Archive for the ‘Family Law’ Category

Solicitor legal advice on 3 Must-Know tips for a side hustle! | Lawyer4U

Saturday, August 17th, 2019

Want help in solicitor legal advice? Lawyers4U is ready to offer legal advice on your legal matters to help you comprehend the lawful limitations to live a hassle-free life.  In this blog post, we will discuss how to handle tax situations. Let’s get started…

As tax season gets into full swing and every individual gear up for that. But what about for those individuals who fall somewhere in between traditional 9 to 5 jobs while also running a small business that generates income on the side? Being a side hustler comes with its own set of tax requirements and special considerations that may not be relevant for those who solely run their own business or else solely work a traditional 9 to 5 jobs. If you are one of them, these must-know tax tips are for you:

  1. Comprehend your business tax obligations- Whether you are a freelancer or have a formally structured business such as an LLC or C-Corp, any person who brings in self-employment income not covered by a traditional employee W-2 is expected by the IRS to make regular estimated tax payments. To determine your estimated tax obligations for the current year, Solicitor legal advice using the estimated tax calculation worksheet within the form as a guide.

  2. Use a separate business bank account and credit card- you have likely heard it before, but the importance of using a separate business bank account as well as a credit card for your business expenses can’t be overstated especially when you have a side hustle. Solicitor legal advice from Lawyers 4 U always states that keep a separate business bank account and credit card under the name of your business and vow to use those accounts for business-related expenses to avoid confusion.

  3. Maintain your bookkeeping monthly to avoid tax-time stress – When you have a side hustle in addition to the standard income, tax time is already stressful enough. But if you haven’t been maintaining precise books for your business throughout the year, the tax season stress can instantly escalate. As per Lawyers 4 U’s solicitor legal advice, you should be maintaining your business accounting through an online tool.

If you have more doubts then you can speak over the phone with the professional barrister and get a piece of deep advice on your tax handling matters. We offer professionally tailored barrister advice online that will immediately let you understand your case in no time. For more information go through this page and navigate thoroughly to find your answers.

How to Get Legal Advice Online in the UK! Ask Experts at Lawyers4U.org

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

Ask a question online and get legal advice online in the UK from experienced lawyers from Lawyers4U.org! Talk to the lawyer on the phone and get legal advice online in minutes. Submit the request in your own words!

Briefly describe your issue or the situation for which you are seeking legal advice online without disclosing any confidential information. Don’t name the actual individuals, organizations, or corporate entities who may be involved.

Why Trust Lawyers4U.org for Getting Legal Advice Online

We, at Lawyers4U.org, will forward your request to the appropriate experienced lawyers. The lawyers in our network have specified practice categories in which they have experience. When we receive your request, we will send it anonymously to the lawyers in the location you have specified who are qualified to handle your legal matter.

You receive personalized responses through e-mail. After you submit your request, you will receive email responses from our participating lawyers at Lawyers4U.org. These responses may contain some comments about your case, plus information about the responding lawyer, the firm, and contact information.

If there are no lawyers in the practice category and geographic location you have specified, you will be directed to another lawyer who can respond to your legal advice online queries.

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We support and care for every people willing to get legal advice online in the UK! Get in touch now!

Qualified Barristers delivering the fastest divorce law advice online! | Lawyers4U

Friday, June 14th, 2019

A divorce is a life-altering event and for numerous individuals, it is an emotionally charged situation. Why? The person whom you had loved and intended to share a life with is now going to be apart from you. Dissolving your marriage is a lengthy process. Issues of property division and child time sharing cause couples to have conflicts without a great deal of guidance when they are attempting to finalize their tactics moving forward.

Have you reached the heartrending decision to end your marriage and move on in your life? Are you reeling after a spouse or partner has filed for a divorce or else separation? Lawyers4U family law services are specially designed to help those who wish to present to the court an application, submission or else defense. Our divorce law advice online will help you out to know your rights and shares while you are separating from your loved ones.

Lawyers4U offers an extensive range of drafting services in the area of family law; especially the divorce law. Our expert team can handle all aspects of divorce as well as civil partnership dissolution, including the filling of applications and responses. As you know divorce and its associated financial wrangling can be extremely traumatic and expensive. But no need to be worried anymore because Lawyers4U will ease the burden by drafting to exact specification all the necessary legal documentation of your needs.

