Welcome to Myerson News and Events

What Happens to my Pension on Divorce?

Discover how divorce impacts your pension and explore strategies like pension offsetting, sharing, and attachment. Get expert advice from Myerson Solicitors to secure a fair financial settlement.

What Is Coercive And Controlling Behaviour?

With the introduction of The Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 , the legal framework has been further strengthened to ensure better support and justice for those affected by coercive and controlling behaviour. Our Family Lawyers explore the serious...

Understanding the Link Between Perimenopause and Divorce

Divorce is a significant life-altering event, just like menopause (the last menstrual period to take place and perimenopause, the time of fluctuating periods before this), since all can have profound impacts on a person’s emotional, physical and...

What Happens When Children Are Swapped At Birth? Legal Lessons From ITV’s Playing Nice

Playing Nice, the psychological thriller by JP Delaney, follows two couples who discover that their toddlers were switched at birth in a hospital mix-up and face a horrifying dilemma: do they keep the sons they have raised and loved or reclaim...

Top Tips For Your Farming Divorce

Divorce can be an emotionally challenging and complex process, especially when a farm is involved. The crossover between marital and agricultural assets often means that farmers face unique circumstances that a solicitor must carefully consider...

What The Best Christmas Movies Can Teach Us About Family Law

The best Christmas movies, whether streamed on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or caught on Freeview are often filled with festive cheer, love, family bonding and togetherness, but have you ever thought about what your favourite Christmas classic could...

How The Autumn Budget Could Impact Divorce

The recent budget announcement has raised many questions about its effects on divorce proceedings.    While budget changes do not affect the divorce process itself, consequential matters like financial settlements, property sales, and private...

The Effect of Marriage, Divorce and Separation on your Will

It is important to make a Will if you wish to leave your estate according to your wishes (whether to your spouse, children, charity or otherwise). In England and Wales, the absence of a valid Will means that the law will determine who will benefit...

What to Expect at Manchester Family Court

Attending family court can be daunting, especially if you are unfamiliar with the process. Whether you are going through a divorce or trying to sort out the arrangements for your children , understanding the process and knowing how to deal with the...

What Happens to a House When an Unmarried Couple Splits and Only One Partner Owns It?

There is a myth that when you live with your partner for a long period of time, you are in a “ common law marriage ”. However, the reality is that there is no such concept in England and Wales.  Whether you have lived with your partner for one year...

Alienating Behaviours and Parental Alienation: Steps to Take

Unfortunately, when assisting in child contact arrangements on a relationship breakdown, it is not uncommon to hear statements such as My partner is telling lies about me to manipulate the childre n or The children do not want to see me because of...

What Are the Most Common Mistakes When Divorcing?

We appreciate that separation and divorce can be a highly traumatic, emotional, and stressful time.  It can feel very confusing, and it is important to try to take control of the situation and seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity.  Our...

How to Help Your Children Through Divorce

Separation and divorce can be a challenging and upsetting time for all involved. Even though the relationship between the adults has ended, their role as parents does not stop. It is important to make sure the children get the support they need...

Who Is The Legal Parent of a Surrogate Child?

Surrogacy is a process by which a child is carried through pregnancy by a woman with the intention that, at birth, the child and parental responsibility for the child will be transferred to another person/couple, known as the intended parent(s...

A Field of Their Own: Agricultural Prenups

A  prenuptial agreement is an agreement that a couple signs before their wedding that sets out how their assets will be dealt with in a  divorce. These agreements can also cover the planned use of matrimonial finances during the marriage. A...

Hannah Neeleman and the Resurrection of the Trad Wife

There is an increasing trend on social media of the 'Trad Wife' —a growing group of women turning back to traditional values, routines, and expectations and becoming stay-at-home wives and mothers. This trend has skyrocketed to virality over the...

How Will I Survive Financially After Divorce?

Going through a divorce is inevitably a stressful and uncertain time. You will likely be concerned about how you will begin living independently, including having independent finances and moving forward on a single income. There are options...

