Family Law Matters

  • Articles, information and news on many areas of Family Law.

    Jo Spain, Family Law Solicitor (Photo)

    Written by Family Law Solicitor, and Partner, Jo Spain.

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Pensions

Civil Partnerships – what are they...

Over the past year or so  the media has made much of the new “same-sex marriages”.  By March 2006 6,516 same-sex couples had “married” and even celebrities like Elton John have now tied the knot.

So what is this new phenomena and why is it now possible?

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New Year, New Start?

The crackers have all been pulled, the turkey eaten and the presents all unwrapped.  Its time to make your New Year's Resolutions.

But do your New Year's Resolutions include a new life without your spouse?

Often people consider separation at this time of year, but sometimes you can be uncertain as to your next steps?

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Safer Cohabiting

Last month I looked at the myth of the Common Law spouse and the fact that cohabiting couples do not have the same protection as married couples if the relationship breaks down or one of them dies.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

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Do you think you are a Common Law Spouse?

More and more people are choosing to live together without being married.  Sometimes they have children together, often they jointly own a house and they may have joint savings or investments.

In fact, currently, 2 million couples live together in Britain without being married*.

But what happens if these relationships break down or if one of the partners dies?  Surely the other partner has acquired rights in their property and has a right to make claims through the Courts if they have lived together for 2 years, or 5 years or longer?

This is the myth of the “Common Law Spouse”.

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