Blog
Rayner my parade! The importance of specialist advice.
Jemma Brimblecombe
10 April 2014
Surrogacy for gay couples - 10 things you should know
Same-sex marriage may now be legal, but surrogacy remains a legal minefield in the UK. Surrogacy is an increasingly popular route to parenthood for gay couples, enabling them to have a child genetically connected to one of them. UK based couples should, however, be fully aware of the legal implications (at home and abroad) before embarking on the surrogacy journey.
18 February 2014
Understanding the recent changes to child maintenance in the UK
The system governing child maintenance in the UK has been undergoing a complete makeover in recent years. Late last year saw the end of the staged introduction of the “gross income” scheme and all new child maintenance applications are now under the responsibility of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), with even more changes on the not so distant horizon.
This blog sets out the recent changes – including the main points and guidelines for parents to be aware of.
14 November 2013
International surrogacy laws are not keeping up with changing social patterns
In the absence of harmonised rules, the difference in worldwide approach will continue to cause legal confusion and complication as surrogacy becomes commonplace, say Claire Wood and Katie Newbury.
23 October 2013
Recognising the wishes and feelings of children - how old is old enough?
Children grow up so quickly. They have opinions from a young age and our society encourages children to be confident and to speak out. From age 14, they make decisions about which GCSE and A Level subjects they want to study, which will impact their careers and the rest of their lives. But, at what point does the law recognise their opinions?
14 August 2013
Preparing for the best outcome in child relocation cases
Dealing with the relocation of children to another country in situations of family breakdown can be highly complex and challenging – and in most cases, there is no win-win situation for any party involved. The very recent High Court decision in the case of CB v CB [2013] EWHC 2092 shows this. This involved a dispute between an Australian-British dual citizen mother and a British father. Their son, aged 14, had stayed with his father in England after a Christmas visit. This followed a two year period where the mother had relocated to Australia with the child to live on a short-term basis, with the father's permission.