What are the Different Types of Family Trust?
A family trust is a legal mechanism by which an individual can financially cater for their loved ones, essentially controlling how their family is to inherit their legacy, either during that individual’s own lifetime or upon their death. But what are the different types of family trust? Below we consider family trusts in more detail, […]
Family Trusts Explained
The family trust can be an effective way of making financial provision for your loved ones, both during your lifetime and after you die. This type of trust can be used for all sorts of different reasons, from helping to fund a child’s education to mitigating the cost of care home fees or inheritance tax. […]
Does a Family Trust Protect Assets?
Family trusts are commonly used for a number of reasons, not least to help protect valued assets, such as the family home or hard-earned investments, for both existing and future generations. But does a family trust protect assets effectively? What exactly are the pros and cons of a family trust within the context of asset […]
Family Trust – What is it?
The following guide to family trusts considers what these are, how they work and when you might consider setting one up, not least in the context of financial planning for the future, both during your lifetime and after you die. Family Trust – what is it and why would I need one? A family trust […]
Family Trust Disadvantages
The family trust, when used for the right reasons at the right time, can be an effective way of preserving and protecting personal assets for the benefit of loved ones, both during your lifetime and after you die. That said, as with any type of trust, there can also be a number of drawbacks to […]
Setting up a Family Trust
Setting up a family trust can be an effective way of controlling your personal assets during the course of your own lifetime and upon your death, ensuring that you have a say in exactly who benefits from your hard-earned wealth. It can also be a good way of protecting and preserving that wealth for generations […]
Using Bare Trusts for Grandchildren
Trusts are not simply the preserve of the wealthy, but are also commonly used by families of relatively modest means looking to make provision for their loved ones, either now or in the future. In particular, the trust can be a useful mechanism for a grandparent to invest money on behalf of their grandchildren, typically […]
How Does Domestic Violence Affect Child Custody?
When there have been instances of domestic violence, this further complicates the issue of child custody between separating parents. It becomes even more challenging to decide on the issue of child custody as the focus needs to be not only on the safety of the child, but also on the safety of the parent who […]
Making a Joint Custody Agreement
Joint custody, or joint residency as it is referred to in the UK Children’s Act 1989, is a legal decision regarding where the child or children of separated couples will live. Joint custody does not necessarily indicate a 50/50 split for the parents, it is simply that both parents have the child living with them […]
Child Arrangements Order Breach: Enforcing Your Rights
A breach of a child arrangements order is where one party has failed to comply with a condition specified in that order. This may be a relatively minor breach, or a culmination of breaches, for example, failing to adhere to set times for contact to take place. The breach may, however, be much more serious, […]
Paternity Test FAQs
There are a number of reasons why you may seek a paternity test, from a dispute over child maintenance to securing child contact through the courts. Whether you have decided to get a paternity test for peace of mind, or a test has been ordered by the Child Maintenance Service or the courts, this guide […]
Divorce in England & Wales: What Does the Law Say?
Divorce is the formal process by which a marriage is officially brought to an end by the court. The party to the marriage who files for divorce is known as the petitioner, while the respondent is the individual petitioned against and therefore responding to those proceedings. By filing a petition to terminate the marriage, the […]
How to Make an Application to Vary a Child Arrangement Order
While a child arrangement order is most commonly sought by one or both parents following a separation, there may be circumstances where the non-biological parent of a child, another relative or the child’s legal guardian may seek to change an existing order. This may be because one or both parents or legal guardians have passed […]
Grounds for Civil Partnership Dissolution
To apply for a civil partnership dissolution, you must provide the court with relevant legal grounds for the partnership to be brought to an end. Grounds for civil partnership dissolution In England and Wales, as with divorce, there is no system of no-fault dissolution. You cannot simply state that you have fallen out of love […]
Filing for Divorce (Guide to the Divorce Process)
In England or Wales you can file for divorce if you have been married for at least one year and your relationship has irretrievably broken down. The following is a general guide to the process of filing for divorce, and the key legal considerations when completing the initial petition through to applying for a decree […]
What is a Mesher Order?
There are many ways the family home can be dealt with as part of divorce proceedings. One such outcome is a Mesher Order, or an order for deferred sale. A Mesher Order is a court order delaying the sale of the matrimonial home when a couple are divorcing. Under a Mesher Order, the property is […]
What are the Grounds for Divorce?
To apply for divorce, you will have to show there has been an irretrievable break down in your marriage. This is the only ground for divorce under current law in England and Wales and it must be evidenced in the divorce petition by reference to at least one of five ‘facts’. 5 Facts that establish […]
Divorce Solicitors (and What I should Expect from Them!)
Divorce is not an easy journey for many couples when there are important decisions to be agreed over financial assets and potentially children. So achieving the right outcomes are essential. With the support of a good Divorce Solicitor, potential pitfalls can be overcome and the stress involved in ending your marriage or civil partnership be […]
How Long Does a Divorce Take?
There can be many contributing factors which can impact how long your divorce will take; if there are children involved, if your spouse is contesting the divorce and what is at stake financially. Some Solicitors will suggest a divorce can take anywhere from 16-24 weeks where there are no complications, which could extend up to […]
What is Ancillary Relief?
Getting a divorce or dissolving a civil partnership can be an extremely difficult time for all parties involved, not least sorting out the financial aspects of your separation. Any financial arrangements will need to be approved, if not resolved, by the courts though the process of ‘ancillary relief’. This basic guide to ancillary relief provides […]