You just have to follow simple steps; browse through our website then at the bottom of the page you will find the section where all the rapid response advice is mentioned. Under this section you will find family law, clicking on it will take you the next page in which first appears the category called marriage and divorce law advice online. Select the category and then click on the button Get Legal Advice. Then you will get a QUESTION FORM consisting of many questions relating to your detailed information to be filled. Complete and submit the simple form in that page below, and you will get fast, confidential legal divorce law advice online from one of our fully qualified UK Barristers. If you are facing any type of family law problems and want any legal advice online, then simply browse us and get the answer to your desired questions. Lawyers4U is happy to help you 24/7 with its fastest online advice from qualified barristers. 

DIVORCE and SEPARATION: THE LEGAL PROCESS

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012

What is separation?
To be separated, all you have to do is live apart. There are many couples who decide not to divorce but you should carefully consider your options with a solicitor. It is commonplace to make a Deed of Separation to record any agreement regarding financial matters, children and plans to divorce or not. Care needs to be taken before signing any document as this could be relied upon if a divorce takes place at a later date. If you have both received legal advice, the court would prefer not to overturn the agreement at a later date provided that you had both been honest and there has not been any change in your circumstances.
When you are living apart, you are classed as separated by the Inland Revenue and by the Benefits Agency.

Is there an alternative to divorce?
Yes, this is a Judicial Separation. This is not so common but could be considered when there are religious objections to divorce. It follows the same court procedure as divorce and the court retains the power to settle financial disputes with the exception of pension splitting. The court can also settle any disputes regarding children. The main difference is that you no longer have any legal duty to live together but you cannot remarry. This should be carefully considered with your solicitor.

What do I have to do to get a divorce?

Grounds for divorce
You have to show the court that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This means that either one or both of you feel that you cannot stay married to each other. Either of you may apply to the court in England and Wales for the marriage to be dissolved as long as you have been married for one year at least and that one of you has been a resident here for the year before your application is made. (If either of you is not usually domiciled in England or Wales, we can refer you to ones with international experience.) The application to the court is called a Petition and the spouse who files (sends) the Petition is called the Petitioner. The other spouse is then called the Respondent. You need to prove one of the five following facts:

a) Adultery
Your husband or wife has committed adultery and you find it intolerable to live with him or her. In most cases you prove adultery by your husband or wife admitting it. If not, you will need to speak to your solicitor. (If you carry on living with your husband or wife for more than six months after you find out about the adultery, you will generally not be able to use this as grounds for divorce unless the adultery is continuing.)

b) Unreasonable behaviour
Your husband or wife has behaved in such a way that you cannot reasonably be expected to live with him or her. This covers all sorts of bad behaviour. You need to think about the main things that have made your husband or wife difficult to live with. These are summed up in the petition (the application for divorce) in a few short paragraphs. It is best not to get emotional and vindictive as this could hamper future negotiations. A good solicitor would aim to send a draft copy to your spouse’s solicitor for agreement.
As with adultery, you cannot rely on single events that took place more than six months before you file your petition, if you have lived together since then unless previous incidents have occurred.

c) Desertion
Your husband or wife has deserted you for a period of more than two years. Desertion means leaving your husband or wife without his or her agreement and without good reason.

d) Two years’ separation
You have lived separately for more than two years and your husband or wife consents to the divorce. This is often called a ‘no-fault’ divorce. You can have had periods of living together as long as they do not add up to more than six months and you have been apart for least two years altogether.

e) Five years’ separation
You have lived separately for more than five years. Your husband or wife does not need to agree to this. They cannot defend this Petition but they can ask the court not to grant the final decree because of a major financial or other type of hardship.

The facts described in a and b are the most used (over 70 per cent of cases) because with all the others you need to have lived apart for more than two years. Only the two year separation in paragraph d needs your husband or wife’s formal consent on the divorce papers. In practice both you and your husband or wife will need to agree that the marriage has broken down. If you file a Petition based on your husband or wife’s behaviour or adultery, it could be beneficial in the long run if you can both agree on the contents and therefore make sure that the petition will not be defended. A draft petition could be sent to the other solicitor for agreement. But in some circumstances, this is not possible and you should as ever be guided by your solicitor.

