When the marriage of a wealthy couple broke up, the English court had the opportunity to consider the impact of two pre-nuptial agreements the couple had made before they wed. The couple, both Swedes, married in 2000 and had had…
It is not uncommon for affection and trust to survive the end of a marriage – but legal advice is still almost always required to ensure a fair outcome. In one striking case, a woman who waited until almost 20…
The law often struggles to keep pace with technological developments, and artificial insemination (AI) cases are an illustration of the sorts of issues that arise. A recent case involved child custody arrangements when AI had been used to conceive a…
In a case which proved the wisdom of putting your affairs in order before it is too late, a High Court judge’s intervention was required to ensure that the £500,000 proceeds of a deceased father’s life insurance policy went to…
It is inevitable that those in receipt of court orders often consider them to be unjust – but that is never an excuse for failing to obey them. The High Court made that point in imposing a suspended prison sentence…
Divorce settlements are designed to provide certainty and finality so that people can get on with the rest of their lives. However, an important Court of Appeal decision has underlined that they can be modified after the event if circumstances…
Arbitration and mediation are often promoted as being quicker, less costly methods to resolve disputes than litigation, but they should be used with care, as a recent case shows. It involved a couple who divorced. Both had children by earlier…
Naming a child is usually viewed as every new parent’s prerogative. However, in a unique decision, the Court of Appeal has intervened to prevent a troubled mother naming her twin son and daughter ‘Preacher’ and ‘Cyanide’. The mother insisted that…
Divorce cases involving the very rich are over-represented in court reports for the simple reason that where the family is very wealthy, the costs of arguing over the division of the assets are deemed to be worth incurring, which may…
When a Saudi woman came to the UK on holiday with her son and claimed asylum here, alleging that she had been subjected to serious physical and sexual violence and threats of violence and death by her own family, there…