Family Law

Some parents, despite their best efforts, are unable to agree the arrangements for the children upon separation and a court application becomes necessary. The Child Arrangements Programme, which provides the court framework when there is a dispute regarding the arrangements for a child, is then navigated with matters usually concluding by way of a final […]

The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has given an interview to the BBC and reminded parents that the current pandemic should not be exploited or used to stop contact unnecessarily. You can read the full article here. Sir Andrew McFarlane reminds parents of the importance of keeping the child’s welfare their focus […]

The Government’s guidance has now evolved to ‘Staying at home and away from others’. For those in a situation of domestic abuse or at risk of domestic abuse, and home is often not a safe place, there may be questions about the services available and how the guidance will impact them. It’s important to remember […]

Further to our previous blog post on this topic, dated Wednesday 18 March 2020, the circumstances have undoubtedly moved on and the Government has now extended the advice and requirements surrounding Covid-19. It’s important that you keep up to date with the advice from the Government and the NHS and know the current updates, which […]

This is undoubtedly a period of adjustment for us all. However, for parents who are separated and have spent time carefully considering the arrangements for the children following their separation, or are still navigating the court system to finalise the arrangements, this period of disruption is likely to throw up additional challenges. To help you […]

The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has today made observations about the strain the Family Court is under due to the sheer volume of cases that are submitted. Many of these cases are from separated parents regarding disagreements about the arrangements for their children. Despite the Court’s requirement to explore mediation before submitting […]

Our blog of 2 October 2018 “Addressing the ‘imbalance’ – Civil Partnerships for heterosexual couples” considered the case of Miss Steinfield and Mr Keidan who embarked on a campaign to give heterosexual couples the same rights as same sex couples to enter into Civil Partnerships. After successfully taking their case all the way to the […]

In a recent landmark case the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, ruled that a transgender man who gave birth to a child had to be named as the mother on the child’s Birth Certificate. The Case The Claimant was registered as a female at birth but transitioned to live as male, receiveing […]

When a relationship breaks down, and children are involved, it’s rarely just the parents’ time with the children that needs to be resolved, with grandparents are often left wondering about their own contact rights in relation to their grandchildren (especially if they have enjoyed regular time with them before). So what can you do if […]

It’s that time of year when we’re all dusting off our buckets and spades and getting ready for the long summer holidays. However, what happens if you are separated and have yet to agree how your children will spend their summer? Day-to-Day Arrangements You might want to use this time to discuss your children’s arrangements […]