Making pensions on divorce less of a scary subject
The dreaded “P” word – facing up to pension sharing on divorce
Parental alienation: treading a treacherous path
A Bristol judge has decided to publish his decision in an exceptional case of parental alienation. The Designated Family Judge for the Western Circuit, HHJ Wildblood QC, wanted the public to be aware how badly wrong things can go for a family when one parent chooses to alienate the children from the other parent. What... Continue Reading →
Not so happy new year? Tips for facing a separation in 2018
Ending a long term relationship or marriage is one of the most stressful things that you will go through in life. Holidays, time at home, family and Christmas pressure can cause the cracks in a relationship to show, or one or both of you may decide that a new year is the time to move... Continue Reading →
My legal life
I featured in the Law Society Gazette's "My Legal Life" section this year. Below is the text of the article, which can also be viewed here. Growing up, I wanted to be a writer. I used to spend hours boring family and classmates with my storytelling. This grew into a leaning towards journalism after covering... Continue Reading →
Winners, windfalls and wealth protection
The importance of legal advice and wealth protection following a lottery win or large windfall. The Independent recently featured an article about Britain's youngest Euromillions winner and the detrimental impact that winning the lottery had on her life. Jane Park was 17 when she won £1m on Euromillions. She is now 21 and is planning... Continue Reading →
2017… new year, new start?
3 January 2017. The first working day of the new year. Supposedly, one of the “highlights” of every family lawyer’s calendar, when we allegedly see a year-on-year unprecedented increase in new enquiries about divorce and separation. Every year, we will read in the press of one or two law firms anticipating a huge rise in... Continue Reading →
Alright, still?
Lily Allen hit the headlines recently after phoning in to LBC Radio in London, stating that she thought "an introduction to divorce" and other topics such as taxes should form part of the school curriculum. Lily's spontaneous call to LBC host Shelagh Fogarty followed an on-air discussion about comments that Lily had made about education... Continue Reading →
Land’s End to John O’Groats
Following a separation, people’s lives can often move in very different directions and this can or will often have huge implications for their children. This is especially so if a new partner or new job means that one parent is looking at moving further afield, perhaps to a different part of the UK or abroad.... Continue Reading →
Resolution National Committee elections
Alongside the day job, I am actively involved in Resolution, the membership organisation for family lawyers. I have been a Resolution member since my student days and joined the Bristol Young Resolution committee as a family trainee. I became chair a couple of years ago and was involved in setting up a national YRes working... Continue Reading →
Warning for UK nationals relocating abroad with children
As more and more of us are working abroad, travelling and making connections across different continents, the international family is rapidly becoming part of the modern landscape. On separation, many people think about moving abroad, whether to return to the country where they grew up, for a fresh start or to live with a new... Continue Reading →
Picking up the pieces 