How long will it take?
This varies from court to court and from case to case, depending on the complexity of the case. As we have said, at best, it can take five to eight months but cases can drag on for considerable lengths of time. The assistance of an experienced family lawyer can help to reduce this stressful period of time when disputes about finances and children have to be considered together with the legal process. These are dealt with in our next section, Financial Aid.

What happens?
If there is a child of the marriage, or if there is a child who has been treated as such (child of the family), then a Statement of Arrangements about the child has to be filed as well. You should fill in details about the child’s school, the other parent and contact arrangements. This applies to any child under 16 and those over 16 who are in full-time education. Details should be checked with your solicitor.

All these documents have to be in a particular format and have to state specific things. It is therefore prudent to have the help of a solicitor although the courts can provide you with blank forms. The Petition has to set out details of one of the five facts that is being proven. The original marriage certificate has to be sent to the court at the same time with the court fee which is presently £300.

Then the court checks and processes the documents.
Then they send them in the post to the other party. This could take approximately four weeks. The other person will get the Petition, the Statement of Arrangements and a document in question and answer format, which has to be sent back to the court, called an Acknowledgement of Service Form. This should be done promptly.

Naming in adultery
You can name the other person with whom the adultery has taken place,
the Co-respondent, but this is probably best avoided as emotions will already be running high.
You may feel better by naming in the short term but in the long run it could add to your spouse’s grievances and perhaps make him unwilling to co-operate. It is satisfactory for the court to have this fact alone without the name. The Respondent should return the Acknowledgement of Service Form to the court within seven days of receiving the petition.

If the Respondent states that he or she wants to defend the divorce If this happens, then a document called an Answer has to be filed within 28 days of receiving the Petition. During this emotional time, the way you have described the reasons for the breakdown of the marriage could lead to more resentment, especially if you were both deciding to separate and your partner may want these to be rephrased. Again, finding the middle ground and avoiding extra confrontation could be better for all concerned as well as reducing the costs. As always, if you feel you want to defend the divorce, be guided by your solicitor. Sometimes this can just add to the costs. Having a specialist family law solicitor could save you time and money as well as stress.

The next step
When the court receives the Acknowledgement, it takes about three weeks to process this. Then you are sent a copy of this together with a copy of part IV the statement of arrangements for any child. You should also receive two blank copies of an Affidavit and an Application for directions.

Complete the Affidavit
You must complete this, preferably with the help of your solicitor who will then arrange for it to be sworn i.e. – that the contents of the Affidavit are true. Any other documents would also be sworn at this stage. You will also need to have your copy of the Acknowledgement. You could also take these to a local court and there would be no charge but the clerks is unable to give legal advice. When this is done and the Application for directions is signed and dated, you send this with the Affidavit to the court office. There is not a fee at this stage.

A judge will decide usually within four weeks of receiving the correct documents whether or not to grant the first decree of divorce which is called a

Decree Nisi.
If the district judge is satisfied that the grounds for divorce are proven and he does not have any queries, a date for the Decree Nisi would then be fixed. The courts review the arrangements for the children. If they are agreed, it is unlikely that the court will interfere. But if the documents sent to the court show that the arrangements are not agreed for the children, then the Petitioner and the Respondent may be asked to attend court. For further details see the article on children In this section.
The Decree Nisi will be pronounced by the court on the date fixed. Neither person has to attend the court. The Decree Nisi is the first of two decrees of divorce. It signifies that the ground for the divorce is proven and that the due process of law has taken place.
Six weeks and one day later (do not apply before), the Petitioner may apply for the second and final decree of divorce; this is called the Decree Absolute. When that is granted, the divorce has taken place. There is no hearing. The application to the court is made on a standard form with a court fee which is presently £40. On receiving the Decree Absolute, you are legally divorced and free to marry again if you so wish.

If the Petitioner does not apply for a Decree Absolute

This means that the Respondent can do so three months later. There has to be a brief hearing before a judge but the petitioner could oppose it, for example, when there are problems with a pension.
Read on In this section for information about children, short term planning, mediation, how to avoid the obstacles leading to settlement and beyond. We also introduce the new Collaborative law process. Please also read our next main section, Financial. Remember to check back in Emotions, Children/Parents and Health sections.

