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News

Did my ex-husband hide assets in our divorce settlement? Charmaine Hast comments for the Financial Times

If my husband was hiding assets from me in the divorce process, is there any way I can get this taken into account in our divorce settlement? Partner Charmaine Hast… Read more →

Bulletins

Online financial remedy consent order pilot

From 6 August 2018, certain matrimonial consent Orders could be filed online, as part of a pilot scheme. Following that time, HMCTS have been working with solicitors and other interested… Read more →

Bulletins

Digitisation of Form A – application for financial remedy

Currently, in divorce proceedings applications for financial remedy are made to the Court on paper by way of a document known as a Form A. Upon receipt of the Form… Read more →

News

Baron & Others (4 Defective Divorces) [2019] EWFC 26 – Defective divorces judgment: Sir James Munby

On 4 April 2019, Sir James Munby (sitting as a Judge of the High Court), heard an application by the Queen’s Proctor for the setting aside of decree nisis (the… Read more →

News

Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill: second reading at the House of Commons on 25 June 2019

Currently, the Law in England and Wales for a divorce only allows “no fault” to be attributed to either party after a minimum period of two years since separation (the… Read more →

News

Trusts v nuptial agreements – STEP: March 2019

Conrad Adam asks whether nuptial agreements can be more effective than trusts in protecting wealth against matrimonial claims in England and Wales. Please click here to locate access to the… Read more →

News

Charmaine Hast is mentioned in the Spear’s 500 index

“A veteran of big-money divorce for over 35 years in South Africa and London, Charmaine Hast is highly regarded among peers. A QC calls her ‘an outstanding practitioner, hard as nails… Read more →

News

The Office for National Statistics: statistical bulletin: Civil Partnerships in England and Wales in 2017

On 16 August 2018, the Office for National Statistics published their statistical bulletin in relation to Civil Partnerships in England and Wales in 2017. In summary, some of the findings… Read more →

News

Charmaine Hast spoke at the Clarks 5th Annual Family Law Conference 2018 in South Africa

Charmaine spoke at a conference in South Africa for the Clarks 5th Annual Family Law Conference 2018.

News

Charmaine Hast’s comments are published in The Law Society Gazette

The article was originally published by The Law Society Gazette on 17 August 2018 Government gets tough on family financial orders – By Monidipa Fouzder Over a year after the Law… Read more →

News

Supreme Court overturns Court of Appeal’s ruling on spousal maintenance case – Industry reacts

Charmaine Hast’s comments were featured in eprivateclient. “The Supreme Court’s ruling today endorses the equitable principle that you cannot have two bites of the cherry in respect of a capital… Read more →

News

UK: Ex-wife cannot claim increased maintenance to compensate for lost capital

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Maria Mills is not entitled to higher maintenance payments from her husband to make up for the fact she has lost most of… Read more →

Mills v Mills: Supreme Court Judgment released on 18 July 2018

I previously wrote that on 8 August 2017, the husband in the case of Mills v Mills was granted permission to appeal on the ground of “whether, provision having already… Read more →

News

Mills v Mills: Judgment of the Supreme Court to be handed down on 18 July 2018

Previously I wrote about the case of Mills v Mills and had said that permission to appeal to the Supreme Court had been granted. The appeal relates to “whether, provision having… Read more →

News

Wedlake Bell’s family team appeared in the list for 2018 as one of eprivateclient’s Top Family Law Firms at their awards evening

On Monday 2nd July 2018, Charmaine Hast and Sarah Campbell attended Dixon Wilson’s offices for  the 2018 eprivateclient Top Family Law Firms awards evening, sponsored by Close Brothers. eprivateclient explain… Read more →

News

Child Maintenance Service statistics released on 20 June 2018

The Child Maintenance Service I have previously explained that the Child Maintenance Service (“CMS”) was introduced in 2012 to deal with child maintenance, which was at that time dealt with… Read more →

News

JS v SSWP and ZS (CSM) 2018 UKUT: The Upper Tribunal decision in respect of the father’s appeal concerning the decision of the First-tier Tribunal (child maintenance)

On 24 May 2018, the Upper Tribunal Judge gave their decision in respect of the father’s appeal concerning the decision of the First-tier Tribunal (child maintenance). This is where the… Read more →

News

Online divorce pilot: 2018

Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (“HMCTS”) had previously published how they proposed that the Courts (in England and Wales) should work differently moving forwards. In order to test the… Read more →

News

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 allowed for same-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership, which was said to be for the purpose of enabling them “to obtain legal recognition of their relationship …”.

