Blog
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...
Children at Risk
Statistics recently released from the Children’s Commissioner for England reveals that over 2 million children in England are growing up in families where there are serious risks. This includes: 890,000 children with parents suffering serious mental health problems....
Family Solicitors per Residents
Recent research has shown that in London there is only one qualified family Solicitor per every 2,714 residents. Research undertaken by mylegaladviser shows that due to a shortage of Solicitors Londoners may be forced to travel miles from home to get legal advice. A...