A report has been published on 7th November 2024 recommending wholesale reform to the process of adoption in the UK.
    In cases where establishing biological parentage is necessary - whether for personal, legal, or identity-related reasons - individuals may apply to...
    In October 2021 it was decided that journalists and legal bloggers should be able to report on what they see and hear in court, subject to strict...
    Proceedings concerning children after parents have separated can be an extremely challenging time for everyone involved. A whirl of emotions can make...
    Porter Dodson is pleased to announce the appointment of Louise Minifie as a Senior Associate at their recently relocated Exeter office. Louise brings...
    Care proceedings are usually a very confidential process. Without a jury or a public gallery like various other legal proceedings, the only people...
    A Prohibited Steps Order prevents a person, typically a parent, from a certain activity in relation to a child and from exercising their parental...
    The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be a cherished and vital part of family life, offering emotional support, stability, and...
    In 2019 I wrote a blog about parental alienation (linked here). It’s time for an update on where we are now 5 years on…
    The Office of National Statistics has recently announced that the number of people who are married or in a formal civil partnership has fallen, for...
    What is Parental Responsibility?‘Parental Responsibility’ or ‘PR’ is the bundle of rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and obligations that...
    If you are separated from your child’s other parent or are currently involved in Court proceedings regarding your children, and want to take the...
    The Local Authority may issue care proceedings when they have concerns that a child is at risk of significant harm. Examples of neglect Examples...
    Is DIY divorce worth the risk? The UK competition watchdog has announced that it intends to examine claims made by online divorce services in light...
    Porter Dodson Partner, Julia Perrins, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for services to legal practice at the recent Devon and Somerset Law...
    It can be very daunting attending court for the first time, especially during care proceedings. Care proceedings are a court process started by a...
    What is a PLO letter? A PLO letter will be sent to you if a Local Authority become concerned about your child’s wellbeing. The Local Authority will...
    Recent figures have indicated that, with over 3.5 million partners currently cohabitating in the UK, cohabiting (i.e. unmarried) Partners are the...
    John Lewis released it’s highly anticipated 2022 Christmas advert on 10th November. The British Department store used it’s iconic Christmas...
    Following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 in April this year, many people are choosing to issue their own...
    Family law is evolving all the time to meet the changing needs of our society and to keep pace with scientific progress. Parents need to be aware of...
    Marriage is certainly on the decline. Data from the office for national statistics shows that the latest marriage rates are the lowest on record....
    On 6th April 2022, radical changes to the law on divorce came into force when the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was finally...
    Porter Dodson, has been ranked once again in Chambers UK (2022).
    On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding no-fault divorce. Read more in our blog post: No-fault...
    What is parental alienation? Parental alienation involves the psychological manipulation of a child by one parent against the other, without any...
    Are you considering a prenuptial agreement? According to a recent survey*, if you’re under 25, the answer is yes. Of the 136 respondents aged between...
    On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding no-fault divorce. Read more in our blog post: No-fault...
    Resolution is a group of family lawyers, and other professionals, that promotes a non-confrontational approach to resolving family disputes. Members...
    When couples divorce, if they are unable to agree on how their assets should be split, the Court can be asked to determine how their resources should...
    There are two ways to bring an end to a marriage – annulment or divorce. While a divorce legally ends a marriage, an annulment declares the marriage...
    How often have you read in the news about celebrities and footballers achieving a “quickie divorce”? In fact, there is no such thing – not even for...
    The World Mental Health Organisation has designated 10th October each year as a day to raise awareness for mental health and for people/businesses in...
    Collaborative law is an alternative way of dealing with divorce, children issues and the resolution of financial matters following the breakdown of a...
    Cohabiting couples are the fastest growing family type in the UK, with approximately 3.3 million in 2016. Unmarried partners often assume they enjoy...
    Following the implementation of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 on 6 April 2022, if you wish to start a divorce you can do so based...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    When it comes to deciding who keeps what following a divorce, some personal belongings, often termed as ‘chattels’, are more emotive than others....
    With the introduction of workplace pensions, pension benefits are fast becoming one of the most valuable assets that will need to be taken into...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    Common law marriage is fake news A ‘common law marriage’ does not exist. It is a myth, a figment of the imagination, a fiction, a nonsense: it does...
    The divorce process is stressful enough. Many do not realise that obtaining a divorce does not bring to an end the financial links between divorcing...
    Although bothmediation and collaborationare alternative methods of resolving issues betweendivorcingand separating couples, they differ...
    This blog post relates to previous divorce laws. On 6 April 2022, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 was implemented, heralding...
    A recent hearing before High Court Judge Peter Jackson flagged up the often very difficult decisions the Family Court is forced to make when parents...
    Following on from our previous blog piece regarding the difference between Divorce and Judicial Separation, here we explain how to achieve a Legal...