What if we can’t agree about money and/or children?
If after discussions with your solicitor and perhaps mediation or the Collaborative process, you are unable to agree, then you may be advised to proceed to court.

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LEGAL SEPARATION or DIVORCE

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012

What is The Difference Between a Legal Separation and Divorce?
Unlike divorce, a legal separation does not put an end to the marriage. During a legal separation, you have a court order that outlines the rights and responsibilities of each spouse while they are living apart. You remain legally married while choosing to live separate lives. Issues that can be addressed in a separation agreement are division of assets and debts, child custody and child support, visitation schedules and spousal support.

The Difference Between Legal Separation and Divorce
How to File for a Legal Separation
How to Behave During a Legal Separation

The same issues addressed during the divorce process are also addressed in a legal separation agreement. A legal separation can protect your interests until the decision is made to file for divorce. The separation agreement also sets a precedence for the divorce that may follow. If you divorce after a separation and your case goes to court, a judge is likely to assume that since you were satisfied with the legal separation agreement, the agreement should carry over to the divorce settlement agreement. For that reason, it is important that you come to a separation agreement you can live with long term.

Do I Need a Legal Separation Agreement?
The Financial Benefits of a Legal Separation Agreement?
Will I Receive Spousal Support During a Legal Separation?

Although a legal separation and divorce have, many things in common there are some advantages to obtaining a legal separation rather than a divorce. Those advantages include:

It allows couples time apart, away from the conflict of the marriage to decide if divorce is what they truly want.
It allows for the retention of medical benefits and certain other benefits that divorce would bring to an end.
If your religious beliefs conflict with the idea of divorce, you are able to live separately and retain your marital status for religious beliefs.
If you are a military spouse, you may wish to remain married for 10 years so that you can take advantage of benefits set up by the Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act.
Remaining married for 10 years or more also means being able to take advantage of certain social security benefits for a spouse.
If the decision to divorce is made, the legal separation agreement can be converted into a divorce settlement agreement.

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FAMILY LAW LEGAL GLOSSARY

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Absent Parent

This has caused some ill feeling. This term was used in the Child Support Act 1991 to refer to the parent not living in the same household as the child. Non-resident parent is now usually used.

access This is an old term which has been replaced by the term contact.

Acknowledgement of Service form Form

sent by the court to the respondent (and co-respondent if any) with the petition, with questions about his or her intentions and wishes in response to the petition. It has to be returned to the court thus establishing service of the petition.

Adultery

Sexual intercourse while you are married, at any time before a decree absolute, with someone of the opposite sex who is not your husband or wife.

Affidavit

A formal statement, sworn on oath to be true by the person making it. (These can often cause trouble as facts can sometimes get distorted or exaggerated. Solicitors and judges have probably read similar statements before. Try not to get too angry if you are on the receiving end and be guided by your solicitor.)

Ancillary Relief

A general term for the possible financial orders that a court can make in addition to a petition for divorce or judicial separation.

Answer

The formal defence to a divorce petition. Strict time rules apply here.

Application

A document giving broad details of the order sought from the court.

CAFCASS

The Children And Family Court Advisory And Support Services for England and Wales. You will meet one of these officers if you apply to the court for any order affecting your child, for example contact or residence.

Calderbank Letter

This used to be a solicitor’s ‘without prejudice’ letter which accompanied a settlement offer. If the offer was rejected and the same offer or less made at a hearing, there was a risk of having to pay the costs of the one who made the offer. NB This has now been stopped (April 2006) and the Courts now assume that each party will pay his/her own costs. But this is at the Courts’ discretion and a Judge can still order one party to pay the other’s costs under certain circumstances.

Care and Attention

If your case becomes more complex or has to be dealt with urgently, this is a term to describe the extra legal charge imposed by your solicitor.

Chambers

This is the name for the offices of barristers.

In chambers

This term is when the district judge or judge considers an application in private. This is less formal than open court.

charge

A charge on a property is like an additional mortgage. It gives the holder of the charge security as he has to be paid out of the proceeds of the eventual sale of the house. In family law, it is usually levied when there is a legal funding fee to be paid back and there isn’t enough capital in the settlement to do this.