How Non-Matrimonial Wealth Is Treated By The Courts

You must disclose all your financial assets, income, and liabilities when divorcing. Many people ask whether they need to disclose any assets acquired before the marriage or whether they can keep these separate; our Family lawyers explain how the...

What Can I Do If My Ex Stops Me Seeing My Child?

If you have separated or are in the process of separating, we understand that one of the hardest things is not seeing your child every day. Knowing your rights regarding contact and what to do if either or both of you cannot reach an agreement...

10 Steps to Take When Leaving a Relationship

Our Family Solicitors appreciate that separation can be a highly traumatic, emotional, and stressful time. It is important to take control of the situation and seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity. In this blog, we set out the main...

Expansion of Family-Friendly Rights: A Closer Look

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of family-friendly practices in the workplace to better support working parents and caregivers. As a result, several legislative changes were introduced in April this year to...

A Guide to Prenuptial Agreements

A prenup is a legal agreement  made  between two individuals before they marry or enter  into  a civil partnership.   The agreement itself can set out a variety of provisions as to how the couple intend to divide their assets in the event of any...

What is Domestic Abuse, And Does it Include Financial Abuse?

Domestic abuse is defined as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour. It can take many different forms, such as coercive control, psychological or emotional abuse, physical abuse...

The Danger Of Overlooking Pensions And The Motherhood Penalty

When couples are separating, often their immediate concern will be about where they are going to live rather than thinking about their income in retirement. It is very easy to overlook pensions, as retirement can seem a long way off, and you may be...

Do I Have To Share My Inheritance In A Divorce?

It is well-known that sorting out the finances on divorce can be a complicated and lengthy process. It involves unravelling financial situations created and intertwined over the course of a marriage, which can span decades in some cases. Often, it...

Stranger Danger: Co-Parenting & Associated Risks

Co-parenting websites provide a way for individuals to find a platonic partner to have a biological child. These websites are becoming increasingly popular; however, individuals seeking to embark on parenthood using this medium should be alert to...

Pension vs. The Family Home – Is It Ever a Fair Deal?

When parties go through separation, the number one priority is often housing. The stress of ensuring immediate housing needs are met can often result in parties overlooking the importance of pension assets. When considering finances on separation...

Can I Preserve My Family’s Wealth With a Prenuptial Agreement?

If you are contemplating marriage or a civil partnership, entering into a prenuptial agreement is an effective mechanism to ensure your family wealth is ringfenced and preserved. A prenuptial agreement is a transparent contractual agreement which...

Financial Provisions for Unmarried Couples: Claims under Schedule 1 Children Act 1989

Schedule 1 to the Children Act can be used to provide financial support for a child where the parents of a child have not been married or civil partners. In these circumstances, the Court does not have the wide powers it has on divorce or the...

What Am I Entitled to if I Divorce My Spouse?

Financial obligations exist between married couples, which do not end automatically once the divorce process is complete. Accordingly, it is important to consider resolving finances on divorce .  If the parties can reach an agreement between...

How Can My Spouse Be Provided for Without Causing Damage to the Farming Enterprise?

The division of a farm on divorce can be a highly complex and sensitive matter. The court is often faced with a dilemma in weighing up the need to provide for the non-farming spouse fairly on divorce whilst preventing irreversible damage to the...

How To Start Divorce Proceedings

Making the decision to get a divorce can be a particularly emotional and stressful time in someone’s life. However, the process of getting a divorce does not need to be complicated, especially with the use of the services of a specialist family...

DIY Divorce: The Cost & Process of Divorcing Without a Solicitor

Changes to the procedure for applying for a divorce in England and Wales mean that all divorces are now applied for online, and as a result, more people are starting to apply for their divorces, often to try and circumvent the legal fees of...

Divorce Considerations Around Christmas Time

For many separating couples, deciding to apply for a divorce is not an easy step, and our Family lawyers understand that Christmas can be a difficult time if you are considering separating.  How do you initiate a divorce? The introduction of...

