United Kingdom: Family Law

Mental capacity is the ability to make a specific decision at the time that decision needs to be made. Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005...

Domestic abuse survivors facing family court proceedings often encounter fact-finding hearings where disputed allegations must be formally determined.

Inheritance disputes in England and Wales are rising sharply, and two converging trends explain why. The first is the sustained increase in residential property values: according to HM Land Registry data, the average UK house price now stands at just under £268,000, compared with around £153,000 twenty years ago, a rise of more than 75 per cent. What was once a modest family home has become, in many cases, a significant asset, and one that can transform even a straightforward-looking estate into something worth contesting.

Maria Wright, Senior Associate in our Family & Relationships department, discusses what it means to be a legal guardian and the different ways to appoint one.

For many people, making a Will is something that is quietly postponed. It is often seen as a task for later life, something to address once retirement approaches or when financial affairs feel settled.

Henry Hood, Senior Partner in our Family & Relationships department, highlights how pension assets are still frequently overlooked in divorce settlements, despite often being one of the most valuable assets a couple owns.

The breakdown of a relationship is a profoundly destabilising life event. When a separation is amicable, the transition is challenging enough but when a relationship ends amidst toxicity or abuse...

For parents of young children, appointing guardians in a will is one of the most important – and personal – decisions they will ever make. Yet it is often left until last, or addressed only briefly, without fully considering the legal and practical consequences.

Family court proceedings are stressful for anyone. But if you’re neurodivergent, there’s often an extra layer of worry. Will the judge understand how you communicate?