Helpful information and updates from our Solicitors advising on real life legal matters.
For many of us, navigating divorce is an incredibly challenging, sensitive, and harrowing process, both emotionally, and practically. As you come to terms with the end of a relationship, you also face the uncertainty of the future and the practical implications of the separation. Few people have the requisite legal knowledge necessary to feel confident […]
Read articleCo-parenting is all about ensuring your children get the best of both parents, even if you’re no longer together. Here’s a simple guide to making it work. What is Co-parenting? Simply put, co-parenting means both parents play an active role in their child’s life after separation or divorce. It’s less about the parents wants and […]
Read articleFor parents, the toughest part about divorce often revolves around their children. How do you ensure they’re well-cared for and still get to spend quality time with both mum and dad? Let’s break down Child Arrangements. Child Arrangements: Where will the children live? This is the big question on many parents’ minds. All arrangements relating […]
Read articleOnce reserved for celebrity couples and royalty, terms like ‘prenup’ and ‘postnup’ have made their way into everyday conversations. But what do they really mean? What’s a Prenup? A ‘prenup’, or prenuptial agreement, is a legal document couples can agree to before they get married. It outlines what would happen to their assets and finances […]
Read articleAfter a divorce, it’s natural to wonder about the future, especially when it comes to finances. This can be a particularly worrying time if you did not work as you were caring for your children or have a low income. In some cases, the question of whether ‘spousal maintenance’ should be paid is asked but […]
Read articleThere are often lots of the questions surrounding how the Family Court makes decisions in cases concerning children. One common concern is whether the Court shows favouritism toward mothers. To answer this, it is important to look at what the law says in relation to cases concerning children and what the Court has to take […]
Read articleIf you own a piece of land, such as farmland or garden land, you may be in a position to sell part of it off. It is possible to sell off a part of your land whilst also retaining ownership of the other part. This is known as a sale of part. The process is […]
Read articleThere are many different types of mortgages available on the market. A popular option is a fixed rate mortgage. This means you pay a set rate for the length of the deal, which is typically 2 or 5 years. The benefit of this is that it gives you certainty as to the amount of your monthly […]
Read articleHow do we decide who gets the kids? When a marriage breaks down there are lots of things for a couple to think about. One of the most important things is usually the ongoing arrangements for the children, including who they will live with and how often they will spend time with the other parent. […]
Read articleWhat is an Executor? An Executor is the person who is named in a Will who has been chosen to deal with the administration of an estate after someone has died. Their role is to determine what the assets are in the estate, apply for Probate if necessary and then distribute the assets in accordance […]
Read articleWhat is Parental Responsibility? Parental responsibility is defined in the Children Act 1989 as “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authorities which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and the child’s property.” Anyone with parental responsibility for a child must ensure that the child is provided with […]
Read articleFor couples who have been married for a long time, when looking at financial assets, it can often be the pension pot that is the biggest asset they have. It might be the case that one spouse has a much larger pension than the other. For example, if one stayed home to raise the children […]
Read articleDealing with the Probate process can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have not had any experience in dealing with this type of thing in the past. Most people have heard of the terms “Probate” and “Inheritance Tax” but are unsure of the difference between the two and what they mean. Probate is […]
Read articleWill Trusts Explained A Will Trust is created when you prepare a Will and place property or assets into a Trust for a chosen Beneficiary or Trustee. It allows you to have more control over what will happen to your property or assets after you die. Rather than going to a Beneficiary for them to […]
Read articleIf you are buying a property with someone else, such as a partner who you are not married to, it is not only important to consider how you are to hold the property (joint tenants or tenants in common) but it is also important to consider whether or not you need a Declaration of Trust […]
Read articleWhilst every transaction is different, there is a number of stages that will happen in all commercial conveyancing transactions, whether you are buying or selling. Stage 1 If you are buying a commercial premises, your solicitor will first need to investigate the title of the property and submit the appropriate pre-contract searches. Your solicitor will […]
Read articleWhen you’re getting divorced, it’s also important to deal with financial matters between yourself and your former partner. It is quite common for one partner to be unaware of what the other partner has. You may even worry that your former partner is not being truthful when disclosing their assets to you. When there are […]
Read articleOnce the Court has made a Child Arrangements Order determining who your children live with, how often, and for how long they spend time with the other parent, this must be followed until the children are 16 years old. If you wish to alter the arrangements, then this can be done by agreement between yourself […]