Can I Travel with My Kids at Christmas Without the Other Parent's Consent, or Is It Abduction?

You may be planning to take your children away over the Christmas period to visit friends and family who do not live close by or to have a festive holiday. If this is your plan, you need to be aware of the legal requirements in relation to...

Resolution Awareness Week: Mythbusting Common Law Marriage

Resolution is a group of family law professionals who are committed to promoting a constructive approach to family issues that consider the needs of the whole family. The annual Resolution Awareness Week takes place in the last week of November...

I Can’t See My Children at Christmas – What Should I Do?

The festive period is a time for families to come together. However, child contact arrangements over Christmas can be difficult to navigate for parents who have separated, particularly in reaching an agreement as to who spends time with the...

Debunking the Spousal Maintenance Myth: A Clearer Perspective

There is a popular misconception that the payer needs to pay spousal maintenance pursuant to a joint lives order until the death, remarriage or cohabitation of his or her ex-spouse. Historically, joint lives orders were made to protect the...

How Do The Courts Regard Personal Injury Compensation When Distributing Assets of the Marriage?

The Court will consider a list of factors under section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 when deciding how assets, including any compensation/ damages received, will be decided on divorce. The welfare of any children of the family will be a...

I Don't Live in England or Wales. Can I Apply for a Divorce There?

The jurisdiction where your divorce takes place can substantially impact your financial settlement. Each jurisdiction has its own set of rules for resolving finances on divorce, and you may end up with vastly different outcomes depending on where...

Inheritance and Divorce – Is Inheritance Included in a Divorce Settlement?

Upon divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership , both parties will usually have a strong claim to share all matrimonial property. Ordinarily, matrimonial assets (assets acquired throughout a marriage or civil partnership) are considered by the...

The Importance of Obtaining a Clean Break Order

A clean break is a type of financial settlement that dismisses any future claims parties may make against the other. It is a court order that legally cuts financial ties between you and your former partner. The effect of a clean break order is to...

Can I Ask My Future Spouse to Sign a Prenup?

Couples planning to marry or enter a civil partnership may want an agreement to determine what they intend to happen to their money and property if the marriage breaks down. In England and Wales, prenuptial agreements are not strictly binding in...

Agricultural Divorces: A Field of Their Own

Agricultural divorces are often complex and require expert attention. Some farms are very successful enterprises: they may comprise valuable properties and land holdings, machinery and stock. The farm may have diversified into several areas, each...

Can a Maintenance Order be Varied?

A spousal maintenance order, also known as a periodical payments order, is an obligation for one party to pay the other a sum of money on a weekly or monthly basis. If the court grants a spousal maintenance order, it will need to determine whether...

Can I Move Abroad With My Child?

There are many reasons why people want to move abroad. It may be reasons associated with family , friends, culture, work, or personal preference. There are several logistical factors to consider when moving abroad. One of the most difficult...

What Will a Narcissist Do When You Divorce Them?

Narcissistic Personality Disorder is defined in the dictionary as "a person with an excessive interest in themselves". It can generally be characterised by an inflated feeling of self-importance and the desire to be acknowledged for achievements...

Understanding Family Law and Expert Valuations: Insights from Legal and Financial Experts

UK200Group Forensic Accounting & Family Law Webinar, 22 June 2023.  With speaker: Jane Tenquist (Myerson Solicitors) & chaired by Andrew Donaldson (Dains Accountants). Family law cases often involve complex financial matters, including the...

How are Personal Possessions Dealt with on Divorce?

Divorce is undoubtedly a very stressful time for couples. During the marriage, spouses will have accrued valuable personal possessions, whether purchased jointly, individually, or obtained as a gift, for example, a special piece of jewellery...

