Family law in the UK covers a wide range of legal issues related to families and relationships. It includes:
- Divorce and separation: This covers the legal process of ending a marriage or civil partnership, including issues related to property division, child custody, and maintenance payments.
- Child law: This covers issues related to the care, protection, and welfare of children, including child custody, contact arrangements, and adoption.
- Domestic abuse: This covers legal protection for victims of domestic abuse, including non-molestation orders and occupation orders.
- Financial matters: This covers issues related to the division of financial assets, including property, pensions, and debts, in the event of divorce or separation.
- Pre-nuptial agreements: This covers agreements made before marriage or civil partnership outlining the terms of the relationship and any financial arrangements.
- Co-habitation agreements: This covers agreements made between couples who are living together but not married outlining the terms of the relationship and any financial arrangements.
- Surrogacy and fertility law: This covers legal issues related to surrogacy, including parentage and parental rights and responsibilities.
- International family law: This covers issues related to cross-border family law disputes, including child abduction and jurisdiction disputes.
- Inheritance and Wills: This covers issues related to the distribution of assets and property upon the death of a family member, including the creation and execution of wills, probate, and inheritance disputes.
- Child abduction: This covers legal action taken to locate and return a child who has been removed from the country without the consent of the other parent or legal guardian.
- Care proceedings: This covers legal proceedings related to the care and protection of children, including cases involving neglect or abuse.
- Special Guardianship: This covers legal proceedings related to the appointment of a special guardian for a child, who will have parental responsibility for the child, but not necessarily biological ties.
- Mediation: This covers the use of an independent third party to help couples resolve disputes related to family law issues, such as child custody and property division, without going to court.
- Legal aid: This covers the provision of financial assistance to those who cannot afford legal representation, to help them access the justice system and resolve family law disputes.
- Paternity: This covers legal issues related to determining the paternity of a child, including DNA testing and disputes over child maintenance payments.
- Child support: This covers legal issues related to the financial support of children, including the calculation of child maintenance payments and enforcement of court orders.
- International child abduction: This covers legal issues related to the abduction of a child by a parent to a foreign country and the process of returning the child to the country of origin.
- Marriage annulment: This covers legal proceedings to annul a marriage on grounds such as non-consummation, bigamy, or fraud.
- Forced marriage protection: This covers legal protection for individuals at risk of being forced into marriage, including non-molestation orders and forced marriage protection orders.
- Same-sex family law: This covers legal issues specific to same-sex couples and families, including marriage and civil partnership, adoption, and surrogacy.
Grandparents’ rights: This covers legal issues related to the rights of grandparents to have contact with their grandchildren, including the right to apply for a child arrangements order.
Collaborative law: This covers an alternative dispute resolution method that allows couples and families to resolve legal issues related to family law in a cooperative and non-confrontational manner.
Immigration: This covers legal issues related to family members seeking to enter or remain in the UK, including spouse and partner visas, and the right to family life under human rights law.
Family trusts: This covers legal issues related to the creation and administration of trusts for the benefit of family members, including issues related to tax and inheritance.
Elder law: This covers legal issues related to the care and protection of older family members, including issues related to wills, power of attorney, and elder abuse.
Mental health: This covers legal issues related to the care and protection of family members with mental health issues, including issues related to mental health detention, treatment, and welfare.
Family-related disputes: This covers legal issues arising from disputes between family members, such as disputes over property, inheritance, or business interests.
Child maintenance arrears: This covers legal issues related to unpaid child maintenance payments and the enforcement of court orders to recover arrears.
Guardianship: This covers legal issues related to the appointment of a legal guardian for a child or an adult with incapacity, including the rights and responsibilities of a guardian.
Parental responsibility: This covers legal issues related to the rights and responsibilities of parents regarding their children, including issues related to decision-making and legal representation.
High net worth divorce: This covers legal issues related to the division of assets and financial arrangements in high net worth divorce cases, including complex financial structures, offshore assets, and pre-nuptial agreements.
Court of Protection: This covers legal issues related to the protection and welfare of adults who lack the capacity to make decisions for themselves, including issues related to deputyship, powers of attorney, and court-ordered decisions.
Human Rights: This covers legal issues related to the protection of family members’ human rights, including the right to a fair trial, privacy, and freedom from discrimination.
