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When assessing what child maintenance one parent has to pay to the other then the Child Maintenance Service (known as the CMS) will refer to the Pay as You Earn tax information held by the HMRC tax office. That information confirms what salary the paying...
A divorce pension report is a specialised financial document prepared by a qualified Pension on Divorce Expert – sometimes abbreviated to a PODE - to assess and value the pension assets available to both parties in a marriage or civil partnership. The...
Something is going on I am being inundated with the following new client enquiry. Client : Hello, I'd like some information please about financial orders and clean breaks. Solicitor : What is the situation? Client : We have separated and...
Vanity Fair recently reported that Melania Trump has renegotiated her pre-nuptial agreement (we'll call them pre-nups) with Donald Trump as a result of his various legal woes. Her actions should be seen as a timely reminder that pre-nups need to be...
Alongside all the challenges, there is at least some good news, with a valuable change in the way divorcing couples are taxed. Since April 2023 there has been a new timetable on capital gains tax reliefs when couples break up. While together,...
Divorce applications rose by 20 per cent in the year following the introduction of no-fault divorce, according to figures from the Ministry for Justice. But while the headline process may be easier, couples going through the legal stage of break-up are...
Special Contributions Divorcing business owners often, and quite naturally, want their greater financial contribution to the family pot to be taken into account when it comes to sharing matrimonial capital. It can be very difficult to succeed in such...
Tough economic conditions and spiralling costs are expected to add to the pressure on couples facing the Christmas period. The new year often brings news of the unhappy couples who have decided to call time on their relationships, leading to so-called ...
Many people will be wondering what a recession will mean for their future plans. Some will be reconsidering whether to move house or extend their home. Others will be debating whether to go ahead with that expensive holiday next year or upgrade the...
Directors often assert that post-separation business income and wealth generation is a result of their own efforts and should therefore be protected from being shared with other matrimonial assets. The recent judgement in DE v FE EWFC 71 [2022] ...
When the chips are down and divorce is the only card left to play, tax planning is unlikely to be top of the list for many couples. But failing to transfer assets at the right time may result in unexpected charges for capital gains tax, eating into...
Domestic abuse is not just physical and psychological harm – it also includes financial harm. Financial abuse is the use or misuse of finances to exert control over a victim now and in the future, restricting their freedom and dignity. It is...
If you have recently divorced, you may be trying to come to terms with what happens next. Going through the divorce process can be challenging, and even after you have come to an agreement in relation to financial issues, there may still be matters left...
The Law governing how to get a divorce changes on 6 April 2022. The rules have been changed to avoid conflict and simplify the divorce process. The headline change is that all you have to do to qualify for a divorce is to tick a box on the...
Chattertons Solicitors & Wealth Management are delighted to announce the appointment of family lawyer Neil Denny as Partner in the Family Law department, based at our Lincoln office. Neil brings with him over 20 years of experience as a family...
Divorce is never easy, and for many, it can be made even more stressful by having to give a reason why one of spouses is to blame for the divorce (such as adultery or unreasonable behaviour). However, from April 2022, divorce law is changing. Soon,...
Chattertons Family Law team are offering parents a free digital guide that contains advice and information to help them put children first during a separation or divorce. The Parenting Through Separation Guide is written by family professionals and...
Where disputes arise between separated parents about the arrangements for children following the breakdown of a relationship feelings can run high and parents experiencing the turmoil of separation are often faced with conflicting emotions about what is...
Legal Aid is a type of government funding that can be used to help cover the cost of receiving legal advice. Chattertons do not take on Legal Aid cases , however, there are firms that do and a quick internet search should point you in their direction....
Here at Chattertons we understand that the COVID-19 pandemic may have severely impacted upon all your relationships with family and friends, but perhaps more so adversely affected your relationships with your grandchildren, whilst you have been trying to...
Divorce professionals are reporting that cryptocurrencies are fuelling a new trend of asset concealment when couples part. While offshore trusts and investments are well-known as tools used by the wealthy looking to hide assets, the increasing appeal...
With the COVID-19 vaccine being quickly rolled out across the UK, there are concerns among some about the long-term impact and side effects of the vaccine. As a result, some are reluctant to get the vaccine themselves or let their children be vaccinated. The...
With over 18's now able to access their Covid-19 vaccination the issue of vaccinating children has become ever more present, but what happens when parents are unable to agree on whether or not to consent to their child or children receiving the...
A separation can be a tough time for anyone, but where do you start if you are considering divorce proceedings, or have been served with a divorce petition by your partner, or you are struggling to agree on the best arrangements for your children and are...
