Relationship breakdown

Relationship breakdowns can be emotionally taxing and legally intricate. Our comprehensive guidance equips legal professionals with the necessary tools to manage complex cases involving divorce, separation, and cohabitation disputes effectively. Explore expert advice, case law updates, and practical tips to support your clients through this challenging time.

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Divorce (pre-DDSA 2020) Formalities, recognition and declarations Immigration issues Judicial separation (pre-DDSA 2020) Nullity Proceedings under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 Terminating civil partnerships (pre-DDSA 2020)

Latest Family News

Family weekly highlights—17 July 2025

Family weekly highlights—17 July 2025

The following Family news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Family weekly highlights—17 July 2025

Monumental Supreme Court decision on matrimonialisation and sharing principle (Standish v Standish)

Monumental Supreme Court decision on matrimonialisation and sharing principle (Standish v Standish)

The following Family news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Monumental Supreme Court decision on matrimonialisation and sharing principle (Standish v Standish)

Family weekly highlights—10 July 2025

Family weekly highlights—10 July 2025

The following Family news provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on Family weekly highlights—10 July 2025

Financial Remedies Court publishes revised ES2 template (composite schedule of assets and income)

Financial Remedies Court publishes revised ES2 template (composite schedule of assets and income)

Featured Family content

Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989

Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989

Procedure—Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989This Practice Note sets out the procedural requirements in relation to an application under Schedule 1 to...

Applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Applications under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997This Practice Note explains the six criminal offences that may be committed under the...

Striking out a statement of case

Striking out a statement of case

Striking out a statement of caseThis Practice Note explains the court's power to strike out a statement of case. It summarises the grounds on which a...

The grounds on which a marriage is void

The grounds on which a marriage is void

The grounds on which a marriage is voidA void marriage is one that will be treated by the court as never having taken place. The grounds on which a...

Practice notes

Sequestration (confiscation of assets) within contempt proceedings

Sequestration (confiscation of assets) within contempt proceedingsSequestration is a process for dealing with a contempt of court that would be...
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Produced in partnership with David Salter
30th May
Practice notes

Application to vary, extend or discharge a non-molestation or occupation order

Application to vary, extend or discharge a non-molestation or occupation orderUnder the Family Law Act 1996 (FLA 1996) a non-molestation order is an...
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30th May
tag iconCOVID-19
Practice notes

Notice to show cause applications in family proceedings

Notice to show cause applications in family proceedingsIf one party considers that an agreement has been reached (usually in relation to financial...
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2nd Jun
Q&As

What is the procedure to withdraw an application made on Form C100?

What is the procedure to withdraw an application made on Form C100?Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, 29.4 provides that any...
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2nd Jun
Precedents

Pre-nuptial agreements—client guide

Pre-nuptial agreements—client guideThis document provides general guidance regarding pre-nuptial agreements. Your family lawyer will be able to...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Steps to take after a client meeting

Steps to take after a client meetingFile noteA file note (also known as an attendance note) should be prepared immediately after the first interview,...
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30th May
Q&As

Is a divorce petition a public document and can anyone request a copy? If not, is there anything to prevent a party to a divorce from giving copies of the petition to a third party such as an employer?

Is a divorce petition a public document and can anyone request a copy? If not, is there anything to prevent a party to a divorce from giving copies of...
Read More >
2nd Jun
Practice notes

Declarations of parentage—procedure

Declarations of parentage—procedureThe procedure for an application for a declaration of parentage is governed by the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR...
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30th May
Practice notes

Working with counsel

Working with counselInstructing counsel to advocate on a client’s behalf should be a matter of careful thought and preparation. The role of counsel is...
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Produced in partnership with Ursula Rice of Family First Solicitors Ltd
2nd Jun
Practice notes

Non-molestation orders

Non-molestation ordersUnder the Family Law Act 1996 (FLA 1996) a non-molestation order is an order prohibiting a person (the respondent) from...
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30th May
tag iconCOVID-19
Practice notes

Reports under section 37 of the Children Act 1989

Reports under section 37 of the Children Act 1989Under section 37 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), the court has the power to order an...
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Produced in partnership with Katherine Illsley of 4 King’s Bench Walk
30th May
Q&As

‘Associated persons’ as defined in section 62(3) of Family Law Act 1996 includes people who have, or have had, an intimate personal relationship with each other which is or was of significant duration. How is ‘significant duration’ defined and how long is considered significant?

‘Associated persons’ as defined in section 62(3) of Family Law Act 1996 includes people who have, or have had, an intimate personal relationship with...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Financial clean break orders in family proceedings

Financial clean break orders in family proceedingsDuty of the court to consider a clean breakAlthough there is no presumption in favour of there being...
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30th May
Q&As

What is the procedure to withdraw a divorce petition that has already been served on the respondent? Will the respondent be notified of any application to withdraw the petition and what does the court take into account in deciding whether the petition should be dismissed?

What is the procedure to withdraw a divorce petition that has already been served on the respondent? Will the respondent be notified of any...
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2nd Jun
Practice notes

Enforcing an order for sale

Enforcing an order for saleThis Practice Note explains when the court can make an order for the sale of property in proceedings under the Matrimonial...
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Produced in partnership with David Salter
2nd Jun
Q&As

If the respondent to a divorce files a cross petition what steps must the first petitioner take if they wish to defend the cross petition and proceed on the basis of their first petition or they do not wish to defend the cross petition. Does the first petitioner need to file an acknowledgment of service of the cross petition or an answer?

If the respondent to a divorce files a cross petition what steps must the first petitioner take if they wish to defend the cross petition and proceed...
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Produced in partnership with Chris Bryden of 4 King’s Bench Walk
30th May

Popular documents

The grounds on which a marriage is void

The grounds on which a marriage is voidThis Practice Note sets out the grounds on which a marriage is void. It covers marriages not valid under the Marriage Acts 1949 to 1986, eg the parties are within the prohibited decrees. It covers cases where at the time of the marriage either party was already

Should a Form A be issued as well as a Form B if an application under section 10(2) of the Matrimonial

Should a Form A be issued as well as a Form B if an application under section 10(2) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 is needed to prevent a conditional order being made final in divorce proceedings where the applicant has not yet made financial provision for the respondent or does the court treat

Is a divorce petition a public document and can anyone request a copy? If not, is there anything to

Is a divorce petition a public document and can anyone request a copy? If not, is there anything to prevent a party to a divorce from giving copies of the petition to a third party such as an employer?Once the decree absolute has been pronounced in relation to a divorce, it is a matter of public

Late payment penalties—inheritance tax

Late payment penalties—inheritance taxWhile interest often accrues on overdue tax, the late payment of certain taxes may also attract a penalty. For information on the interest accruing on overdue tax, see Practice Notes: IHT—payment deadlines on death—Interest on IHT and Interest on late paid