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29 April 2020 / David Burrows
Issue: 7884 / Categories: Features , Family , Divorce
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Henry VIII & a Divorce Bill

Henry VIII divorce bill
The time has come to consider the plight of the increasing numbers of people who are outside the pale of UK marriage laws, says David Burrows

My brother Gold in ‘Blame still alive’ tells of delays still over the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill due to decisions needed on rules and an online system for divorce (see ‘Civil Way’, Stephen Gold, NLJ columnist, 31 January 2020, p15). As I mention below the only thing left for judges is to decide if a period for the divorce process can be shortened. The question of why registering a divorce application—like a marriage or death—needs to involve the courts at all is unclear. Parallel money issues will stay. After JK v MK & anor [2020] EWFC 2, Mostyn J (declaration that a consent order application prepared one company acting for both spouses was not a conflict of interest) the whole case —ancillary aspects and all—can just be a matter of simple registration too.

Meanwhile the Bill ploughs

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley—Jordan Wallace

Thomson Hayton Winkley strengthens family law team

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Ward Hadaway—Barnaby Rosenthall

Construction lawyer returns to Ward Hadaway in Teesside role

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird & Bird—Shahin Baghaei

Bird Bird hires leading legal transformation expert

NEWS
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
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