Part 1 (1) of the above Act states that “A civil partnership is a relationship between two people of the same sex (“civil partners”)…” and Part 2 (3) deals with… Read more →

Campaign

Resolution campaign: No fault divorce

In relation to a divorce, currently the Law in England and Wales only allows “no fault” to be attributed to either party after a minimum period of two years since… Read more →

Bulletins

THE CASE OF OWENS V OWENS – PERMISSION TO APPEAL THE DECISION AGAINST THE DISMISSAL OF HER DIVORCE PETITION: SUPREME COURT HEARING ON THURSDAY 17 MAY 2018

Previously, I wrote about the case of Owens v Owens which is a case where the wife appealed against the dismissal of her divorce petition, after her husband, unusually, defended the divorce.… Read more →

News

“Rise of women backing out of divorces as court settlements shrink” – Charmaine Hast comments for The Telegraph

Partner and Head of our Family & Divorce team, Charmaine Hast, has had her comments on the increasing number of women “backing out” of divorces for The Telegraph. On the… Read more →

News

“Why is London the ‘divorce capital of the world’?” – Charmaine Hast comments for The Financial Times

Partner and Head of our Family & Divorce team, Charmaine Hast, has had her comments published in The Financial Times on whether London or Switzerland is the best jurisdiction to… Read more →

News

High Court Family judge finds “rich and privileged” 83 year old husband in contempt and incarcerates him for 14 months

 On 15 March 2018, His Honour Judge Wildblood QC, sitting as a Judge of the High Court, sentenced husband, John Ralph Hart, to 14 months imprisonment as a result of… Read more →

News

What to consider before divorcing

Associate in our Family & Divorce team, Sarah Campbell,  has written an article on the things to consider before divorcing for YourMoney.com. Sarah writes “It isn’t unusual for individuals to… Read more →

News

Changes to the Family Court Forms due to the changes made to the eligibility criteria for legal aid: effective 8 January 2018

Previously (on 29 December 2017), I wrote about the forthcoming changes to the eligibility requirements for individuals to obtain legal aid (public funding) in relation to family law matters and… Read more →

News

Domestic violence statistics – 14 December 2017

The Ministry of Justice published its Family Court Statistics Quarterly, England and Wales, July to September 2017, on 14 December 2017. The statistics demonstrated that when compared to July to… Read more →

News

Aviva’s Survey in relation to Divorce

Recently Aviva have announced the findings from their research in connection with individuals’ experiences of divorce.  Back in 2014, at the time of their previous survey, they had found that… Read more →

Bulletins

The Child Maintenance (Assessment of Parents’ Income) Bill 2017-19

The Child Maintenance (Assessment of Parents’ Income) Bill 2017-19 had its first reading in the House of Commons on 28 November 2017. It is a private member’s Bill with its… Read more →

Bulletins

Camilla Wallace and Charmaine Hast Named in eprivateclient’s ’50 Most Influential’

We are pleased to announce that Head of the Private Client Group, Camilla Wallace, and Head of Family, Charmaine Hast, have been recognised in the 2018 eprivateclient 50 Most Influential… Read more →

News

CAFCASS Private Law Case Demand – Figures For October 2017

On 3 November 2017, CAFCASS reported their latest figures for October 2017 in respect of the demand for CAFCASS in private law children cases.  The report showed an increase in… Read more →

Bulletins

Forthcoming pilots to potentially change the way the Court system works

Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Services (HMCTS) have recently published how they propose that the Courts (in England and Wales) should work differently moving forwards. In order to test the… Read more →

Bulletins

The Office for National Statistics – statistical bulletin 2017: Divorces in England and Wales

The Office for National Statistics (which produces statistics for the UK) released its statistical bulletin on 18 October 2017 in relation to divorces in England and Wales in 2016. Some… Read more →

Bulletins

Naming the third party in an adultery application for divorce

The Family Procedure (Amendment No 2) Rules 2017 – naming the co-respondent in the application for a divorce Previously I wrote about the Family Procedure (Amendment No.2) Rules 2017 that… Read more →

Bulletins

Child Support Agency arrears transitioned to the Child Maintenance Service system – statistics

On 30 August 2017, the Department for Work and Pensions published statistics in relation to the Child Support Agency arrears transitioned to the Child Maintenance Service system. The publication explains… Read more →

Bulletins

Mills v Mills – permission to appeal to the Supreme Court granted

On 8 August 2017, the husband in the case of Mills v Mills was granted permission to appeal on the ground of “whether, provision having already been made for the… Read more →

Bulletins

The case of R an B and Capita Trustee Services Ltd and Hawksford Trustees Jersey Ltd and X and Y – Bad conduct and financial settlement upon divorce

