words Alexa Wang
If your relationship is going through a rough patch, then you might be thinking about how you can part ways with minimal friction and disruption. Where children are involved, this becomes especially important. Let’s take a look at the paths forward provided by UK law.
Know Your Rights: What’s Changed in Family Law
One of the more challenging aspects of family law in the UK is that it continuously evolves. In 2024, the introduction of ‘no-fault’ divorces made it possible for couples to split up without assigning blame to one party or another. This has helped to make the process less acrimonious and has helped both parties to avoid material risk.
Increasingly, couples are turning to ADR (that’s alternative dispute resolution) in order to mediate the split calmly and cost-effectively. There are many different kinds of ADR available, including arbitration and mediation. What they all have in common is the absence of formal court proceedings. A good family lawyer can guide you through the process, which is why it’s best to get one involved early.
Divorce and Your Finances: What You Need to Know
Divorce can be an expensive business.Cost-of-living pressures, according to recent polling, have caused around 272,000 people (that’s around 13% of all divorcees) to delay their proceedings because of money worries.
Divorce can impose direct and indirect costs. The former might take the form of legal fees, while the latter might stem from diminished earning potential, and increased day-to-day costs.
It’s vital that couples seek financial advice as early into the process as possible. This might aid your plans for the future, and help you to avoid falling into financial difficulty.
Speaking Up: Domestic Abuse and Fair Settlements
Divorce proceedings often gloss over the impact of financial and emotional abuse. This is particularly pernicious when the affected party fails to raise the issue during the proceedings. It’s therefore essential to advise your legal representatives that the relationship was abusive. This will allow you to benefit from the legal protections afforded to you.
Patience and Planning: Navigating the Family Court System
Divorce is often not just a costly process, but a painfully slow one. It’s vital that you enter into your divorce in full awareness of how long it might take, and of the possibility of delays to your final settlement. Some couples end up waiting for years on end before the settlement finally goes through – and, in many private cases, legal aid is no longer available. The only exceptions tend to stem from abusive relationships, child abduction, and the risk that one party might become homeless.
