For many individuals in many cultures and across many centuries, marriage has been the principal – and, in some cases, the only – way of forging relationships. If we turn the clock back exactly a decade, in fact, to discussions about which led to the introduction of same-sex marriage, the then Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, […]
Read moreIt is an unfortunate fact that tens of thousands of relationships break apart in the UK each year. The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that more than 107,000 marriages ended in divorce in England and Wales alone during 2019 (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/divorce/bulletins/divorcesinenglandandwales/2019). To that tally can be added the many cohabitations […]
Read moreHall Brown Family Law has hailed the efforts of staff in coping with the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic as integral to its picking up another prestigious business award. The firm has been named as the North West’s leading professional services business company in the North West Business Masters Awards. It was also shortlisted […]
Read moreDivorce is about more than simply obtaining the decrees – nisi and then absolute – which bring marriage to a legal close. Another very essential part of the process is ensuring that joint marital assets are divided fairly. The most recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that there were 107,599 […]
Read moreThe tide of change in Britain’s households has been relatively fast-flowing in recent decades. It seems that much of the accepted wisdom from just a couple of generations ago about what constituted ‘normal’ family life has been tipped on its head. Even so, if you want to see what’s really going on, it’s often worth […]
Read moreNot too many years ago, there was a commonly held view that reaching middle age meant leaving behind energetic pursuits and adopting rather more sedate pastimes. It was an attitude stereotyped by popular references to bath chairs and grey hairs, gardening and a love of fairly uninspiring daytime television programmes. However, the last decade or […]
Read moreOver the course of my career as a family lawyer, one of the things which I’ve become aware of is the difference between the perception of the kind of work which myself and my colleagues at Hall Brown Family Law deal with and the reality. For instance, many individuals whose only experience of divorce is […]
Read moreJust over five years have elapsed since the passage of a law allowing same-sex marriages in England and Wales. The first ceremonies took place in late March 2014 and constituted something of a milestone, giving gay couples the same legal recognition as their heterosexual counterparts. A significant step on the road to same-sex marriage had, […]
Read moreThere is little doubt that the very concept of divorce can be intimidating. It’s surprising just how widely held the belief is that it consists of a single process, revolving around money and what happens to a couple’s children once their married parents split up. However, there are two very different strands to divorce. The […]
Read moreDivorce is, sadly, a fact of life for many modern families. The most recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that more than 111,000 marriages were brought to a legal close in 2014 (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/divorce/bulletins/divorcesinenglandandwales/2014). They were all dealt with according to a piece of legislation known as the Matrimonial Causes Act. […]
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