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Jane Williams

Coronavirus: ‘Domestic Abuse Pandemic Caused Due to Lockdown’

The BBC have recently reported that the Coronavirus outbreak has led to a Domestic Abuse Pandemic as vulnerable people spend all day with their abuser during the UKs lockdown.

Strict Government Rules to stay at home to stop Covid 19 spreading have caused a large spike in Domestic Abuse cases, both survivors and experts have claimed.

Jane Williams

Corona Virus and Child Contact Arrangements

At AbsoluteMediation we have been receiving many calls seeking advice about Contact Arrangements in the current Pandemic. Many Families will have to make changes to the Child Contact arrangements that were in place, but how significant those changes actually are, will depend on the circumstances of the individual family.

We want to set out what we believe will be the most sensible approach in the current climate. We would urge you however to Telephone us or Email us if you require urgent specific advice and confirm our phone lines remain open in accordance with normal office hours and indeed, our Family Solicitors continue to offer full time telephone as well as remote support.

Jane Williams

Pit Falls in “Do It Yourself” Divorce

A couple were recently told after their Divorce in a Family Court that the Court had unfortunately made a mistake which meant that their Decree of Divorce was “voidable”, and they risked charges of bigamy.

The administrative error occurred in 2013 and has now been rectified by a Senior Family Judge, who has hit out at the process saying that they were “victims of the Justice System”.

Jane Williams

The Dangers of Receiving Family Law Advice from Unqualified Legal Advisers

An unqualified Legal Adviser has been ordered to pay more than £260,000 in compensation after he caused a man to miss out on compensation and incur huge losses and costs in a medical negligence case.

A High Court Judge said that the Adviser, who held himself out as a competent Legal Professional, owed a duty of care to the person who he was supposedly advising, despite him not being legally qualified.

Jane Williams

Jeff Bezos, Amazon C.E.O., and MacKenzie Bezos Finalise Divorce.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and Chief executive, and his wife MacKenzie Bezos have now finalised what is said to be an extremely amicable Divorce.

Jeff Bezos will retain 75% of the couple's Amazon stock together with ownership of the Washington Post and the Blue Origin Space Company. He will also have sole voting rights over the Amazon shares while Mrs Bezos retains various other properties and other assets which are relatively insignificant given the scale of the family business.

Jane Williams

Boris Johnson and Marina Wheeler Formally Announce their Divorce

It has recently been announced that Boris Johnson and Marina Wheeler are divorcing. Ms Wheeler is a  Senior Lawyer and prominent QC and the parties have been married for 25 years. The announcement was made in a joint statement which appeared shortly after a published newspaper article which suggested that Mr Johnson had recently been unfaithful to his wife.

They have of course chosen to Divorce at a time when, Divorce Procedure is being made much simpler and straight forward. It has also been suggested that the claims of infidelity are unlikely to damage the Former Foreign Secretaries Political fortunes and/or his ambitions in respect of a Leadership bid.

Jane Williams

Quick Introduction of No Fault Divorces

No Fault Divorces are to be quickly introduced in order to reduce “conflict” between separating couples and indeed prevent harm being caused to their children.

 David Gauke the Justice Secretary said that current Divorce Laws which have been in place for almost 50 years were “out of touch with modern life” “Marriage is hugely important institution but when a relationship ends it cannot be right that the Law creates or increases conflict between divorcing couples” he said “We think the blame game that currently exists helps nobody; it creates unnecessary antagonism and anxiety at an already trying time for couples”.

Jane Williams

Could Your Divorced Spouse Still Receive Your Pension?

Do you know who will inherit your pension when you die? Do you know how many retirement policies you have and where all your paperwork is? Have you ever updated an "expression of Wishes" form?

Figures recently realeased show that more than 750,000 savers are at risk of leaving their pension to the wrong person, such as a former boyfriend or an ex-wife, simply because they have failed to update paperwork after they have split up.

Pension Schemes typically have an "expression of wishes" form that allow members to name the person they want their benefits to go to when they die.
This beneficiary, can be anybody who is designated at the time and does not need to be a current spouse or partner but indeed, may be a partner at the time, a friend, a flatmate, or somebody with whom the person lived with decades ago.

