As winter passed and we moved into spring, the blog continued to examine the latest family law cases and top stories.
April
At the beginning of April Stowe Family Law solicitor Jennifer Hollyer wrote an article on the difficult subject of child abduction, looking at what happens when a parent has a change of heart. She specifically examined what happens when the non-resident parent has consented to the removal of the children, but goes on to issue an application for their return.
In an article I called ‘When being the family breadwinner can cost everything’ I talked about the potential horror facing female breadwinners who divorce. This followed an interview I did for The Times which attracted a great deal of comment.
I also shared my April Solicitors Journal column on the blog, in which I stated that we need new laws to ensure transparency in the family courts and true openness in public law cases.
May
In May I considered the Queen’s speech to the House of Commons and gave a family lawyer’s response. I reflected that it was uninspiring in terms of family law and that despite plans for the government to ensure separated fathers get more of a look-in, more should be done to define parental responsibility.
I also discussed the vital importance of judges avoiding close relationships with solicitors to maintain the public’s faith and the independence of the justice system.
There was also fun in the sun in May at York Racecourse. This was the fifth annual Stowe Family Law LLP Grand Cup and we were blessed with some fantastic weather. We were joined by Loose Women star Sherrie Hewson, former executive producer of ITV’s This Morning and now editor of Daybreak, Karl Newton, and various other guests.
June
The popularity of Twitter led me to consider the divorce process and what happens when it is played out in the public domain, in an article called ‘A very private divorce?’ I looked at privacy in the divorce process, with particular reference to finances.
I pondered shared parenting in June as well, and asked whether the government’s proposals were up to scratch. This piece examined parental rights to a child; a subject I have tackled numerous times, because it is so important to divorcing parents.
Considerable changes in divorce procedure also led me to ask why hadn’t the law changed too? I discussed the fact that divorce had altered almost beyond recognition over the last 40 years, yet the law had not changed with it.
