Navigating Christmas Contact Arrangements
Shhhh, don’t say the C word! Some think that the word Christmas shouldn’t be uttered until 1 December and shudder at the sight of Christmas decorations in the shops as soon as the kids have returned to school in September. Whilst others embrace the season and can’t wait to hear Mariah on the radio. But…
Neurodiversity: What Is It And What Can It Mean For Your Child?
This National Children’s Month, we recognize and celebrate children who are neurodivergent. What Is Neurodiveristy? What does that mean? Is it a buzzword, or a medical condition? Is my child neurodivergent? Neurodiversity is a term which arose from the disability rights movement. It challenges the idea of there being a ‘normal’ way to think. It…
Pet Ownership: What Happens to the Family Pet Upon Separation or Divorce?
Your children may have been pestering you for what feels like eternity, and you finally decide to give in. What’s the perfect present for the whole family you think….. a pet! Similarly there may not be any children in the family but you and your partner decide that you want a pet. Your pet becomes…
Civil Partnership Vs Marriage: Which Is Best For You?
Same-sex or opposite-sex couples have the option of both a civil partnership and a marriage in terms of formalising their relationship. In England and Wales, legally, same-sex couples have had the option of civil partnerships since 2005 and marriage since 2014. Of course, marriage has been an option for opposite-sex couples for a long time,…
#YouAreNotAlone – Violence is not the only form of domestic abuse.
Trapped, isolated, frightened and without hope. These are some of the emotions that are likely to be experienced by those all over our country that are in an abusive relationship. Those feelings must be magnified at a time where the victim may not be able to get any break from their abuser; forced into lockdown…
5 Minutes With…Afzal Patel, Family Solicitor
Today we’re chatting to Afzal Patel, a Solicitor within our Private Family team. How long have you worked at Ison Harrison? I joined Ison Harrison in March 2023. Where did you work previously? I have previously worked for law firms in Yorkshire. Describe your day-to-day role Working through cases, preparing applications and drafting documents. Consultations…
Knowing Your Legal Rights As A Grandparent
How grandparents fit into the legal framework with regards to the care of children is not a commonly understood element of family law and is not as clearly defined as the parent’s rights. And yet grandparents can play a key role in how children are brought up and looked after. They can also play a…
Mediation: How It Can Help With Your Separation
Separation can be a traumatic and upsetting point in time, whether it is a trial period or is an arrangement that looks to be semi-permanent. The situation can be made even worse if it dissolves into arguments, resentment and bitterness and if the two parties can’t communicate properly. Often children are caught up in this…
5 Minutes With…Jessica Hudson, Family Solicitor
Today we’re chatting to Jessica Hudson, an Associate Solicitor based at our Huddersfield branch. How long have you worked at Ison Harrison? Almost five years. I started working at Ison Harrison in April 2019 as a newly qualified solicitor. Where did you work previously? I completed my training contract at a firm in Wakefield but…
How To Apply For A Child Arrangement Order
The process of navigating divorce and separation can be stressful and traumatic, and finding an agreement for the future of children involved in such proceedings can be the most complex part, and one which needs to be handled delicately for the benefit of all parties, but primarily for the children themselves. In most cases the…
5 Minutes With… Kate Camm, Family Law Executive
We’re chatting to Kate Camm, who is a Family Law Executive based at our Doncaster branch. How long have you worked at Ison Harrison? I’ve worked for the firm for 11 months. Describe your day to day role I help clients through what is usually one of the most challenging and upsetting times of their…
Putting The Kids First: How To Divorce Without Hurting Your Child
Divorce and separation is a profoundly sad time, and for all parties involved. Nobody enjoys breaking a commitment that two people have made to each other, but when there are also children involved it is a unique link that will always be shared, and while you may not be partners any more, you will always…
How Has No Fault Divorce Changed Divorce Law?
On 6th April 2022 the UK’s divorce laws changed for the first time in 50 years, and the ‘no-fault divorce’ was introduced. It was expected to bring an end to “archaic” legislation and a divorce process which was lengthy, costly and actively encouraged animosity. And so, over 12 months on, have we seen any improvements…
Huge Government Investment In Tackling Stalkers And Domestic Abusers Announced
The Home Office has this week announced a £39 million investment in 50 projects to tackle the problem of stalking and domestic abuse in England and Wales. 27 police forces are set to benefit from the funding, as the Government looks to step up its campaign to protect vulnerable people and victims who are being…
How To Divorce A Narcissist
A narcissist is defined as someone who is in love with and only has extreme feelings for themselves, but when you are trying to divorce a narcissist there are many other character traits which come into play, and for which you need to be prepared. In a marriage, narcissistic behaviour can manifest itself in coercive…
Raising Awareness for Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week
This week is the UK’s national week for raising awareness of sexual abuse and sexual violence (6th – 12th February 2023) Last year we wrote a similar blog which touched on some of the news headlines at the time. Unfortunately, not much has changed. “Police investigate the sexual assault of a member of staff at…
Why Is A Pre-Nup Important If You Marry In Later Life?
