Financial Settlements

Divorce ruling significant for wealthy couples

Divorce ruling significant for wealthy couples

The Supreme Court ruling in the divorce case involving an English wife and Nigerian oil tycoon could have significant implications for separating wealthy couples in Northern Ireland and the rest... Read more

Judge warning over divorce settlement calculations

An important judgment has been delivered in respect of a divorce settlement, with the judge urging caution when estimating future income to calculate a financial order. The case in question involved... Read more

Husband fails to annul divorce from deceased wife

A husband has failed in his bid to have his divorce from his now deceased wife annulled, despite his assertions that he was completely unaware that they had legally separated. Desmond... Read more

Divorce settlement pension overpayment not to be repaid

The Pensions Ombudsman has ruled that an overpayment of a pension in relation to a divorce settlement does not have to be paid back by the divorcee, as the divorce... Read more

Bitter public split ends with 65 sec divorce

It was the separation that showed the danger of taking to social media sites to get at your ex, yet despite being said to be 'at war', the divorce of... Read more

Landmark prenuptial agreement decision in US

Prenuptial agreements have only recently been recognised by the UK courts, so there is to date very little case law on how the courts view them, and the circumstances that... Read more

Northern Ireland man tricked wife into divorce

A bizarre case before the Belfast High Court in Northern Ireland involved a wife who was unaware that her husband had divorced her. The husband, who cannot be named, successfully obtained... Read more

Figures reveal extent of unpaid child maintenance

New figures released by the Child Support Agency have revealed that unpaid child maintenance in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK totalled £3.837billion as of December 2012. In the... Read more

£15m settlement ends 4 year divorce dispute

The eventful 4 year divorce dispute between multimillionaire Vivian Imerman, often called 'The Man from Del Monte', and his wife Lisa Tchenguiz has finally come to an end, after the... Read more

Survey says hiding assets common during divorce

An online survey carried out by Onepoll suggests that couples attempt to hide their assets in nearly a quarter of all divorces in Northern Ireland and the rest of the... Read more

Half of divorces occur in first 10 yrs of marriage

A half of all divorces in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK involve couples who have been married ten years or less, according to a new study. After ten... Read more

Fifth divorce most expensive for Lord

The fifth wife of Lord Northampton is to receive a £17million divorce settlement, after their 20-year marriage ended in separation. The Lord's marriage to Lady Pamela Northampton was his longest, but... Read more

Divorce cash struggle results in jail term

A six month prison term has been handed to property dealer Scot Young by the High Court, who failed to provide details of his finances to explain the disappearance of... Read more

£2.5million per month divorce settlement

January is traditionally the month of the year with the highest rate of divorce in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, which brings with it complicated issues of... Read more

Why do divorces increase after Christmas?

Each year in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK there is a noticeable increase in the number of divorces in the weeks following Christmas, but what is it... Read more

Couple spend £1.3million in divorce court battle

A divorcing couple has been criticised by three Court of Appeal judges after running up a combined legal bill on divorce solicitors and court proceedings totalling £1.3million. Mohammed Salim Alyami, aged... Read more

Pensions only feature in 15pc of divorce settlements

New figures suggest that pensions are only discussed as part of 15 per cent of divorce settlements in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. In the eighth annual Scottish... Read more

Divorce case ruling protects company assets

The Court of Appeal in England has reached a decision in a divorce case that could have huge implications for future divorcing couples in England and Wales if the line... Read more

How volatile divorces are helping the tax man

It seems that the old adage that 'no-one wins in a divorce' may have to be amended, as the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is regularly benefiting from bitter separations,... Read more

Jail for fraud to lower divorce settlement

A man has been given an 18 month prison sentence for committing fraud and perjury in an attempt to deceive the divorce court about his assets, and thereby reduce the... Read more

Divorcing couple exhaust assets on legal action

A judge has criticised a divorcing couple who managed to squander most of their significant fortune in legal fees. Anna-Marie Harvey Kavanagh and Giles Kavanagh are both practising solicitors, and during... Read more

English High Court upholds french prenup

The case of Z v Z found the English High Court having to consider the importance of a french prenuptial agreement when dividing assets of two french nationals residing in... Read more

New NI transport law to stop discrimination against disabled passengers

New "Disability Transport Regulations" came in to force today making it illegal for transport operators to discriminate against disabled customers. The new covers customers of trains, buses, coaches, taxis, vehicle... Read more

Divorcees 'renegotiating settlements'

Over one in three solicitors in the UK have been asked to renegotiate divorce settlements in the past few months, according to new research.The study by Unbiased.co.uk found that 36... Read more

Renegotiated divorce cases thought to be on the rise

Solicitors in Northern Ireland may be seeing increased numbers of renegotiated divorce cases as the credit crunch has caused major changes in the finances of many ex-couples.The Daily Telegraph has... Read more

'Lower house prices mean lower divorce rates'

A reduction in the value of properties may mean a slowing in the level of divorces taking place in Britain and Northern Ireland, according to a new survey.Savills Research found... Read more

'Consider the implications of divorce'

Parents in Northern Ireland are being urged to consider the consequences of divorce on their children.Family solicitor and blogger Diane Benussi said on the Benussi blog that statistically, divorce can... Read more

Divorce book runs to second edition

A book explaining divorce law for those considering going through the process has proved so popular it is running to a second edition, it has been reported.The Coventry Telegraph explained... Read more

Settlements may be reassessed in light of crunch

The circumstances of the credit crunch may bring couples in Northern Ireland back to their solicitors to reassess financial settlements, the Times has reported.According to the newspaper, family law solicitor... Read more

