Prince Family Law are pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Kidd who joins our highly experienced Sheffield Team as part of our planned and ongoing expansion. Adam qualified as a solicitor in 2016 and since that date has specialised exclusively in family law with a particular emphasis on marital finance, international relocation and child […]
Maintenance. Mediation and the Family Court
Latest Child Maintenance Service statistics The Department for Work and Pensions has published its latest quarterly statistics for the Child Maintenance Service (‘CMS’), for the quarter to December 2020. The CMS deals with two types of child maintenance arrangements: Direct Pay and the Collect & Pay service. Direct Pay is where the CMS calculates the […]
Legal aid, asylum and domestic abuse
Parents without legal aid lose fight to keep child on life support The High Court has granted an application by a hospital trust for a declaration that it is in best interests of 9 month old brain-damaged child to have life-sustaining treatment withdrawn. The child was born last June without any heart rate, and other […]
Overweight children, more social workers and Cafcass figures
Children placed in foster care following concerns over their weight Two children, aged 16 and 13, have been removed from their parents’ care, after social services raised concerns that they were seriously overweight. Social services in West Sussex had tried to avoid removing the children by putting together a weight loss plan, including providing them […]
Public law, finalising agreements and controlling behaviour
Investigation into rise in public law cases published The President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, has welcomed and endorsed the publication of a report into the increase in public law children cases (i.e. children cases involving social services) by the President’s Public Law Working Group (‘PLWG’). The report made 47 recommendations, aimed at […]
Financial Remedies Courts and domestic abuse
Financial Remedies Courts roll-out completed The President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane has announced that the roll-out of the new specialist Financial Remedies Courts (‘FRCs’) has been completed across England and Wales. The courts were first proposed in 2016, after which a pilot scheme was set up to test them out. The pilot […]
A rent claim, lockdown divorce and refuge addresses
Husband fails in claim for rent from wife A husband who claimed £600,000 rent from his former wife has had his case dismissed by the Court of Appeal. The couple had lived in a five bedroomed house in Kensington, which was owned by the husband. The marriage broke down and in 2014 the husband moved […]
Domestic abuse, similar fact evidence and child abuse
Domestic Abuse Bill progresses The Government’s Domestic Abuse Bill has received its second reading in the House of Lords. The purpose of the Bill is to raise awareness and understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on victims, to further improve the effectiveness of the justice system in providing protection for victims of domestic abuse […]
Hearing starting times and a brain damaged child
President concerned at long court hours The President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane has expressed concern over widespread reports of family court hearings starting as early as 8am or as late as 4.30pm, in response to the pressure of the backlog of cases, exacerbated by the closure of courts due to the pandemic. […]
A restraint order, a rent demand and ex-wives’ incomes
Court restricts father’s right to make further applications The High Court has extended an order restraining a father from making further applications to the court regarding his children. In November 2018 Mrs Justice Knowles made an Extended Civil Restraint Order (‘ECRO’) with respect to the father, who had made seven applications for permission to appeal […]