It is felt that the romance and ceremony of a marriage is somewhat shrouded in cynicism if a couple prepare for their big day by having a prenuptial agreement, or pre-nup drawn up beforehand. But complete transparency and putting all your financial affairs on the table before a marriage is increasingly being seen as a…
How To Protect Your Financial Assets in Relationships
Have you received a financial gift or some inheritance? Maybe you have been awarded damages or compensation in court or received a financial gain from an out-of-court settlement? How would you feel if somebody else was able to take a proportion of this for themselves? Relationship breakdown is not always at the forefront of a…
Getting Up To Speed With The New ‘No Fault’ Divorce
In April 2022, the law relating to divorce sees a significant change. This relates to the introduction of the ‘no fault’ divorce. Family law practitioners have been campaigning for the ability of all spouses to bring a ‘no fault’ divorce against their separated spouse for many decades. This therefore represents an important and seismic shift…
The Tinder Swindler & The Impact Of Romance Fraud
In the new Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler, three women share their stories of being coerced into lending large sums of money to a man who claimed to be the son of a diamond exporter. All three of them initially encountered him on the dating app Tinder. Once a relationship was established, the Tinder Swindler…
Sexual Abuse & Sexual Violence – We’re Here For You
This week is sexual abuse and sexual violence awareness week highlighting the abuse and violence often suffered by women. And as a simple reminder, one just has to look in the papers…we have shocking stories of metropolitan police officers joking about “knocking birds about”, messaging female colleagues about raping and chloroforming them and generally using…
Women Advised To Think Carefully Between House And Pension
Women’s choices in divorce settlements should be changing because of their stronger position in society, according to family law experts. Divorcee women are being warned they could face financial hardship if they choose the family home over the value of pension wealth, but also, the fact that more women are now the primary earner in…
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is Now Law – So What Does It Mean For You?
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is now law and implementation will begin to occur across the criminal justice system and agencies later this year. The bill is a response to public consultation carried out in spring 2018, which included 3200 responses. This led to a draft bill in January 2019 and then the final bill…
Latest Stats Show A Significant Rise in Divorce Rates
The number of couples getting divorced in England and Wales surged by almost a fifth in 2019 to the highest level in five years according to figures released by The Office of National Statistics. Data shows that there were 107,599 opposite-sex divorces in 2019, an increase of 18.4% from 90,871 in 2018 – the highest…
Sarah Laughey Announced As New Head of Family Law
Press Release – Issued June 2020 We are delighted to announce we have appointed a new head of private family law at Ison Harrison. Sarah Laughey who originally joined the firm’s family law service in February 2017 and promptly headed up the firm’s family law service at the Ilkley, Otley & Guiseley branches, was made…
Divorcing in a Pandemic
I handle client divorce cases all day every day. It is my daily diet. There is the divorce itself, the dissolution, the concluding of a marriage. Some have been years in the making, others represent a short lived union, either way they have arrived in the same place. Alongside the divorce come other disputes: What…
Online & “Quickie” Divorces – what they don’t tell you
We see increasing numbers of people applying for divorces online – but please be aware that they’re not without their faults. For those who petitioned online, they face at least a six month wait before they can say they are no longer married – and that’s before the family money is divided. Many of these…
Child Arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the current COVID-19 pandemic we have seen an increasing number of parents approach us with worries and concerns about child arrangements. Whether these were official arrangements that were applied through the courts, or individual arrangements agreed outside the court system, parents are unsure how the government restrictions apply to their current situation and could…
Ison Harrison Appoints New Family Lawyer at Barnsley Office
Press Release – March 2020 Yorkshire law firm Ison Harrison has appointed an experienced family solicitor at its Barnsley branch. Abbie Churchill joins Ison Harrison’s expanding regional team having previously been at Howells Solicitors in South Yorkshire for seven years and Raleys in Barnsley for nine years. This latest appointment brings 16 years of family…
What To Expect In The Family Court
Sometimes, family life can be difficult and family members may run into problems. Sometimes, issues can’t be sorted out by themselves and families need assistance. To solve the problem, family courts may get involved. The family court is very different to a criminal court. The judge at a family court listens to what everyone has…
Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill – Part 3
Following on from our previous Blogs regarding the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill (read part 1 here or part 2 here), we look at the next stage of the Bill process, the line by line examination of the Bill by the ‘Committee of the Whole House’ that took place in the House of Lords on…
Family Courts Deemed Unsafe For Domestic Violence Victims
In light of the Family Judge Tolson case, whereby a leadership judge declared outdated views around sexual consent, a letter has been signed by 130 professionals and lawyers raising concerns that courts aren’t safe for victims- with outdated views on consent and sexual violence. This came off the backlash from Judge Tolson, who rules that…
Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill – Part 2
Following on from our previous Blog concerning the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill, we look at the second reading and general debate of the Bill that took place in the House of Lords on 5th February 2020. Main issues raised Making divorce too ‘available’: One of the most debated aspects of the Bill was that…
Alternative Methods When Dealing With Family Issues