A Judgment that was published at the end of June this year, dealt with the issue of what impact bad behaviour (conduct) could have upon a financial settlement upon divorce.… Read more →

Bulletins

Cohabitation

Background/Statistics This is where a couple are living together (either with or without children) and they are not married or in a civil partnership. According to the Office for National… Read more →

Bulletins

Updated guidance in relation to the domestic violence exemption for having to pay the Child Maintenance Service initial calculation fee

As I have written about previously,  the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), was introduced in 2012 to deal with child maintenance, which was at that time dealt with by the Child… Read more →

Bulletins

The Government’s ‘Providing a cross-border civil judicial cooperation framework – a future partnership’ paper – The UK’s departure from the EU and the impact on Family Law in the UK

The government has recently published its “Providing a cross-border civil judicial cooperation framework – a future partnership” paper. The focus is on the UK leaving the EU and it sets… Read more →

Bulletins

The case of Tobias v Tobias [2017] – freezing injunctions, without notice orders and applications to the out-of-hours Judge

On 29 June 2017, a Judgment was given in the case of Tobias v Tobias ([2017] EWFC 46) which gave guidance in relation to freezing injunctions, without notice orders and… Read more →

External News

FACTORS FUELLING GLOBAL FAMILY OFFICE GROWTH

A family office protects what has been achieved and takes full advantage of all the social capital the family brings. Article published in Campden FB.

Bulletins

Changes in relation to the Divorce Petition:

One of the changes is that it is only until 4 September 2017 that a Divorce/Dissolution Petition (or an Answer to those Petitions) do not require a Statement of Truth… Read more →

Bulletins

High Court judge hands down judgment in a letter to a child

The Honourable Mr Justice Peter Jackson in the High Court (Family Division) recently took an unusual step by delivering judgment by way of a letter to a child. The case… Read more →

Bulletins

The case of Owens v Owens – permission to appeal the decision against the dismissal of her divorce petition

Earlier this year, in the case of Owens v Owens, the wife appealed against the dismissal of her divorce petition, after her husband, unusually, defended the divorce. The wife’s divorce petition was based… Read more →

Bulletins

The case of Green v Adams – update – further judgment released on 4 August 2017

I previously wrote about the case of Green v Adams, which concerned a financial claim by a mother, against the father, for financial provision for their son. Part of the… Read more →

Bulletins

The administrative de-linking of divorce proceedings from financial remedy proceedings

As from yesterday (19 June 2017), divorce proceedings across the country are being administratively “delinked” from financial remedy proceedings. The background to this is that back in 2015, administration changes… Read more →

Bulletins

Can I challenge our divorce proceedings?

My husband and I are going through divorce proceedings and I believe he has not disclosed assets honestly. What recourse do I have to challenge this and what are the… Read more →

Bulletins

The International Family Law Arbitration Scheme (“IFLAS”) – New Scheme launching in September 2017

Financial settlement upon divorce can sometimes vary enormously from one country to another. This can result in a husband and wife both “racing” to start proceedings in one country over… Read more →

Bulletins

The Relationships Alliance Manifesto 2017

The Relationships Alliance has released its “Relationships Alliance Manifesto 2017”. The Relationships Alliance is made up of four charities namely Relate, OnePlusOne, Tavistock Relationships and Marriage Care. They explained that… Read more →

Bulletins

The recent case of Green v Adams 2017

The Judgment in the above case has recently been released and serves as a reminder of how child maintenance is dealt with differently through the Child Maintenance Service compared to… Read more →

Bulletins

Report into the Child Maintenance Service by the House of Commons Work & Pensions Committee

On 2 May 2017 the House of Commons Work & Pensions Committee (who “examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Department for Work & Pensions and… Read more →

Bulletins

Spousal maintenance: A ‘meal ticket’ for life?

A recent Court of Appeal decision bucks the trend on maintenance provision, says Ronnie Mortimer Much has been written in the press following the Court of Appeal’s decision between Cambridge University… Read more →

News

First Female Senior Partner

Wedlake Bell is pleased to announce that Kim Lalli has been elected as the firm’s Senior Partner. This will be for a four year term that begins on 1st January… Read more →

Bulletins

Mediation update – Refusal to mediate

Mediation is a process by which an independent third party (the Mediator) helps parties to a dispute  resolve it. Mediation is voluntary and the parties can decide whether to settle or… Read more →

Wedlake Bell

Wedlake Bell LLP is a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales with registered number OC351980. Wedlake Bell LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Its registered office and principal place of business is at 71 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4AY.

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