Blog - Grant Stephens Family Law

Guide to using legal aid eligibility calculator

Eligibility for Legal Aid is no longer simply dependent upon financial circumstances (save for mediation), you usually have to either be: – The victim of domestic abuse from the other party, or Social services are involved with your family. If you satisfy the above requirements you them may be eligible for Legal Aid for private

The Most Searched for Divorce & Family Law Advice in 2019

We have lots of legal advice covering different aspects of both divorce and family law on our website and 1000’s of people every month visit our site to read this content. Below are the most common searches people have made in 2019 regarding divorce and family law advice together with the advice we give on

Steps to take for an amicable divorce

Amicable divorces don’t make the headlines and unless you are close to someone going through one, you are unlikely to hear about any of the details. However, most divorces are amicable and a very far cry from the rich celebs warring over their millions as they trade insults in the tabloids. An amicable divorce is

Resources for those in abusive relationships over Christmas

For many people, Christmas is not a time of joy, but one of fear. Each year there is a dramatic increase in reported instances of domestic violence and abuse over the Christmas period. Most people are aware of what a violent relationship looks like, but coercive control and emotional abuse is harder to spot, for

Tips For Divorcing Over Christmas

Christmas can be a wonderful time, but if you are experiencing difficulties, it can also be a very upsetting time. If you are going through a divorce over Christmas, you may be worried about how it will work, especially if you have children. But the good news is that you can still experience some seasonal

How to initiate a divorce when you are “at fault”

As the divorce law in England and Wales currently stands, unless you are prepared to wait 2 years, someone in the marriage has to be “at fault” for the other person to divorce them. This is not an ideal situation and hopefully change is on the horizon, but for now it can leave couples whose

How to prepare a smooth Christmas as a single parent

Even though Christmas is at the same time each year and the shops give us months of warning, when life is difficult it can come round surprisingly quickly and leave us unprepared. If you are a single parent, then you should prepare early to ensure Christmas runs smoothly for your children and you also have

What happens when you separate without divorcing?

When marriages break down, not all couples choose to divorce straight away. Some couples separate emotionally, physically and practically, but not legally. Occasionally some couples stay like this for many years and either don’t divorce or put it off for a surprisingly long time. The upside of this is not having to go through the

What happens when you get caught cheating

When you are married, getting caught cheating is one of the worst things that can happen for you and your spouse. People cheat on their spouses for a myriad of different reasons. At one end of the spectrum, the marriage may be on its last legs and someone meets someone with whom they will share

When your spouse leaves you for a same sex relationship

When someone’s spouse leaves them for someone else, it is always heart breaking. The abandoned spouse is left feeling angry, betrayed and left questioning their entire marriage. Often their self-esteem takes a huge knock. However, when your spouse leaves to embark on a same sex relationship, there is another whole level of emotions. If from

Coping after a divorce check list

Going through a divorce is an intense process. Often all the paperwork and admin can take up so much time and energy that there is no space left to deal with the emotional impact. All the emotions can then suddenly hit after the divorce, leaving the divorcee feeling lost and empty. If this is you,

What to do when all your relationships are a disaster

Some people breeze through life floating from one satisfying relationship to another, before settling with a wonderful partner ‘til death do them part. For others it is one disaster after another, often with the same plot line being played out in each relationship. The person often doesn’t have any noticeable character flaws and can have

How to cope when your kids are with your ex

If you are newly divorced and sharing the care of your children for the first time, you will be introduced to a whole new selection of worries and anxieties. While your children are young and you are in the throws of parenting, the thought of a couple of days away from them can seem like

How to look after your mental health during divorce

Looking after your mental health during a divorce is incredibly important. Divorce is a very stressful process that can lead to long term depression or other mental health issues if you don’t take care of yourself. It is vital that you see your GP if you need some help, but here are some small things

How Good Preparation Can Make Divorce Easier

Divorce is never easy and is something that no one thinks they will go through, although many do. For a huge variety of reasons marriages come to an end and it is a difficult time for the couple, their family and their friends. If your marriage is coming to an end there are some things

The little things you can do to support a divorcing friend

When you first hear that your friend is getting divorced it is a confusing time. You want to support them, but you don’t want to say the wrong thing. You want to help them but you don’t want to crowd them. Some people get so anxious they do nothing, which is no help at all,

What should you do with your rings after you divorce?

After the paperwork is signed and finished and you have embarked on the next stage of your life without your ex spouse, you may still find yourself in possession of a very physical reminder of your marriage – your rings. So much emphasis is placed on the engagement and wedding rings in our society, that

How to stay healthy during a divorce

Divorce is one of the most stressful things you can go through in your lifetime. With enough support and good legal advice, you will come through it, but there will be moments, days or weeks when things are incredibly stressful. Being stressed is not just unpleasant, it can also do short and long term damage