Clean Break

A one-off order that deals with all the finances between a husband and wife. There can be no subsequent claim for any maintenance even if circumstances change.
(There can be no clean-break regarding children, this is just between spouses.)

Conciliation

This is a type of mediation usually in court which helps couples to sort out arrangements for children rather than financial issues. If it is outside of the court process,
it is usually known as mediation.

Conflict of Interests

Solicitors use this term when, for example, they are unable to represent you due to other professional relationships.

Consent Order

An order made by a court in terms agreed by both husband and wife.

Contact (formerly referred to as access)

The arrangement for the child to visit or stay with the parent who longer lives with the child. Indirect contact means the exchange of letters or phone calls. Contact orders can also be made in favour of others, for example grandparents.

Co-Respondent

The person with whom the respondent has committed adultery. It is no longer legally required for this person to be named and this can sometimes cause less acrimony.

Counsel

Another name for a barrister, e.g., a meeting with counsel.

Court Welfare Officer

The previous name for the person used by the court to prepare a report about the best interests of a child when there is a dispute. The new term is a CAFCASS reporter.

Cross-Decrees

When a decree is given to the petitioner on the basis of the petition and to the respondent on the basis of the answer.

Cross-Petition

This is when the respondent argues different grounds for the divorce from those of the petitioner.

Custody

No longer used.

Decree Nisi

A provisional order showing that the court is satisfied that the grounds for divorce have been established.

Decree Absolute

This is the final court order bringing the marriage to an end.

Directions for Trial

A time in the divorce proceedings when the judge considers the petition and affidavit and asks for further information to be provided if needed in his opinion before a decree nisi is pronounced. This is also a stage in the children’s applications when the district judge considers the statement of arrangements and asks for further evidence he may need before making any order.

Disclosure

The process of providing full financial details, including income, assets and liabilities. This is either done voluntarily, or the court can order it. This must be full and frank.

District Judge

A county court judge responsible for dealing with most aspects of divorce including the financial matters.

Domicile

The domicile of origin is normally where you are born unless a new domicile of choice is adopted by taking up permanent residence in another country.

Duxbury Calculation

A tool used in a clean break situation, a formula to calculate the lump sum necessary based on the amount of maintenance payable and life expectancy.

Equity

Refers to the net value of a property after mortgages or other charges are paid.

Exhibit

A document shown in court which is usually sworn with an affidavit.

ex parte

Usually an urgent application to the court which is made without prior notification to the other side.

Family Proceedings Court

A division of the Magistrates Court where family law matters are dealt with.

filing

When documents are left with the court for sealing and service.

Financial Dispute Resolution

Appointment Under the new financial procedures, this is the second court appointment when the judge considers all offers made including those on a without prejudice basis.

First Appointment

The first court meeting when the judge considers what other information is needed to determine financial matters.

Injunction

A court order which tells someone to refrain from doing something. Penalties for not abiding by the order can include imprisonment in some cases.

Intestacy

A term used when someone dies without making a will.

Judicial Separation

A court order ending in a decree of judicial separation which enables the court to make orders about finances and other orders similar to divorce cases.

Legal Aid

The old term for government help with legal fees based on financial eligibility and the merits of the case. Now replaced by Community legal Service funding.

Maintenance Application Form and Maintenance Enquiry Form

These are standard forms sent out to both parents by the CSA (Child Support Agency).

Maintenance Money

one spouse pays to the other for ongoing financial support on a regular basis, either just for the spouse or for children too.

Maintenance Pending Suit

If the divorce may take some time, temporary maintenance can be requested pending the end of the divorce.

Matrimonial Home (usually referred to as the ex matrimonial home)

A property where the married couple live together. It can either be rented or owned.

Matrimonial Home Rights

These are the rights of occupation of both spouses to live in the family home until the decree absolute. If there is domestic abuse or violence (refer to our articles in Child Aid and this section for information), you should seek immediate advice from your solicitor or the police as the courts have powers to alter this arrangement in some cases.

MacKenzie friend

this is a lay helper who can go with you into court, with the court’s permission, but he does not have the right to address the court directly or examine a witness.

Mediation

This is a method of coming to agreements about children and/or finances with the help of a trained mediator/s.

