - allegedly the day when more people divorce than any other day of the year. I confess to being sceptical about this but certainly Christmas can...
Mediation can help resolve the issues surrounding your separation or divorce in a constructive and amicable approach, which usually helps you both to move on with your lives, in a way that traditional ways of resolving disputes cannot. This can be in...
The Team at Thornton Jones Family Law are currently offering an initial consultation to all new Clients free of charge…….. all we ask is a small donation of £10 to a fantastic Charity “Kids In The Middle” who are raising...
Sitting in Court the other day with a male Client who desperately wanted to end the noose around his neck that was a joint lives maintenance Order, it struck me how problematic such an Order is for both the payer and the payee. The man in question had been...
One thing that is always sure to make me grind my teeth with frustration is the perpetuated myth of the Common Law partner. Rather like the Loch Ness monster this fabled creature quite simply does not exist. As a Family lawyer, one of the hardest parts of...
I have recently been involved in setting up a scheme in my local County Court where we undertake MIAM’s meetings in the Court arena, and have been so pleased with how the scheme is working, that I thought it might be useful to share the experience with...
Family Arbitration by a Mediator – how does it work? How can you be a Mediator and Collaborative Lawyer, with a practice so focused on keeping matters out of litigation, and yet be so excited to have qualified as a Family Arbitrator, I hear you ask?...
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