What is Parental Responsibility? Parental responsibility is defined in law as being “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property.” Why is it important? Individuals who have parental responsibility for a child are able to make important decisions...
Co-Habitation Rights Bill and what it means for couples who live together
Are you living with your partner but you are not married to each other? Do you believe that should your relationship breakdown you would be in the same position financially as a married couple? Do you believe that if your partner were to pre decease you then you would be entitled to benefit from their estate on death or receive their pension? A large proportion...
DIY Justice – BBC Panorama and cuts to Legal Aid
On Monday Night, BBC Panorama aired a program demonstrating the difficulties parents and couples have experienced since the introduction of cuts to the Legal Aid system in April 2013. Since the introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, Legal Aid is no longer available in the vast majority of family cases, including Divorce...
Transparency in Family Proceedings
A mother’s desperate fight to renew contact with her disabled daughter many years after her adoption has yielded important guidance from the nation’s top family judge on the balance to be struck between the principle of open justice and the need to protect children and vulnerable adults from potential harm. The woman had been adopted at a very young age and...
The breakdown of a relationship: what about the children?
The breakdown of a relationship can be difficult for not only the separating couple, but also the children. Josiah Hincks are specialist family lawyers in Leicester with vast experience in dealing with children law issues. It may seem hard to remain amicable, but an experienced family lawyer should explain to parents finding themselves contemplating...