header-logo header-logo

16 June 2011 / Charlotte Posnansky
Issue: 7470 / Categories: Features , Divorce , Family
printer mail-detail

Together forever?

Are Kate & William out of step with the majority of today’s couples? Charlotte Posnansky reports

Though the infectious romantic atmosphere created by the recent Royal Wedding may have given a brief boost to the institution of marriage, an increasing number of people are now choosing not to marry. Indeed, marriage is at its lowest rates since records began in 1862 as more and more people choose to cohabit instead.

Cynics often cite the headline grabbing figures in divorce cases and London’s reputation as being “the divorce capital of the world” as part of the reason for this decline as wealthy would-be-spouses seek to jealously guard their financial resources. However, that cannot be the full picture as a recent survey carried out by the matrimonial department at Charles Russell LLP showed that 56% of adults in England and Wales believed that the concept of a “common law” husband or wife has legal recognition and so gives right to a formal claim for financial support from the other in the event of subsequent separation.

There

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys—Maggie Kwok & George Weston

Harneys senior leadership appointments

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths—Keith Browne & Jim Jordan

Freeths strengthens London Construction and Engineering practice with two strategic senior hires

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins—Laura Moss

Anthony Collins announces strategic hire to deepen skills base in the social business sector

NEWS
More than 100 teams from the legal and financial services sectors competed in five sports at the 51st Law Society RFC Festival of Sport earlier this month
Part-time status need only be an effective cause of less favourable treatment, rather than the sole cause, the Supreme Court has held in Augustine v Data Cars
Britain’s new acknowledgement that Israel’s occupation is unlawful, and accompanying settlement-goods ban and sanctions, is significant but overdue, argue Danny Friedman KC and Victor Kattan in NLJ this week
New planning fee rises, wider trade union access rights and a service-by-email trap feature in Stephen Gold’s latest Civil Way
Existing defamation law can respond to AI ‘hallucinations’, but allocating responsibility will prove harder where outputs reach users without human intervention
back-to-top-scroll