‘It’s Good to Share’ – Should there be a presumption of equality between parents when it comes to caring for their children?

Bindu Bansal, Solicitor with Paris Smith LLP, considers the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a presumption of shared parenting.

Full article: Family Law Week

“Needs” claims and sole domicile jurisdiction

The EU Maintenance Regulation is one of the most complex and bewildering pieces of legislation in English family law, having been directly imposed into our law from the EU with effect from 18 June 2011.

Full article: Family Law

The race to court

My blog is not in anticipation of the Olympics which are shortly to be with us but about being the "first to issue" in European cases where there is a jurisdiction race.

Full article: Family Law

Changes To Regulation Of Social Workers

Social workers have been in the spotlight in recent times, particularly in the aftermath of the Baby P scandal.

Full article: Mondaq (registration required)

Disabled Children, Threshold and the Unique Case of Re K

In the recent case of Re K [2012] EWHC FLR Forthcoming, Hedley J had some very interesting things to say about the role of the court in cases involving disabled children.

Full article: Family Law

Financial Remedy Cases: Piecing Together The Jigsaw

An examination of the pros and cons of the available methods for resolving financial remedy cases.

Full article: Family Law Week

Divorce tourism

Last week, The Times (10 April) ran a front-page story headed "'Divorce tourists' take over the courts".

Full article: Family Law

Why Should Family Lawyers be Interested in the Brighton Conference?

Deirdre Fottrell of Coram Chambers considers the proposed reforms of the ECHR which are under consideration at the Brighton Conference and explains why they are of particular importance to family lawyers.

Full article: Family Law Week

Involving the Family Court Advisor in Pre-proceedings Practice – Initial lessons from the Coventry and Warwickshire pilot

Dr Karen Broadhurst, Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Social Science, Lancaster University, and Kim Holt, Director of the Social Work Programmes at Bradford University.

Full article: Family Law Week

Researching Relocation Disputes in First Instance Courts

Dr Rob George, Fellow in Law at the University of Oxford and Associate Tenant at Harcourt Chambers, discusses relocation disputes and his on-going research into how these cases are dealt with in the first instance courts of England and Wales.

Full article: Family Law Week

Lawrence v Gallagher Analysis

On the 29 of March 2012 the Court of Appeal handed down its first judgment in an appeal concerning a financial settlement in a civil partnership.

Full article: Family Law

Litigants in Person Cases: It Doesn’t Have to Be Like This

Lesley Pendlebury Cox, Consultant with Gregory Rowcliffe Milners considers the issues arising from the increase in the number of self represented clients in family cases, its impact on family lawyers and their clients.

Full article: Family Law Week

Who will pay for the expert's report?

As DJ Tacy Cronin considers whether a divorced couple's monies under lien with one of their solicitors should be used to pay for an expert in a contact dispute, she finds out how involving Cafcass could avoid the expense altogether.

Full article: Solicitors Journal

Children update

As the courts are getting to grips with new family models, Noel Arnold reviews how they approach the protection of children's interests.

Full article: Solicitors Journal

Law Society Family Justice Review Summit round table discussion speech

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families Tim Loughton's full speech as given at the Law Society's Family Justice Summit.

Full article: Department for Education

A dead parrot or simply pining for the fjords - or no parrot at all?

El Gamal v Al Maktoum [2011] EWHC B27, just reported, is another High Court decision concerning recognition of (foreign and other) marriages in which the court has found not that the marriage was voidable but that there was no marriage at all. The so-called concept of non-marriage.

Full article: Family Law

Alternative Families and Children: A review of the recent case of A v B and C

Alex Verdan QC and Charles Hale, both of 4 Paper Buildings, counsel for the father in A v B and C consider the lessons that can be learned by practitioners from the Court of Appeal judgment.

Full article: Family Law Week

'We should be given inquisitorial powers'

DJ Richard Chapman talks to Jean-Yves Gilg about why he believes the role of district judges must radically change and procedures be overhauled if county courts are to effectively tackle upcoming challenges.

Full article: Solicitors Journal

Court of Protection update

Thirty Nine Essex Street Court of Protection Newsletter: April 2012.

Full article: Thirty Nine Essex Street (PDF)