Businesses on Divorce: Getting Divorced When You Work With Your Husband or Wife

If you work at your spouse's company, you may be considered an employee, and you may have employment rights. It is important to remember that employee status and employment law rights apply to spouses employed in a family business, regardless of...

How Much Spousal Maintenance Can I Claim On Divorce?

Spousal or civil partner maintenance is also known as a periodical payments order. This is an order that either party to the marriage or civil partnership shall make to the other periodical payments (maintenance) for such term as specified by the...

Can I Apply to Divorce in England and Wales?

You may be able to apply for a divorce in England and Wales if you currently live overseas or you are not a British passport holder in certain circumstances. You must fall within certain criteria outlined below in order to be able to issue divorce...

How Are Businesses Dealt With On Divorce?

The value of a business and its income will be considered an available resource of the marriage on divorce. That is not to say that the family court would order a sale of the business.  The court recognises that the business provides an income, the...

Separating Families Facing Mandatory Mediation

On 23 March 2023, the government released a press release announcing their proposals to make mediation mandatory in thousands of suitable low-level family court cases. They describe it as a  “major shake-up to the family justice system” , whereby...

Changes to Capital Gains Tax Legislation and Lifetime Allowance Provisions

Recent changes to the rules in relation to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) apply to the transfer of assets between spouses and civil partners who are in the process of separating . The aim is to provide spouses/civil partners with more time to transfer...

How Do You Deal With Separation When Children Are Involved?

Separation and divorce can be challenging and upsetting for all involved, especially children. It is important to remember that although the relationship between the parents has ended, their role as parents will continue. Therefore, separating...

Can You Divorce Without Sorting Out Finances?

Couples increasingly choose to separate and divorce without having sorted out their finances, which could be attributed to the advent of a more accessible online divorce service, but there are implications for not finalising financial matters by...

Can I Apply for Spousal Maintenance?

Spousal maintenance can also be referred to as a periodical payment order. One party must pay the other spouse/civil partner a sum of money on a weekly or monthly basis.  Whilst there is an expectation in the eyes of the court that both parties...

Nuptial Agreements – To What Extent Can They Be Challenged?

Whilst prenuptial agreements are not formally binding in England and Wales, the Family Law courts have regarded them as persuasive and even decisive. The court in the landmark case of  Radmacher (formerly Granatino) v Granatino [2010] UKSC 42  set...

Setting Aside Financial Orders and Barder Events

Whilst financial orders in family law are intended to be final, an application to set aside a financial order can be considered in certain circumstances. These cases are referred to as set aside applications.  The set aside application can only be...

Agricultural Divorce

Any interest either party to a divorce has in a farm or farming business comprises one of the assets that the court will consider when approaching the matter of distribution upon marital breakdown. Complex methods of ownership, liquidity issues...

January Blues – Managing Child Contact Arrangements Over Christmas

The festive period can be a very difficult time for parents who have separated when it comes to child contact arrangements. It can be extremely stressful given the expectations parents have for contact with their children over Christmas, and...

Divorce and Separation During the Cost of Living Crisis

Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Over the last few months, there has been extensive media coverage about escalating mortgage rates, energy bills, and the price of food and other essentials. The future feels bleak for...

Non-Matrimonial Wealth – Can This Be Protected On Divorce?

Upon divorce, assets acquired or accumulated during the marriage are generally divided equally. However, you may feel that these assets should be protected if you have entered the marriage with significant pre-acquired wealth...

Is Conduct Ever Relevant in Financial Proceedings? 

Divorce proceedings are highly emotional for everyone involved. Our team of expert family lawyers are often asked whether conduct is going to be reflected in the ultimate financial settlement. It is easy to understand why one party to the...

Changing Role of Men in the Household – House husbands

During the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of men taking on the role of a house husband. The migration of employees working from home has contributed to this, with more workforces offering flexible...

How to Cope With Finances on Divorce in the Current Economic Climate

Fed up With Paying Spousal Maintenance? What Can You Do?

