On 6th April 2022 the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will come into force, bringing about significant changes to divorce laws and procedures. Under the new rules there will no longer be a requirement to blame the other party or wait for a minimum of 2 years separation before seeking a divorce. It will [...]
In the recent case of Yorston & Ors, Re (Matrimonial Causes Act 1973: Improper Petitions), the Family Court dismissed 28 divorce petitions, all of which alleged unreasonable behaviour. The petitions had all been drafted by the same company on behalf of the petitioner and contained identical particulars and behaviour allegations. The Family Court found that [...]
It has been announced that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will come into force on 6th April 2022. This will allow married couples to divorce without assigning blame. Currently the law provides that unless a couple lives separately for at least 2 years then they may only divorce if one person blames the [...]
The ex-wife of a Russian billionaire has won a High Court case against her eldest son after he was found to have helped his father protect his assets from his mother’s claims. After an award of £453,576,152 was made in December 2016, Mrs Justice Knowles described Mrs Akhmedova as having been the ‘victim of a [...]
We are showing our support for Good Divorce Week 2020 by offering free advice sessions and reduced rate appointments to families later this month. Good Divorce Week is an annual campaign that aims to promote practical and constructive ways for separating parents to put the needs of their children first. Organised by Resolution, a community of more than 6,500 family [...]
We have recently received great feedback from a client for Anna Wilkinson, one of our solicitors who specialises in matrimonial and family law: "Anna was extremely helpful throughout, very quick and efficient. I feel like she went above and beyond explaining everything to me and led to an excellent conclusion. Very happy with the service [...]
Choosing the right solicitor can be difficult, and with so many to choose from how is Oglethorpe Sturton and Gillibrand different? How do you choose? We are the largest law firm in Lancaster, with a second office in Kirkby Lonsdale, and here are just a few examples of how you can instruct us with confidence [...]
In family law proceedings each party will usually be responsible for their own legal fees. However, in the recent case of OG v AG, when the Court was being asked to consider an application for costs, penalties were imposed against both parties for their litigation conduct and failure to negotiate. The husband’s litigation misconduct lead [...]
Following a review into ways of managing private law children cases by the Courts during the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been decided that a more tailored approach to individual cases is needed. The new procedure will apply to all applications from the 1st September 2020. The aim is to be more flexible and reduce delays. [...]
We understand that in these difficult times your family difficulties haven’t gone away, or that they may have even got worse. That’s why we are still here for you and are able to offer you our fixed fee initial advice meeting remotely. The meeting will be with one of our specialist family solicitors and will [...]