Britain faces family court 'secrecy' investigation

Family courts in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are facing an investigation by Europe into secrecy in the system, the Times reports.Recent allegations have said reporting restrictions and controlled entry... Read more

Divorce 'does not have to be painful'

The process of getting divorced from a partner does not necessarily need to be painful, according to a family solicitor.Nicola Walker told the Birmingham Post that while divorces are popularly... Read more

Northern Ireland residents 'never too young to write a will'

It is never too early to visit solicitors to draw up a will, according to Help the Aged.The charity has commented that whether or not to write a will depends... Read more

Consult solicitors in NI for civil partnership 'divorce'

The laws governing dissolution - or 'divorce' - in a civil partnership are not quite the same as those for married couples and as such it is essential to consult... Read more

Civil partnership split warning

People considering entering into a civil partnership in Northern Ireland should consult solicitors and plan carefully before taking the vows, it has been advised.According to the Law Society, entering into... Read more

Northern Ireland divorce rate 'hits new high'

The number of couples in Northern Ireland choosing to consult solicitors and divorce hit an all-time high in 2007.Statistics released by the government have shown that the number of couples... Read more

Conservatives propose divorce counselling centres

The Conservative party has proposed the introduction of Australian-style family relationship centres to help counsel unhappy couples, it has been reported.According to the Times, David Cameron perceives the centres as... Read more

Assets splits 'biggest divorce issue'

Dividing up assets is the "significant issue" needed to define divorce law, it has been claimed.Writing in the Times, lawyer Joe Vaitilingham said that while examining the legal status of... Read more

Legally-binding pre-nups 'would stop "fat" payouts'

A solicitor has said that people wishing to divorce their wealthy partners may no longer be able to expect "fat" payouts for doing so.Speaking to BBC Two's Working Lunch, family... Read more

UK 'divorce fair' for splitting couples

Couples from all over the UK, including Northern Ireland, who plan to divorce are being invited to the country's first 'divorce fair'.Solicitors, counsellors and financial advisors will all be on... Read more

Solicitors in Northern Ireland may be affected by Mills-McCartney divorce

The divorce settlement between Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills could set a legal precedent that would affect solicitors in Northern Ireland.Ms Mills was awarded £23.4 million in the settlement.Predictions... Read more

Mothers recover financially faster from divorce

While solicitors will note that women in Belfast and Northern Ireland who choose to divorce are usually much worse off financially, mothers may be recovering faster than they used to.Although... Read more

Absentee parents owe £71m

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland have had to administrate record numbers of separations and divorces in the past year, and as such more maintenance payments for children have been... Read more

Lists of assets help divorcing couples

Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland find it much easier to sort out assets splits where full a list of what is shared has been made, but now experts say... Read more

New child maintenance system looks promising

The latest figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions show early signs that the new system of securing child maintenance payments may be working.With an increase in population,... Read more

Widow forced to settle with husband's ex-wife

Solicitors in Northern Ireland will have watched an unusual case with interest, as a woman whose husband died only hours after they married has been forced to pay £100,000 to... Read more

Life changes fuel endowment sales

New research has shown that the most common reasons for selling an endowment policy in Northern Ireland are those which involve solicitors.According to aap, the endowment policy company, divorce settlements... Read more

Judge calls for assets split review

Solicitors could see a change in divorce law after the most senior family judge in Britain and Northern Ireland has said that the law on assets splits should be reviewed.Sir... Read more

More divorce in Northern Ireland

While the number of divorces in England and Wales dropped by 6.5 per cent in 2006, solicitors in Northern Ireland had to deal with nine per cent more divorces last... Read more

Cohabitees 'should' enjoy new rights

The Law Commission has recommended that people who have cohabited and then split up should be given the same rights as married couples who divorce.If implemented, it could mean that... Read more

Divorcee must pay for ex's debts

In the second case of its kind, divorcee Vivienne Avis may be forced to sell the home she has lived in for over 20 years due to the bankruptcy of... Read more

Love not legally binding

With the trend for people in love to live together and even have children without being married increasing, it is vital that people get their financial arrangements sorted out through... Read more

Children should be in on proceedings

Lord Justice Wilson, a senior judge in family law who sits in the Court of Appeal, has said that children should be included in legal proceedings so they can understand... Read more

Father jailed for CSA breach

A solicitor has been imprisoned for failing to pay child support to his ex-wife for their three children, despite the fact that he looked after his sons half the time.Michael... Read more

DWP to enforce maintenance payments

With solicitors in Britain and Northern Ireland having to deal with an ever-increasing number of divorces, new legislation may mean that separated parents do not have to chase each other... Read more

Divorcees may fund ex's debts

An unprecedented decision yesterday ruled that a divorcee would have to fund creditors when her ex-husband was declared bankrupt, the Times reports.Solicitors have predicted an influx of trustees in bankruptcy... Read more

Landmark judgement on common-law couple

Solicitors across Britain and Northern Ireland will have been paying close attention to the case of Mr Stack v Ms Dowden, as judges ruled that the unmarried couple should have... Read more

More divorces due to infidelity

Adultery was cited as the leading cause for divorce last year, accounting for 32 per cent of all splits, up from 29 per cent in 2005, according to a new... Read more

Divorce 'really can cost the earth'

As the UK continues to see more celebrity and big-money divorces, ordinary couples are being given some advice on how to manage their finances in the event of a break-up.Divorce... Read more