Read articleThroughout your child’s life there will be a number of important decisions that you need to make as a parent. Unless you’re the only parent with parental responsibility for your child, these decisions need to be agreed upon between you and the other parent. One of the big decisions to make is which school your […]
Read articleWhen parents are separated, sometimes one parent wishes to change their child’s surname. This is usually the parent that the child lives with, especially if they have little to no contact with the other parent. If only one of the parents has parental responsibility for the child, they wouldn’t need the other parent’s consent to […]
Read articleHow a Mirror will works Mirror Wills are made by couples and are almost identical Wills. They include similar wishes about what each person wants to happen to their assets when they die. The reason they are called Mirror Wills is because one Will mirrors the other. In a Mirror Will, the person who dies […]
Read articleThere are certain times throughout the year when parents may wish to change the usual arrangements for their children. Most separated parents will agree that Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are ‘special days’ that should be dealt with differently to other days during the year. Dividing your child’s time It’s up to the […]
Read articleMany people will think about making a Will, often after either a big event such as a marriage or having children, or when they experience a family bereavement and it makes them think about their own affairs. Whilst it’s important to have a Will in place to deal with your assets on death, most people […]
Read articleThere is no set answer as to what a financial settlement should look like. It all depends completely on your personal circumstances and the assets involved. The starting point would be an equal division of the matrimonial assets. However, some there are reasons for these to favour one party more than the other. For example, […]
Read articleWhilst it is possible to make a Will yourself, there are certain criteria that must be met to ensure that the Will will be valid. You must be at least 18 years old to make a Will and it must be in writing. The Will needs to be signed by the person making it in […]
Read articleThe only real difference between a Prenuptial Agreement and a Postnuptial Agreement is the timing of when the agreement is entered into. A Prenuptial Agreement is entered into prior to your marriage taking place. A Postnuptial Agreement is entered into any time after you are legally married. Whilst Pre and Postnuptial Agreements are not yet […]
Read articleWhen buying a house, not everything always goes according to plan. One problem that some buyers experience is their mortgage offer expiring before their purchase is due to complete. When you receive a mortgage offer from a lender it’s only valid for a certain period of time. This is usually between three and six months. […]
Read articleAfter someone has died you may find yourself in the position of dealing with the administration of their estate. They could have appointed you as their Executor under a Will, or if they did not make a Will, you may be their closest living relative or person who is entitled in law to inherit their […]
Read articleMany parents don’t realise that if they want to take their children on holiday, particularly if they’re going abroad, they need consent from the other parent. If you choose not to do this then you could be committing child abduction. This can have consequences in both criminal and civil law. It’s often best to try […]
Read articleIt’s quite a common question as to whether or not you’d need to go to the expense of instructing a solicitor to deal with your divorce proceedings if both you and your spouse agree on everything. It’s now possible to complete your divorce proceedings online. If you felt confident doing this then you might not […]
Read articleThere’s no set timeframe for how long the conveyancing process takes. For an average straightforward sale or purchase it will be around three months. There are some factors that can delay this timescale, examples of which are: Issues with your mortgage lender. Being part of a chain. Buying a new build. Using a Help To […]
Read articleFor a while, it’s been discussed that the blame element should be removed from the divorce process. This would allow couples to remain more amicable after separation, which is particularly important if they have children. The no fault divorce bill was backed by MPs in 2020 and brought in by the Government on 6th April […]
Read articleAn Executor is a named person in a Will who the deceased has chosen to deal with their estate after their death. Most of the time when someone makes a Will, they will ask their proposed Executor if they would be happy to take on this role so it doesn’t come as a surprise after […]
Read articleNot everybody chooses to make a Will during their lifetime – instead they die intestate (die without a Will). If you choose not to make a Will, then by law your assets pass to your next of kin. This is usually a parent, sibling or child. If you’re married or in a civil partnership, your […]
Read articleThere are never any guarantees that someone will name you as a Beneficiary in their Will. If you were close to the person that has died, you may feel as though you’ve been left out. This is often the case when the person who has died is your partner or one of your parents. In […]
Read articleIf you made a Will before you got married, even if you included your spouse in your Will, it will become invalid from the date of your marriage. If you then fail to make a further Will following your marriage (or civil partnership) then you will be deemed to die intestate (die without a Will) […]
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