Family News Roundup

Cohabitation
The Government has postponed its decision on the Law Commission’s report “Cohabitation: The Financial Consequences of Relationship Breakdown” because it is concerned to establish estimates of the costs and financial benefits to Government of the recommendations. The Government’s final response is therefore awaited. The general consensus is it may have been shelved.

Child Support Agency
The CSA is still with us.

McCartney v Mills McCartney
Although during the course of the proceedings the judge made an order for the matter to be heard in private, towards the end of the proceedings this was reviewed. A draft judgement was sent to the parties and at a hearing the judge indicated he was minded to make public.  Heather Mills applied for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal to stop publication but permission was refused and that is why we are able to read all about it.

Pre-nuptial agreements following Crossley v Crossley
The decision in this case did not change the law in terms of whether or not pre–nuptial agreements are recognised under English law. They are not binding, and remain one of the factors to be taken into account under s25 MCA. However it did set down the procedure to be adopted where a pre-nuptial agreement exists in a short, childless marriage.

For information regarding family or matrimonial law please contact Julie Wain on 01785 211411 or Shani Carr on 01889 583871.

This article is for the purpose of general awareness only and the law may have changed since it was originally published. It does not constitute legal or professional advice and readers should not act on the basis of the information included. Readers should take appropriate advice upon their own particular circumstances.