Legal Resources and News

When parents separate, the ideal is for them to be able to agree on arrangements for their children and how much time the children will spend with each parent.  Nowadays, most parents have parental responsibility, so in law, they have an equal say in their children’s upbringing.  Those big decisions, such as which school a child should attend, how to deal with Covid-19, and boundary settings are decisions that should be made together.

When a couple first separate, it can be difficult to know where to start and what arrangements need to be made between you moving forwards. It is always preferable to try and negotiate arrangements between yourselves if the relationship is still an amicable one. If you do think that you might be in a position to discuss matters with your former partner or spouse, the below list is a good starting point of the top 5 topics you may wish to discuss. It applies to both married and unmarried couples.

One of the most worrying issues clients face when they are separating and/or divorcing, is the question of how they are going to financially support themselves and their children following separation. There are a number of ways that income can be ‘topped up’ on separation.

Any divorce has a huge emotional impact on the individuals involved, but for high net worth individuals it can also raise complex legal, financial and commercial issues. There are likely to be additional factors or challenges so we strongly advise that you seek legal advice at an early stage.

On the breakdown of a relationship, consideration will need to be given to the arrangements for any children, including with which parent they should live and how often they should spend time with the other. If parents are unable to agree these arrangements between them, either through discussions or through mediation, an application will need to be made to court for a Child Arrangements Order.