Jane Williams

Royal Wedding

The Archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed that The Church of England have" dealt with" the divorce of Meghan Markle as it would with any other couple.  He is explained her previous marriage was not " an issue" and he would take great pleasure officiating at the Royal wedding later this month.

Ms Markle married American film producer Trevor Engelson in 2011. They filed for divorce in 2013 citing "irreconcilable differences"

Jane Williams

Keeping Your Money Safe and Avoiding On-Line Crime.

There are frequent transactions where clients give or receive large sums of money to their solicitors and it is now more important than ever to be vigilant and exercise appropriate caution.You may be buying or selling a property or indeed receiving monies from a family settlement or indeed receiving compensation monies.

The days of people regularly giving and  receiving cheques are behind us and whereas few of us may have moved onto bitcoin transactions, most of us now rely on bank transactions and frequently giving and receiving bank account details where the amounts involved are higher than the amounts we daily use debit or credit cards for.

Jane Williams

Will Sporting Genius Help Ryan Giggs Score in Divorce?

Privacy and Financial Remedy Proceedings in Divorce?

Ryan Giggs, born in Cardiff and Manchester United legend has prominently been in the news with speculation about how his reputed £40 million fortune will be divided following on from the breakdown in his marriage.

The Decree Nisi in the divorce proceedings was formally pronounced on the 11th of August 2017 between Giggs and his wife Stacey. They were married in September 2007 and have two children.

Jane Williams

Should there be No Fault Divorce?

A woman was recently refused permission to divorce her wealthy husband after he convinced a Judge that their “minor rows were a normal part of married life”.

Tini Owens 65 claimed her 39 year marriage to Huw Owens broke down irretrievably after she had an affair.

Jane Williams

Britain’s Most Expensive Divorce

The wife of a Russian oligarch was awarded £453 million on the 11th May 2017 in what is thought to be the biggest ever divorce settlement.

The pay-out was from a 61 year old oil tycoon amounting to just over 41% of his estimated wealth of 1.1 billion.

Jane Williams

Court Rule Employment Tribunal Fees are Unlawful

Abolition of Court Fees in Tribunal Hearings.

There is likely to be a very high rise in tribunal claims after the Government agreed to scrap fees and pay back £27 million.

Jane Williams

What actually is impeachment?

The process of impeachment has its origins deep in English Common Law, and was adopted by the authors of the U.S. constitution as a mechanism to oust wayward officials, including presidents.  Section 4 of Article 2 states “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers shall be removed from office on Impeachment for, and on Conviction of Treason, Bribery or other high Crimes and Misdemeanours”.

Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk, a 14th Century English nobleman was the first recorded official to be impeached and thrown out of office for “high crimes and misdemeanours”.  De la Pole’s high crime?  As the king’s chancellor he had failed to pay a ransom for the town of Ghent in 1836, which subsequently fell to the French.

Jane Williams

“Instant Divorce” Rising Among Muslims

The Triple Talaq.

A divorce practice which is banned in Pakistan, may shortly be outlawed in India, but is believed to be very common among Muslims in the UK, has recently prompted concern amongst Islamic scholars.

Jane Williams

Ed Sheeran Settles “Amazing” Plagiarism Claims

Despite writing so many hits for others that purportedly he cannot remember them all, for Ed Sheeran it was thirty nine notes he kept for himself that he might like to forget.

The singer has recently settled a $21 million claim alleging that he copied his 2014 single “Photograph” “note for note” from a song from X Factor winner Matt Cardle.  The songwriters behind “Amazing” released in 2014 said that the chorus’ shared thirty identical notes.

Jane Williams

Domestic Violence – Legal Aid Boost for Victims

Update on Injunctions and Remedies for Domestic Violence

 

Jane Williams

New Online Child Grooming Law

New Law to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse.

A new law dealing with “sexual communication with a child” will be shortly brought into force after, two years of delays and indeed public pressure.  The new law will be designed to stop child sexual abuse at the earliest possible stage.

Jane Williams

Landlords have you registered with Rent Smart Wales?

New Requirements for All Private Landlords in Wales.

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 deals with the obligations now placed on private landlords of properties in Wales.  It also affects those landlords who live outside Wales but, let properties out in Wales.