Latest news with #familylaw
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Washington Post
Carolyn Hax: Stepparent resents husband's ex over teen's support agreement
Adapted from an online discussion. Dear Carolyn: My husband had a baby when he was 19, was named on the birth certificate and paid support from birth. When his son was 1, his ex moved away. Her attorney created a new support order with a section that said my husband consented to the move. My husband was 20, couldn't afford a lawyer and was not a very involved father. The deal was less than current support, so he took it.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What I learnt from Britain's most formidable divorce lawyer
Kelly Edwards runs a London-based family law firm specialising in high net worth divorces. She learnt her trade under Raymond Tooth, regarded as Britain's most formidable divorce lawyer As soon as I was able to get a national insurance number, my mum was very much to the tune of 'You are going to get a job immediately.' Aged 16, I worked as a British Home Stores shop assistant in Watford on weekends, evenings and holidays. I became a store manager over the four years and was relatively confident as a teenager. You're taught that the customer's always right and it's just about listening to people. Read More: 'My £20m juice business started in mum's kitchen with an eBay blender' Looking back now, it does put you in good stead for dealing with people on a day-to-day basis with their divorce situation as I do today. One of my uncles had a girlfriend who worked in family law and offered some work experience. I was in the Court of Appeal on my first day, which even now is rare as a family lawyer, and I worked every spare hour I wasn't at law school. I qualified in 2011 and worked under Raymond Tooth, of Sears Tooth, who is a senior statesperson in family law. He qualified as a lawyer nearly 60 years ago. Raymond would probably agree that it was the kind of place where you sink or swim. We were dealing with incredibly high-value, high-temperature work. There was always a lot at stake and Ray taught me just to 'work it out, Kelly' or 'here's this letter, do a draft'. The consequence was, if you got it wrong, he would be very vocal about the fact that he didn't agree with what you'd done. Today, having my own firm, I try not to be quite so direct. When you're dealing with complex cases, you just have to break down issues like housing, income and budget. Whether someone's got £200,000 or £100m, they're still people and life issues are often similar. Read More: How Jeff Dewing went from bankruptcy to £70m fortune I think family lawyers can be tunnel visioned in terms of 'this is the law, this is what we're doing, this is the process'. But if you've got a client that comes in and says they are more worried about a second property, a holiday home or children's arrangements, if people don't listen to these concerns then it becomes harder. We are a small team of 10 but we're probably one of the biggest family teams in London. I set it up because I wanted to do things my way, do great work for interesting clients but still be a nice person. I had lots of enquiries from other family lawyers when I first set up saying I was brave. I never really thought about that at the time, it was more that I didn't want to work for another family lawyer. I have seen a lot of interesting divorce cases. I had one regarding the children under a law called Schedule 1. The mother in that case had a relatively high budget and one of her items was £10,000 a year for wine, which the judge allowed. The father in that case was worth half a billion, so it was affordable, yet it was a surprising one where it was a budget for looking after children rather than a wife. I've had some cases where the holiday budget is more than most people earn in a lifetime. It just depends on how much there is to argue. I know other family lawyers as professional colleagues when we get a case where you know the person on the other side. Read More: 'How I went from cricket to content creator documenting OnlyFans model Lily Phillips' The clients think that's a disaster and how this could be a positive. To which I say, 'No, it's good if I know them because I can pick up the phone and say, 'What on earth is going on? Let's try and sort things out'. Right from the beginning I tell my clients that you're trusting me with your divorce, which is a very raw and emotional process. And so if they don't have that positive feeling in our first meeting, then I might not be the right lawyer for them. I'm very blunt because I'd rather win clients who I can work well with and they feel comfortable with — and most clients find that quite refreshing. Most cases settle because I'm not going to allow a client to go to a final hearing and have a big fight if we can reach an agreement. Read more: Meet the 'jokers from London' who sold 100,000 blocks of butter in first 10 weeks 'My sofa took six months to arrive — so I built a £20m business' 'I paid myself £4 an hour to get my Rollr deodorant off the ground'Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What I learnt from Britain's most formidable divorce lawyer
Kelly Edwards runs a London-based family law firm specialising in high net worth divorces. She learnt her trade under Raymond Tooth, regarded as Britain's most formidable divorce lawyer As soon as I was able to get a national insurance number, my mum was very much to the tune of 'You are going to get a job immediately.' Aged 16, I worked as a British Home Stores shop assistant in Watford on weekends, evenings and holidays. I became a store manager over the four years and was relatively confident as a teenager. You're taught that the customer's always right and it's just about listening to people. Read More: 'My £20m juice business started in mum's kitchen with an eBay blender' Looking back now, it does put you in good stead for dealing with people on a day-to-day basis with their divorce situation as I do today. One of my uncles had a girlfriend who worked in family law and offered some work experience. I was in the Court of Appeal on my first day, which even now is rare as a family lawyer, and I worked every spare hour I wasn't at law school. I qualified in 2011 and worked under Raymond Tooth, of Sears Tooth, who is a senior statesperson in family law. He qualified as a lawyer nearly 60 years ago. Raymond would probably agree that it was the kind of place where you sink or swim. We were dealing with incredibly high-value, high-temperature work. There was always a lot at stake and Ray taught me just to 'work it out, Kelly' or 'here's this letter, do a draft'. The consequence was, if you got it wrong, he would be very vocal about the fact that he didn't agree with what you'd done. Today, having my own firm, I try not to be quite so direct. When you're dealing with complex cases, you just have to break down issues like housing, income and budget. Whether someone's got £200,000 or £100m, they're still people and life issues are often similar. Read More: How Jeff Dewing went from bankruptcy to £70m fortune I think family lawyers can be tunnel visioned in terms of 'this is the law, this is what we're doing, this is the process'. But if you've got a client that comes in and says they are more worried about a second property, a holiday home or children's arrangements, if people don't listen to these concerns then it becomes harder. We are a small team of 10 but we're probably one of the biggest family teams in London. I set it up because I