Prenuptial agreements are commonplace in the US and Europe, but while couples in the UK are able to set up this type of agreement before they marry, they’re not always recognised in court.

So what is a prenuptial agreement? And what is its legal status in the UK? Howells Solicitors examines this much debated issue, to give you the overview you need to make an informed decision before you get married.

What is a prenuptial agreement?

A prenuptial agreement is an agreement entered into by a couple who plan on getting married that details what would happen to their financial matters in the event of their divorce. They are used as a means of protecting wealth should a marriage go wrong, particularly in cases where one partner brings more in the way of assets to the marriage than the other.

Prenuptial agreements have only recently entered UK law, following a four year legal battle involving a German heiress, Karin Radmacher, worth £100million, and her ex-husband, academic Nicholas Granatino. In 2010, at the end of their divorce case, the court ruled in favour of Miss Radmacher protecting her fortune according to the prenuptial agreement signed by Granatino before their marriage. More...

It’s been nearly two years since we last wrote about the rise of the Facebook divorce, and how evidence of couples’ extra-marital exploits was finding its way onto social media and then subsequently into divorce proceedings.

Since that time, social media usage has continued to flourish, with more than 2 billion active social media accounts in existence globally. Also, in the past few weeks, a notorious dating website that enables extra-marital affairs has been hacked, with attackers threatening to expose the identities of the 37.5m adulterers who have used the site.

For this reason, we thought the time was right to revisit the idea of the ‘Facebook Divorce’, and investigate the effect that the rise of social media is having on divorce proceedings in the UK.

New statistics

A recent survey from Censuswide of more than 2000 respondents found that one in seven married individuals has considered divorce because of their spouse’s posting on Facebook or other social media sites. More...

If you are in dispute with your ex-partner/spouse regarding your children, or if you are having problems settling your separation, you may be thinking about issuing Court proceedings.

As of July 2014, before any application can be made to court, you are now required to attend a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM). The aim of the meeting is to see if mediation could be used to resolve your difficulties, rather than going straight to court. Courts are required to know that mediation has been considered before they are able to proceed with your application.

What is a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting?

The MIAM is a meeting between you and a mediator to find out if there are alternative ways to find solutions to your problems. The mediator will explain what your options may be, how mediation will work, the benefits of mediation and the costing involved. The meeting can be between the mediator and just you or with your ex-partner too.

What does a mediator do?

During mediation, a mediator will:More...

Divorce can be confusing enough without having to decipher all of the legal jargon involved. To help you get to grips with divorce terminology we’ve put together an A-Z guide that explains things in plain English.

Access – See Child Arrangements Order

Acknowledgement of Service – If your husband or wife has started divorce proceedings against you, you will be sent an Acknowledgement of Service form. This needs to be filled in to say you either agree or disagree with the divorce and returned to the court within 8 days. If you don’t send this form back within 21 days, your husband or wife can continue with the divorce as if you’d agreed to it.

Affidavit – An affidavit is a formal declaration that the contents of a particular statement (for example a divorce petition) are true. It is a written statement which is sworn under oath by the person making it.

Cafcass Officer – Cafcass stands for Children and Family Court Advisory Service. A Cafcass officer (also known as a family court advisor) is a specialist social worker whose role is to help you agree arrangements for your child, carry our safeguarding enquiries and, if requested by the judge, to write a detailed report about your child’s needs and wishes. For more information please see our recent blog post. More...

Your career can play a huge part in your life, determining your income, calculating your free time and even sometimes working to shape your personality. As a result of this, it is perhaps unsurprising that some jobs have a much higher divorce rate than others.

Jobs with the Highest Divorce Rate

Here are the ten careers with the highest divorce rate as found by the 2010 study entitled “A Comparison of Law Enforcement Divorce Rates with those of Other Occupations”:

1. Dancers and Choreographers – Divorce Rate of 43%

This is a very competitive job and although a high degree of cooperation and teamwork is needed, so too are long hours and a constant need to improve. Often this job role demands outstanding performance in order to advance their career, which means that for many dancers and choreographers they can’t afford to be held back by their spouse. This is the highest career divorce rate by quite a big margin, so if you’re looking for everlasting love it may be best to give dancers and choreographers a miss.

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