Bridget Garrood – Senior Consultant Solicitor – Divorce/ Finance/ LGBT+ Specialist
From a legal point of view living together is very different from being married.
When a legal marriage ends, the court is able to make decisions to ensure that there are fair arrangements for assets/savings/pensions/properties and for income (including the payment of maintenance).
There is a lot about divorce on this website.
The legal position of those who live together outside of legal marriage is very different. Those who live together outside of marriage (Cohabitants) can still refer to themselves being common-law husbands and wives. This is not a legal status.
When cohabitants separate – the law can be very harsh when deciding what obligations one can have to the other.
This is particularly the case if the couple plan to buy a house together or to have children together or they intend to rely on the future pension prospects of one of the couple from both – or if one wishes to rely in any way on the possibility that the other would provide them with financial assistance in the future including if they separate.
Over the years we have seen individuals getting into all sorts of difficulty by not taking legal advice prior to cohabitation and not taking necessary steps to protect themselves.
It is a common concern that on divorce wives fare worse financially than husbands. The main argument goes that even today in most marriages husbands are the ‘primary’ breadwinner, and that as a result wives have, on average
Read more
Some argue that the New Year is the busiest time of the year for new divorces, with many people apparently deciding to ‘do away with the old’ and make a new start in life by getting divorced.
Read more
As we prepare to say a perhaps not-so-sad farewell to the difficult year 2020, it is time to look forward to the year to come. Of course, much of what may happen in the world of family law in 2021 will have to wait to be seen.
Read more
It is traditional at this time of year to look back over the previous twelve months and reflect upon what has happened, although many will not wish to look back at the year 2020. It has, to say the least, been a difficult year.
Read more
Despite the challenges in the wider world, 2020 has been an incredible year for us as a practice. We have moved office, and pretty much doubled in size as a business. We have also been recognised in the Legal 500 as being a leading family
Read more
A group of family justice experts has published a report outlining proposals to deliver what it calls “a significant and ambitious programme of reform” of the system for resolution of disputes between separating couples in England and Wales
Read more
We are absolutely delighted to welcome Alice Beck to our team. Alice joined us today from fellow Devon Legal 500 Practice – Kitsons. Alice trained with Kitsons and upon qualification chose to specialise in family law.
Read more
Anyone involved in financial remedy proceedings to sort out the financial settlement on divorce will come across the term ‘FDR’. But what does it mean? Well, for a start it has nothing to do with a certain famous American President.
Read more
Christmas can be a notably fraught time for separated families with young children. Both parents want to spend as much time as possible with the children, and everyone is determined to have a good time.
Read more
When parents separate they will have to sort out arrangements for their children, in particular as to what time the children will spend with each parent. Hopefully, they will be able to do this by agreement. But if they can’t agree matters
Read more
Family court proceedings can be expensive. That is why every reasonable effort should be made to resolve family disputes out of court. But sometimes this is simply not possible.
Read more
We are very sorry to announce the retirement of David Howell-Richardson. David joined us as a consultant solicitor in April 2018 after a long legal career in Devon – predominantly with Stones Solicitors in Exeter (who eventually merged wit
Read more