We understand the anxieties, difficulties and uncertainties facing our family clients, especially when dealing with issues concerning their child or children. It is our objective to make this journey the smoothest for you, taking into account your own personal circumstances and feelings. Child Protection Social workers’ involvement in family life can be at any stage;…
Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill
As many people will now be aware, the current Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill has been reintroduced to Parliament, following its automatic failure as a result of the dissolution of Parliament on 6th November 2019. The idea of the Bill is to introduce a ‘no fault divorce’ with the aim to reduce or eliminate family…
10 Reasons To Use a Solicitor When You Divorce
The Christmas and New Year period are traditionally thought to be a happy time when family and friends reunite, but it can add to the pressures when a marriage is in trouble. Couples who feel their marriage is nearing an end may find themselves putting matters off until the New Year for the benefit of…
Legislation planned to bring an end to the blame game in divorces
Under the existing legislation, the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, individuals seeking to obtain a divorce have to rely on one of the five available facts to prove that there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Two facts that are commonly encountered and relied upon in practice are that of unreasonable behaviour and adultery…
Pre-nuptial and Post-nuptial agreements
A marriage, as much as we all want it to last forever, sometimes it just doesn’t. More couples now are taking the practical approach of preparing for such an unfortunate event by drawing up pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. The nuptial agreements provide clarity, certainty and protection to both parties in relation to their assets and…
Child Rights For Unmarried Fathers
Parental Responsibility: in England and Wales this is automatically acquired by the father if he is married to the mother of the child, or if he is named as the father on the child’s birth certificate. Parental responsibility is a legal status defined as “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law…
Can I Get Legal Aid For A Child Arrangements Order Application?
Legal Aid can be available to pay towards legal costs for advice and representation. There are strict criteria applied to the granting of legal aid There are three main considerations when the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) assess a legal aid application: Scope: the proceedings must be within the scope of legal aid, as some legal…
Forced Marriage Victims Abroad Charged Fee to Return to UK by Foreign Office
An investigation found that 82 victims of forced marriage between 2016 and 2017 had to pay for living costs incurred between making distress calls, returning home and airfare. Other victims received loans from the Foreign Office. In order to receive the loan, victims had to give up passports as a condition- until the debt was…
Domestic Abuse Best Practice Framework Extended Across England and Wales
Prosecution rates have improved by nearly 10% using techniques developed in pilot projects over the past two years in London, Nottingham and Yorkshire since 2016. The measures set to boost conviction rates will now be adopted nationally by the CPS across England and Wales starting January. The new scheme, known as the domestic abuse best…
Children Conceived Through Rape and Subjected to Care Proceedings
Rotherham Child Exploitation Scandal Sammy Woodhouse is a survivor of the Rotherham Child Exploitation scandal. Recently she campaigned to the media that Rotherham council, had sought to involve her child’s father. Her child had been conceived by rape. Arshid Hussain was jailed for 35 years in 2016. Arshid Hussain was not on the child’s birth…
UK Forced Marriage Prosecutions
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 In 2014, legislation was introduced to tackle forced marriage in the UK. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 amended the Forced Marriage Civil Protection Act 2007, and Family Law Act 1996. It became stringent; criminalising those who breach Forced Marriage Protection Orders. Since the new…
Domestic Abuse: Myths Vs Facts
Common misconceptions surrounding domestic abuse tend to be based on stereotype and myth. Perceptions can be perpetuated by media and society. These myths are unrelated to the reality and extent of domestic abuse, and furthermore harms victims. The myths below tend to blame the victim, rather than holding the perpetrator accountable. This information aims to…
Forced Marriage Recognised as Modern Slavery: Changes in Policy?
NGO Charities warn that thousands of victims across the UK live in conditions matching modern slavery. Under the freedom of information act, figures collected by the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation revealed 3,546 reports between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, another NGO charity, Karma Nirvana took approximately 9,000 calls on the forced marriage helpline,…
What Does The Law Say About Leaving Kids Home Alone During Summer Holidays?
By Law, are parents allowed to leave kids home alone during the holidays? The six week summer holiday has rolled around for our children once again. For many families this is a carefree joyous period, no different than any other part of the year. Whilst for others, this time will be difficult to manage. Juggling…
Legal Aid in Family Law Cases
In the past, Legal Aid was available for all types of family law matters. This changed in 2013, when new rules were introduced. We often receive enquiries which ask if Legal Aid can be obtained for a particular issue, and so here Gillian Colquhoun, a Solicitor in our Family Legal Aid department, takes a look…
Treated with Contempt: A Warning from the Family Court
A recent case which has seen an 83 year old man sent to prison for contempt of court offers a stark warning to litigants who may be tempted to treat proceedings less seriously than they ought. John Hart had been ordered to transfer his shares in a property development company to his ex-wife. Though he…
Divorce and Dissolution: Ways to an End
The terms “divorce” and “dissolution” are often used interchangeably. No matter what the semantics, the end result is that the marriage or civil partnership comes to an end. In order to obtain a divorce or dissolution, you must have been married or in the civil partnership for at least 12 months before the issue of…