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11 August 2017
Issue: 7758 / Categories: Legal News , Divorce , Family
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No-fault divorce back in court

Family lawyers have hailed the Supreme Court’s decision this week to allow Tini Owens to appeal her divorce petition, in what has the potential to be a ground-breaking case.

The Court of Appeal refused to grant Mrs Owens a divorce after she failed to prove unreasonable behaviour, in Owens v Owens [2017[ EWCA Civ 182. Hugh Owens refused to divorce his wife, leaving Mrs Owen no option but to wait for a further three years’ separation.

Welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the appeal, Nigel Shepherd, national chair of family lawyers’ group Resolution, said the case ‘has significant implications for the future of divorce law in England and Wales.

‘The simple fact is that this case should not have been necessary, and only by implementing a no-fault divorce system can we ensure such a situation doesn’t happen again. Support for no-fault divorce is growing, from family law professionals, the public and politicians.’

 

 

Issue: 7758 / Categories: Legal News , Divorce , Family
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

42BR Barristers—4 Brick Court

42BR Barristers—4 Brick Court

42BR Barristers to be joined by leading family law set, 4 Brick Court, this summer

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Winckworth Sherwood—Rubianka Winspear

Real estate and construction energy offering boosted by partner hire

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Gateley Legal—Daniel Walsh

Firm bolsters real estate team with partner hire in Birmingham

NEWS
A wave of housing and procedural reforms is set to test the limits of tribunal capacity. In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold charts sweeping change as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 begins biting
Plans to reduce jury trials risk missing the real problem in the criminal justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, David Wolchover of Ridgeway Chambers argues the crown court backlog is fuelled not by juries but weak cases slipping through a flawed ‘50%’ prosecution test
Emerging technologies may soon transform how courts determine truth in deeply personal disputes. In this week's NLJ, Madhavi Kabra of 1 Hare Court and Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers explore how neurotechnology could reshape family law
A controversial protest case has reignited debate over the limits of free expression. In NLJ this week, Nicholas Dobson examines a Quran-burning incident testing public order law
The courts have drawn a firm line under attempts to extend arbitration appeals. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed of the University of Leicester highlights that if the High Court refuses permission under s 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996, that is the end
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