The concept of fairness is arguably the most important legal principle underpinning how family courts operate. There are, however, some people who refuse to simply accept the word of others that a system is fair: they need to see it for themselves. It’s an issue which courts dealing with often complex and delicate matters have […]
Read moreOf all the differences in the make-up of British households over the course of the last generation, one of the most significant has been the continued rise in cohabitation. Earlier this month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published figures showing how the number of heterosexual cohabitating couples in England and Wales had more than […]
Read moreThe breakdown of any relationship – no matter how long or short – can be a very emotional experience. Confronted with the prospect of losing a partner or spouse, it can be difficult to keep calm and in control. In previous generations, any failure to do so – any critical remark made about one’s spouse […]
Read moreOne of Hall Brown Family Law’s first recruits has claimed two prizes for her work in supporting the development of the Manchester’s young professionals. Ellen Walker was singled out by judges in the British and European rounds of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) awards for her efforts during her time as the organisation’s president in […]
Read moreEven if you weren’t a particular fan of the Spice Girls, it was hard to avoid the notion of ‘Girl Power’ during the late 1990s. Although it was nothing necessarily new to have women making a valid contribution in the workplace, media – with imagination fuelled, at least in part, by the exploits of Scary, […]
Read moreAt first glance, it might seem strange to find a family lawyer prepared to concede that divorce has something of a deterrent effect. However, years of being immersed in the fine details of couples’ marital difficulties has made it abundantly clear to me that there are men and women who prefer to remain in relationships […]
Read moreMore than 300 years have passed since the poet Alexander Pope wrote about the divine qualities of forgiveness. Being able to overlook someone else’s foibles or failings is, of course, an essential element of maintaining long relationships. However, many individuals find that their reserves of tolerance and understanding can be exhausted over time. As I’ve […]
Read moreOne of the most dominant patterns in divorce over the last decade in England and Wales has been that of mid-life marital breakdown. Whilst they may not account for the bulk of all divorces, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that husbands and wives aged 50 and over have been parting in […]
Read moreRecent decades have seen tremendous upheaval in British family life. Without doubt, the most significant has been the growth in the number of couples who choose to live together without marrying. Whilst individuals in such partnership would have been stigmatised by previous generations for whom marriage was the only domestic arrangement which mattered, it’s not […]
Read moreThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is now prosecuting more cases of domestic violence than it ever has before, according to its latest report. Over 100,000 prosecutions were brought to the CPS in 2015-2016 resulting in 75,325 convictions. Coming Forward Sadly, many victims of domestic violence do not report their abuse. Despite the success of the […]
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