wanted to do things my way, do great work for interesting clients but still be a nice person. I had lots of enquiries from other family lawyers when I first set up saying I was brave. I never really thought about that at the time, it was more that I didn't want to work for another family lawyer. I have seen a lot of interesting divorce cases. I had one regarding the children under a law called Schedule 1. The mother in that case had a relatively high budget and one of her items was £10,000 a year for wine, which the judge allowed. The father in that case was worth half a billion, so it was affordable, yet it was a surprising one where it was a budget for looking after children rather than a wife. I've had some cases where the holiday budget is more than most people earn in a lifetime. It just depends on how much there is to argue. I know other family lawyers as professional colleagues when we get a case where you know the person on the other side. Read More: 'How I went from cricket to content creator documenting OnlyFans model Lily Phillips' The clients think that's a disaster and how this could be a positive. To which I say, 'No, it's good if I know them because I can pick up the phone and say, 'What on earth is going on? Let's try and sort things out'. Right from the beginning I tell my clients that you're trusting me with your divorce, which is a very raw and emotional process. And so if they don't have that positive feeling in our first meeting, then I might not be the right lawyer for them. I'm very blunt because I'd rather win clients who I can work well with and they feel comfortable with — and most clients find that quite refreshing. Most cases settle because I'm not going to allow a client to go to a final hearing and have a big fight if we can reach an agreement. Read more: Meet the 'jokers from London' who sold 100,000 blocks of butter in first 10 weeks 'My sofa took six months to arrive — so I built a £20m business' 'I paid myself £4 an hour to get my Rollr deodorant off the ground'Sign in to access your portfolio
Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Supreme Court case may be a shock for wealthy spouses
Last month Supreme Court judges heard the final throw of the dice for a wife as she bid for a share of wealth accumulated by her former banker husband before they married in 2005. In Standish v Standish in the family division of the High Court in 2022, Mr Justice Moor decided that the banker's pre-marital assets had become part of the matrimonial asset pool during the marriage. In overturning that decision, the Court of Appeal reduced the wife's award by 45 per cent. The wife took the battle to the UK's top court, where the central issue is whether a husband's pre-marital assets should be deemed matrimonial, and subject to equal division. The principle of sharing matrimonial assets invariably serves as the starting point
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Australian law changes to affect pets, property and finances
Pet and property owners watch out – Australia's family law is changing how separation disputes will be resolved. Coming into effect next month, these key changes will affect how our pets, property and financial matters are resolved for former couples. So what's changing for our pets? Separating couples sharing pets should usually make arrangements for what happens to their prized pooches and furballs without going to court. However, those that cannot agree on arrangements can apply to the family law courts to make orders, with a specific list considered by the system. This takes into account: any animal abuse, including threatening behaviour as a form of family violence the attachment of each party, or children, to the family pets However, there are limits and courts cannot make orders for joint ownership or shared possession of pets. My relationship ended — what happens to our shared property and finances? Usually, couples splitting ways should strive to make arrangements related to their shared property and finances, sometimes using dispute resolution outside of courts. But couples struggling to reach an agreement can apply to family law courts to determine a property settlement. Changes affecting Family Law Act 1975 include: how the courts will determine a property settlement what the courts will consider when determining a property settlement. This includes the economic effect of any family violence, where relevant This would apply to all separating couples – whether a property settlement has been determined by family law courts or has been negotiated outside of court. Key areas that courts will consider: identify all property and liabilities (debts) of the parties assess each party's contributions to the property pool and to the family's welfare assess each party's current and future circumstances. The family law courts will consider matters such as each party's age and state of health and the care and housing needs of any children only make orders that are, in all of the circumstances, just and equitable Family violence The Family Law Act defines family violence as 'violent, threatening or other behaviour by a person that coerces or controls a member of the person's family, or causes the family member to be fearful'. Key amendments include: the economic effect of family violence, where relevant, when making decisions about property and finances after separation. economic or financial abuse may constitute family violence – including if a person has controlled all of the finances or spending. What's staying the same? Family law courts cannot sentence someone for engaging in family violence conduct. Prosecutions for family violence offences are made in state and territory criminal courts. Compensation for harm caused by family violence Compensation may be available under a victims of crime compensation scheme or under an order from a state or territory civil court. Family violence orders to protect someone from family violence or altering existing orders made by state or territory courts to protect someone from family violence. Again, orders for protection against family violence are made or amended by state or territory courts. Duty of financial disclosure — what changes? Couples separating have a duty to provide all relevant financial information and documents to each other and the court. From next month, this duty will be governed by the Family Law Act 1975 instead of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Family Law) Rules 2021. This applies to all disputes concerning finances and property after a break-up and is treated as an ongoing duty. If failure to do so, consequences can affect separating couples such as: take noncompliance into account in a property settlement impose sanctions, such as costs orders punish a party for contempt of court with a fine or imprisonment, or defer or dismiss all or part of the proceedings. What stays the same? Existing financial or property orders remain unchanged and people with existing orders should continue to follow those orders. While the changes will apply to all new and existing proceedings, there is an exception where a final hearing has already begun. The new law applies to all matters (unless a final hearing has begun), even if an application was filed before June 10, 2025. People who are already in court and do not have a lawyer can seek legal advice on how the changes may impact them. Child support is generally dealt with separately to a family law property settlement. The changes to family law will come into effect from June 10, 2025.
