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
Category: Marriage
Are Pre-Nuptial Agreements Legal in England and Wales?
Pre-nuptial agreements, or pre-nups, are growing in popularity. They are often a feature of high profile, celebrity or high net worth divorces and discussed in the media. However, in England and Wales they are not legally binding. This can come as a surprise to divorcing couples who have signed a pre-nup. Should you still get
How and why cohabiting couples should protect themselves
It is by no means uncommon for couples to cohabit rather than marry. In fact, the majority of couples now choose to cohabit before marrying and many go on to have kids and buy a house, postponing the expensive and seemingly pointless wedding while life takes over. All the time everything is going well, this
Common emotions when your ex remarries
It doesn’t matter how much time it takes after your divorce for your ex to remarry, you will experience some confusing emotions that may take you by surprise. You may be hit with some strong emotions even though you considered yourself fully over the relationship, or it may be the trigger that means you finally
How House Prices Are Affecting Pre-Nups
It is no secret that many people in their 20s and 30s are relying on their parents to get them up on the housing ladder. As housing prices soar above what the average worker can afford, it is down to the older generation to provide the financial leg-up that so many millenials now need to
Why so many couples split after Christmas
January is notoriously the month when relationships are most likely to end, with the nickname ‘Divorce Day’ being assigned to January 3rd. So, why do so many couples split after Christmas? It appears that it is due to the ‘perfect Christmas’ image that is constantly portrayed in the media and played out in society. So,
Surviving a loveless marriage
At our family law firm in Cardiff we hear many sad stories of couples who have been stuck in a loveless marriage for many years and for different reasons did not previously want to seek a divorce. We also hear from people who want advice about planning for a divorce that they don’t go through
Why one spouse won't want the divorce
More often than not couples arrive at the decision to divorce together. Marriages breakdown for all sorts of reasons, infidelity being just one. Whatever the reason often both parties can see it coming. The spouse who has cheated may not want to divorce, but after everything has come to light they may see it as
Victoria Clarke A NEW ADDTION TO THE GRANT STEPHENS LAW TEAM
We have pleasure in welcoming Victoria Clarke into the fold who start with us imminently and hails from Messrs Hugh Jenkins Solicitors (incorporating Trevor Griffiths Solicitors) from Aberdare. Victoria has an excellent grounding in all aspects of Family Law and has built up a formidable reputation in Aberdare and is looking forward to draw on
Family law for same sex couples
Since same sex couples have been allowed to marry with exactly the same rights as straight couples family law for the LGB community has become much simpler. However, there are still some legal issues for the LGB community that arise that require specialist knowledge and attention. At Grant Stephens Family Lawyers in Cardiff we are
Purchasing a house with your partner
Purchasing a house is a big step for anyone. If you are purchasing a house with a partner it is an even bigger step. It is a big commitment, both financially and emotionally and one that should not be undertaken lightly. Unlike married couples, long term partners receive no legal protection around joint property ownership.
What to do about your marriage breaking down
After a dream wedding to a dream partner very few people dream that they are going to get divorced. However, statistically there is a possibility of divorce for everyone. Life can throw all sorts of things at you and not all marriages will survive through to ripe old age. Family lawyers will tell you that
Not getting married? Protect Yourself Legally
Many couples are choosing to cohabit without marrying and many cohabiting couples do not intend on getting married, even though they see each other as life partners. This may be for financial, political or personal reasons. Cohabiting couples do not tend to experience difficulty, until things go wrong. There are still very few legal rights
Prenups – Should you have one?
Prenuptial agreements, or prenups, are growing in popularity in the UK. They are very popular in the US and have come to the attention of the UK media through various celebrity marriages and break-ups. But if you are in the UK and are looking to marry your partner, should you have a prenup drawn up
Converting Civil Partnerships into Marriage
Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities, Sajid Javid MP, has announced that the fee for converting civil partnerships into marriage have been waived for certain criteria. From 10th December any couple who wish to convert their civil partnership into marriage can do so for free provided they entered into civil partnership before 29th March 2014,
Rise in Cohabiting Couples
The National Office for Statistics has published a report revealing that there is a year-on-year rise in couples cohabiting and a fall in the percentage of married couples. Comparing the 2001 and 2011 Census data shows that the number of cohabiting couples has risen from 14% to 17% of households in England and Wales. The
Couple ‘Must Dissolve’ Civil Partnership To Get Married
A gay couple in a civil partnership have found that legal hurdles are preventing them from marrying as quickly as they wished. Paul and Michael Atwal-Brice, from Thurnscoe, near Barnsley, have been told that they must dissolve their partnership before being permitted to marry – or else wait an indeterminate amount of time for new legal
Lord Sacks expresses concern over marriage and criticises the government for not supporting stay at home mothers
The current Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks who will be standing down and replaced by Ephraim Mirvis next month has spoken out about the demise of the institution of marriage. In a recent interview he stated “I think we’re losing the plot actually. I think we haven’t really noticed what’s happened in Britain.” and went on