Minutes of Order

This is when draft terms of agreement go before the court with a request that a consent order be made in the same terms.

Mortgagee

This is usually a bank or building society, but it can be anyone, that lends you money to buy a property on the security of the property.

Mortgagor

This is the borrower who obtains the mortgage.

Nominal Order

This is an order for maintenance when it is not needed or cannot be paid under
present circumstances. This can cause some confusion but the order is made, say for 50 pence a year, so that if circumstances change, the court can review this order which remains on file.

Non-Molestation

This order is to prohibit someone assaulting, harassing or interfering with another person.

Non-Resident Parent

The CSA now uses this term instead of absent parent, meaning the parent living away from the child.

Occupation Order

An order which regulates occupation rights to the matrimonial home. A spouse can be excluded from the home or from a certain part of it.

Parental Responsibility

This means the rights and responsibilities that mothers and married fathers have to their children. This continues during and after the divorce process.
( Non-married fathers can acquire this through marriage to the child’s mother, through the courts or through a Parental Responsibility agreement, as can guardians and others.)

Parent with Care

A CSA term to denote the parent who has the child at home and provides day to day care.

Penal Notice

This is a court warning usually contained in a court order, notifying the
recipient that a breach of the order will result in committal to prison.

Pending Suit

This means while the divorce is in process and before the decree absolute.

Periodical Payments

Another term for maintenance.

Petition

This is the document requesting a divorce or a judicial separation.

Petitioner

The person who starts the divorce proceedings by filing the petition(leaving the documents at court).

Pleadings

Documents or formal statements summarising the issues of the case.

Prayer

The part of the petition or answer which asks the court to make orders in favour of the petitioner or respondent.

Prohibited Steps Order

This is a court order used to prohibit something being done to a child, being taken out of the country for example.

Property Adjustment Order

An order that a spouse should transfer a property to the other.

Qualifying Child

A CSA term meaning a child under 17 or under 19 if in full-time education.

Recovered or Preserved

Money or property gained or retained during legal proceedings.

Relevant Child

A child of the marriage under 16 at the time of the decree nisi or between 16 and 18 if in full-time education or training for a trade. A disabled and dependant child of any age is considered.

Reply

A document filed by the petitioner in response to to an answer.

Request for Directions

An application to the court for a decree nisi.

Reserved Costs

This is when a decision about costs will be made later during proceedings.

Residence Order

A court order made to say with whom the child will live.

Respondent

The spouse who receives the petition for divorce or judicial separation

Sealing by the Court

The court stamps a document filed at the court office or stamps an order or decree when issued.

Secured Provision

When an asset which provides income is put under the jurisdiction of trustees and used to provide maintenance.

Separation Agreement

A document setting out the terms agreed usually before divorce proceedings. A solicitor should be consulted before signing.

Service

The process by which court documents are formally sent to one spouse.

Special Procedure

When a divorce is undefended, the decree can be issued without either spouse having to appear at court.

Specific Issue Order

An order determining a specific issue relating to a child, for example when parents cannot agree about schooling or medical treatment.

Statement of Arrangements

The form sent to the court with the petition if there are any children. It sets out proposed arrangements for the children. If possible, this should be agreed between both parents and signed.

Statutory Charge

If you are receiving public funding (legal aid), this is the amount to be paid if the funding did not cover all your legal costs. Various rules apply.

Summons

A court demand for a person to appear in court at a specified time.

Undefended

divorce Proceedings by agreement or when there is no answer.

Without Prejudice

This is a way of preventing the court at the final hearing from knowing about any negotiations which did not result in an agreement. You may see this term at the start of a letter. Calderbank offers and their responses ,however, may be disclosed to the court on the question of costs.

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Bankruptcy and Divorce

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

The bankruptcy or threatened bankruptcy of a spouse during divorce proceedings can be worrying, but there is some protection for the non bankrupt spouse:

  • Property owned in the sole name of a non bankrupt spouse cannot be used to pay off the bankrupt spouse’s creditors;
  • Courts can order the sale of jointly owned property, such as the matrimonial home. If this happens the non bankrupt spouse will receive their share, although this may not be enough to buy another home for themselves and any children;
  • If the matrimonial home was jointly owned but has already been transferred to the non bankrupt spouse, the trustee in bankruptcy can apply to set aside any transfer made up to five years before the bankruptcy. However, a transfer will not normally be set aside if it was as a result of a divorce.

