In a move to provide greater security for unmarried couples and their families, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that heterosexual couples in England and Wales will be able to choose between a civil partnership and marriage. The proposed change follows a Supreme Court ruling, in which a heterosexual couple won the right to have…
Recent reports have shown that the refusal rate for DVA (Domestic Violence and Abuse) victims applying to stay in the UK has more than doubled between 2012 and 2016 since the government announced their intentions to put in place more measures against illegal immigration. A new rule, enabling immigrants entering the UK on a spousal…
Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced twelve new Bills as part of the Scottish Government’s legislative programme (2018-19). Among these Bills, the new Family Law Bill is expected to make a number of changes to Scottish family law in order to provide further protection for domestic abuse victims in contact or residence cases….
Many couples find it difficult to talk about their financial affairs, including debt levels with each other, new research has revealed. According to the study from Direct Line Life Insurance, 8.3 million (16%) Brits have debts their partner knows nothing about. In fact, over 460,000 people wouldn’t have even started a relationship with their current…
The Department for Work and Pensions recently published a report which gives an interesting insight into the workload of the Child Maintenance Service during the first quarter of 2018. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) was introduced in December 2012 as part of the Government’s Child Maintenance Reforms. It replaced the Child Support Agency (CSA) and…
The Court of Justice of the European Union has given its judgment in a case involving ‘rights of access’ to children. The case involved Ms Neli Valcheva, who is a Bulgarian national and the maternal grandmother of a child born in 2002. Since his parents’ divorce, the child has been habitually resident in Greece with…
A joint review of British surrogacy law is now underway to ensure the legislation remains fit for purpose. Surrogacy is where a woman bears a child on behalf of someone else or a couple who then intend to become the child’s parents. The review is being conducted by the Scottish Law Commission and the Law…
Many people today depend on devices to stay connected with their friends and family, and the same is true for those in relationships. However, new research has highlighted that this reliance on devices can cause trouble within a relationship. According to the study by Kaspersky Lab, couples today frequently use devices and online messaging services…
Contrary to popular belief, marital happiness actually increases over time rather than deteriorates, new research from the US has revealed. Paul R. Amato from Pennsylvania State University and James Spencer from Brigham Young University looked at data collected from 1,617 married individuals between the ages of 18 and 55. Their analysis focused on three different…
Marriages have a greater chance of success when spouses are able to identify when their partner is feeling sad or down, new research has found. According to the study from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, most married couples are good at knowing when their partner is happy, but are less successful at picking up more negative…
