Blog
What the Child Maintenance Service Inquiry Could Mean for Families
The UK’s Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has long been a particular area of frustration for many separated parents. From missed payments to disputed calculations, the system has often fallen short, especially for those relying on it to provide financial stability for...
Introducing Lucy Cornish to the Townsend Family
We are pleased to announce that Lucy Cornish has joined Townsend Family as an Associate Solicitor. Lucy was one of the early cohorts to qualify as a solicitor through the Solicitors Qualifying Examination route after gaining a First Class degree in History at the...
Negotiation Options Upon Separation
The thought of negotiating with your former partner or spouse following separation can be very daunting, particularly if you feel that you are not going to be able to reach agreement. It is normal for there to be issues in dispute in respect of the division of...
Divorce rate has reached a record low since 1973
It is commonly reported that divorce is on the increase and couples are separating at the drop of a hat. It is therefore of great surprise to note that in fact the divorce rate in England and Wales has reached a record low since 1973. The ONS have recently reported...
The Silent Victims
The number of men in England and Wales reporting domestic violence to the police has doubled in the five years to 2017. Despite the fact that one-third of all victims of domestic violence are male (almost 150,000 in 2017), less than 1% of the beds available in refuges...
What is Pension Sharing in Divorce?
Pension sharing is once again in the news because according to Age UK, thousands of divorced women in the UK are worse off in retirement because they didn’t factor into their financial settlement the pension fund of their husband. A pension fund can be one of the more...
Civil Partnership for Straight Couples
The Prime Minister, Theresa May has announced today that straight couples are to be extended the same rights as gay couples to enter into a civil partnership. Gay and straight couples should have the right to make the same choices in life says Mrs May. So what does...
What is Parental Alienation and why is it in the news?
Parental Alienation is when one parent negatively influences a child or children against the other parent. It is a behaviour that is being increasingly recognised by Courts in cases involving children where parents are in dispute over arrangements for their children....
What is a no fault based divorce?
Divorce is once again the news because last week the Justice Secretary David Gauke revealed that the Government is planning a consultation paper on the introduction of the no fault based divorce. This is likely to be in response to the refusal of the Supreme Court to...
Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41
Can divorce be amicable? At Townsend Family Law, we are firm believers in encouraging separating couples to be amicable towards one another. In our experience, this not only makes the separation process smoother but also reduces the emotional and financial strain of...