A Spousal maintenance order, also known as a periodical payments order, is an obligation for one party to pay the other a sum of money on a weekly or monthly basis.  If the court grants a spousal maintenance order, it will need to determine whether...

Parental Responsibility: Who Has It?

Parental Responsibility concerns the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities that a parent has by law towards a child. For example, making decisions about where a child should live and agreeing to their medical treatment. If a child's mother...

Surrogacy: Route to Parenthood

Surrogacy is the process by which a child is carried through pregnancy by a woman who had entered into an arrangement with the intention that, at birth, the child and parental responsibility for the child will be transferred to another person or...

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Causing Relationship Breakdown

It is common for spouses to cite difficulties experienced in coping with their former partner’s extreme personality traits as a reason for the breakdown of the marriage. Frequently, a former partner is labelled as having a narcissistic personality...

Will Divorce Affect My Social Life? 

Though  divorce  may not carry the same stigma as it once did, divorce has widespread implications, not just financial ones. Divorce is rarely consensual. In most cases, one party decides to leave the marriage well before the other party has been...

What Are The Common Reasons For Family Breakdown And Divorce?

There are all sorts of reasons why a marriage or a relationship can break down, and it is important that you obtain legal advice at an early stage if you are contemplating a divorce , to obtain advice on your finances, or to agree on arrangements...

Can I Relocate With My Child Abroad?

If you are separated or divorced and want to move abroad permanently with your child, you must obtain written consent from the other parent and/or any other person who has parental responsibility for the child. If the other parent will not agree to...

Can I Stop Paying Child Maintenance if My Ex Stops Me Seeing the Kids?

Parents have a legal responsibility to provide financial support for their children even if they no longer live with or spend time with them. Often, children who have separated parents spend more or all of their time with one of their parents. The...

Immediate Financial Needs on Divorce or Separation

When going through a divorce or separation, your financial position will likely be one of your biggest worries. In this article, we look at different ways in which you can meet your immediate financial needs.  If you have children, then child...

What Is the Difference Between Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute?

The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA 2020) came into force on 6 April 2022.  The Act introduces 'no fault divorce’ in that it removes the requirement to establish a fact as to the reason for the divorce and allows either or both...

Consent to Fertility Treatment 

If you are considering fertility treatment to start a family, you should get legal advice regarding the consent required for treatment before treatment starts.  The law surrounding fertility treatment is complex, but we will try and simplify the...

Rights as a Parent: Parental Responsibility

Parental responsibility is all the legal rights, duties, and responsibilities that a parent has in relation to a child. Those with parental responsibility have the right to make decisions in respect of a child, such as where they will go to school...

A Guide to Fact Finding Hearings

There has been increasing research into and awareness of domestic abuse and the harm it causes children.  When the court considers applications for child arrangements orders and the arrangements for where children live, and the time they spend with...

Relocating With Children in the UK: Do You Need the Other Parent’s Consent?

If you would like to relocate to a different part of the UK with a child, all those with parental responsibility should agree.  There is no legal requirement to obtain formal consent from the other parent where you are relocating within the UK, but...

No Fault Divorce and Service Issues: What if My Spouse Refuses to Engage in the Divorce Proceedings?

Our latest series of blogs have been covering the changes to divorce law in England and Wales with the implementation of ‘ No Fault Divorce ’ on 6 April 2022. A frequent question we are asked is what happens if your spouse refuses to engage in the...

International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ukraine 

Many intended parents, including those from the UK, will use international surrogates in their route to parenthood. In fact, Ukraine is a global surrogacy hub, and prior to the ongoing war, Ukraine was a popular choice to find a surrogate.  Within...

No-Fault Divorce

The introduction of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will change the law relating to divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships from 6 April 2022. The law provides that there is one ground for divorce , which is that the marriage...

Variation of Financial Remedy Orders

You may be in a situation where you have previously agreed on a financial settlement with your ex-spouse / civil partner, which has formed part of a consent order or, you have been in proceedings, and there is a final order which determines what...