Although the non bankrupt spouse will still keep their own property and their share in any joint property, there may be nothing left for any child maintenance or spousal maintenance, as demonstrated by a recent high net worth divorce case.

In Young v Young, the couple married in 1995 and separated in 2006 with divorce proceedings starting a year later. They have two teenaged daughters. Towards the end of last year, Mr Young was ordered by the court to pay £27,500 per month in interim child and spousal maintenance. Mrs Young claimed her husband was worth over £400 million. Mr Young claimed to be in debt.

In September 2009 he was ordered to provide more details about his financial situation. He was given a suspended sentence for contempt of court and has since handed over 50 files of information to his wife’s solicitors. Due to his failure to pay interim maintenance, Mrs Young and their daughters were evicted from their rented property as she had fallen into rent arrears. They have since found another property. She has said that she has sold jewellery to help pay legal costs but owes a substantial amount in legal fees.

HMRC have since started bankruptcy proceedings against Mr Young. If he is made bankrupt, Mrs Young may end up with no spousal or child maintenance.

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Wills and Probate

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

The law sets out how Wills should be written and executed, i.e. signed and witnessed, in order for a Will to be valid.

Wills also need to be carefully drafted and written so that they properly reflect the wishes of the person making the Will and that there can be no doubt about the validity of the Will. Challenges to a Will later can be very costly and cause additional distress to loved ones already trying to adjust to bereavement. Some of the requirements for how a Will is executed include:-

  • The person making the Will must read and understand it;
  • Two witnesses must witness the signature of the person making the Will;
  • When the Will is ready to sign, it needs to be dated and signed by the person making the Will with their usual signature;
  • Witnesses do not need to read the Will;
  • Witnesses need only watch the person making the Will sign it;
  • When the person making the Will has signed in the presence of the witnesses, the witnesses must also sign and complete the required details.

Witnesses must be adults, i.e. over the age of 18. Witnesses should not be related to the person making the Will, be mentioned in the Will or be married to such people.

Lawyers4u recommend you sign your Will at our offices when you make a Will with us and we can provide valid witnesses so there is no requirement for you to find your own witnesses for your Will.

If a Will is not properly written and executed, this can result in the Will being challenged and declared invalid. This could mean that instead of an estate being distributed according to the wishes of the person making the Will, the estate could be subject to the rules of Intestacy. This means the estate will be treated as if the person making the Will had died without a Will and may not be distributed according to the deceased’s wishes.

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Defamation – Who can sue?

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

When it comes to taking action against those who have committed a defamation, everyone who has participated in or is responsible for the publication can be sued.

An example of this is if a freelance journalist wrote an article which is published in a newspaper and then found to be defamatory the following people may potentially be sued:

1. The freelance journalist
2. The editor
3. The publisher
4. The printer
5. The retailers who sell the newspaper

In practice however one action would be brought against the publisher, the editor and the journalist. Whilst it is unusual for an action to be brought against the printers or distributors it can happen (see John Major v Scallywag Magazine).

It is also important to remember that every time the defamatory statement is repeated, it gives rise to a fresh cause of action and each person that repeats it will be liable as though they were the original authors.

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Defamation, Libel and Slander

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Defamation is a tort which means that if a case goes to trial there will usually be a jury.

Libel is one type of defamation. The main aspects of libel are as follows:
1. Libel is defamation in permanent form for example in newspapers, magazines and book.
2. Libel can also include words spoken in television, radio and threatre and words in emails.
3. Libel can also be a criminal offence, although it usually has to be extremely serious for this to happen.

A claimant in a libel action does not need to show that he has suffered any damage. If he does however he is more likely to suffer higher damages by the court.

What is Slander?
Slander is defamation that occurs by the spoken words or some other transitory form.
Unlike libel, slander usually requires proof of special damage (usually in the form of loss of money) before an action can be brought.

There are some circumstances whereby no special damages need be shown. These include allegations relating to:

1. A person professional ability
2. Unchasity
3. A criminal offence punishable by criminal imprisonment
4. A disease.

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