If you live with your partner, or considering moving in together, you may have thought about a cohabitation agreement . But do you actually need one? There is, of course, no legal requirement to have a cohabitation agreement to live with a partner, but it...
Under a child maintenance arrangement, child maintenance is usually paid by the parent who does not have day-to-day care of the child or does not usually live with the child. If this payment is not forthcoming, the receiving parent could launch a civil legal...
The end of the Brexit transition period has had well-publicised effects on divorce for international couples, with changes in rules regarding where parties can get divorced. Impact of Brexit on pensions in a divorce Pensions are frequently...
The Chancellor has announced a range of measures to support the victims of domestic abuse in the Budget. Mr Sunak announced that there would be an extra £19 million spent to help victims of domestic violence as he recognised that abuse is one of the...
Family businesses are often described as the lifeblood of the economy and while many are hugely successful, running a business with a relative is not always plain sailing. Relationships can quickly sour, especially when money and livelihoods are at...
In England and Wales, divorce was in decline between 2005 and 2015. The most recent 10 years of data available from the ONS showed a 28% fall in the number of divorces in that decade. However, older people were seen to be bucking the trend. In the same...
Separating from your spouse can be a difficult time emotionally, however it can also cause a great deal of financial difficulty if one party is the 'breadwinner'. It can take considerable time to resolve financial matters on a final basis so what can...
There is no doubt that the one of the results of lockdown has been the pressure that it has put on families and relationships, and for some those pressures have become so intense that they have lead to separation or divorce. The effect on the family of...
Same-sex couples have been able to marry in England and Wales from March 2014. Since then, the number of divorces of same-sex couples has increased each year from very small numbers in 2015 to more than 800 in 2019. This reflects the increasing size of...
The 30 th November 2020 sees the start of the annual Good Divorce Week. Each year Resolution raises awareness of their members and the work that they do while upholding the Resolution Code of Practice. Resolution is a community of family justice...
When parents separate arrangements inevitably need to be made to enable the children to maintain a good relationship with each parent. There are different ways that this can be done. Arrangements can be made informally between the parents if they each agree...
Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic there has been a global surge in reports of domestic abuse, there has been a marked increase in calls to helplines and evidence suggests that the incidents are becoming more complex and serious. Not only have there been...
There are concerns that the latest spike in coronavirus transmissions may see more relationships taking a hit, after a surge in divorce enquiries following the nationwide lockdown. Back to school traditionally sees a peak in petitions for...
Many people are now facing the prospect of having to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return from foreign travel. For separated parents who are travelling with children this may create additional difficulties where the other parent has remained in the UK....
Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse , includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse in relationships or between family members. The issue of Domestic Violence has come to the fore in the press following the restrictions imposed as a result...
The COVID-19 outbreak has required organisations all over the world to adapt to new ways of working. Our family courts are in the same position and, as an essential service, they must adopt modern technology to continue to function. If you need to attend a...
Here at Chattertons we understand that the COVID-19 pandemic shall have only served to intensify any cracks in your relationships and any disagreements regarding the care of your children. We appreciate...
COVID-19 CLIENT NOTICE Chattertons are open and we are working hard to provide our usual high standard of service to our clients. We are now able to see clients for essential meetings, by appointment only. Most of our advisors are working...
Chattertons Solicitors are open for business. However we are following government recommendations and would encourage you not to visit any of our offices except by prior arrangement. We are closely monitoring the developments of COVID-19 and are...
The Split: Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not just for high profile cases Currently airing on BBC at the moment is TV drama "The Split". Featuring in the show are Fi and Richie Hansen, a rich and famous celebrity couple who entered into a...
Like many others, I very much welcomed the news that the first heterosexual couple; Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, had entered into a civil partnership following last year's ruling by the Supreme Court. After a five year struggle, the ruling led...
According to the Office for National Statistics in 2017 there were 3.3 million cohabitating families in the United Kingdom and is it anticipated that these figures will rise. The law does not give cohabitees the same rights as married couples and...
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill received its first reading on 13 June. It will receive its second reading on a date to be announced. The Bill will establish 'no fault' divorce, which is something that campaigners have lobbied...
What is a no-fault divorce? January and the aftermath of the festive season can, unfortunately, be a peak time for divorce petitions. And there’s arguably more interest than usual this year. That's because the government has now completed a...
Many people may be lulled into a false sense of security after they obtain a Divorce from their spouse. Few realise that unless divorcing parties obtain a Financial Order from the Court, financial claims remain open against them. For that reason, it is...
International surrogacy arrangements have received very bad press in recent times. The proliferation of stories involving immigration complications, debates over exploitation and lengthy delays in establishing parentage, may have resulted in would-be parents...
