Plain-English guides to navigating the legal system, written to help you understand what's happening and what to do next. Reviewed by a solicitor.
Applying for your final order before your financial settlement is agreed can put your pension, inheritance rights, and future financial claims at risk.
Legal aid for family court cases is limited, but it is available if you have evidence of domestic abuse, your child is at risk of harm, or your case involves international child abduction.
Spousal maintenance orders can be increased, reduced, suspended, or ended entirely if there has been a significant change in either party's financial circumstances.
What to do if your spouse ignores or refuses to acknowledge a divorce application in England and Wales, and how the court lets the process continue without their cooperation.
No — recording a family court hearing without the court's permission is contempt of court and can also be a criminal offence, even for remote hearings held by video link.
A section-by-section walkthrough of how to complete Form E for financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales, written for people without a solicitor.
Why getting divorced does not, by itself, divide money, property, or pensions in England and Wales, and what you need to do separately to make a financial settlement legally binding.
Since 2022, it is banned by law for an alleged perpetrator of domestic abuse to personally cross-examine their victim in family court, and vice versa, without legal representation stepping in.
How to approach the valuation of property, pensions, businesses, and other assets for Form E financial disclosure in England and Wales.
Why divorce, financial remedy, and child arrangements are three separate legal processes in England and Wales, how they relate to each other, and what order to deal with things in.
Your ex cannot permanently relocate your child abroad, or in some cases within the UK, without the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or a court order allowing it.
The factors set out in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 that courts in England and Wales apply when deciding how to divide assets and income on divorce.
A step-by-step guide to filing your divorce application online through MyHMCTS, written for people doing this without a solicitor.
Appealing a family court decision means showing the original decision was wrong in law or reached through a serious procedural unfairness, not simply that you disagree with the outcome, and strict time limits apply.
Missing a family court deadline rarely ends your case outright, but it can carry real consequences, from criticism by the judge to your evidence being excluded or a costs order made against you.
How the family home is treated while a divorce is ongoing in England and Wales, and why the divorce itself does not decide who keeps the house.
Realistic timelines for child arrangements proceedings in England and Wales, from submitting a C100 to a final order, and what affects how long the process takes.
What you can do if you believe your spouse or former partner is hiding assets or providing incomplete financial disclosure in England and Wales.
The difference between a clean break order and a general consent order in a UK divorce, and why ending future financial claims is not automatic even after a financial agreement is approved.
What Child Focused Courts are, how they differ from the traditional family court process, and what to expect if your child arrangements case is heard under the new model in England and Wales.
A plain English explanation of Form E, the financial disclosure document used in financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales, and what you are required to include.
A plain-English explanation of what a conditional order is, when you can apply for one, and what it means for your divorce.
What CAFCASS is, what it does in child arrangements proceedings, and what to expect from a safeguarding call and any later involvement in your case.
What happens at the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales, what documents you need, and how to prepare if you don't have a solicitor.
A plain English explanation of financial consent orders in divorce, why an informal agreement on money is not enough, and how to make a financial settlement legally binding.
What a child arrangements order contains in practice, how it works, and what happens if it isn't followed, in England and Wales.
A Mesher order postpones the sale of the family home after divorce until a future trigger event, giving children stability while both parties keep a financial interest in the property.
A plain English explanation of the final order, the document that legally ends a marriage in England and Wales, and the six-week wait before you can apply for it.
What to expect at a final hearing in child arrangements proceedings in England and Wales, what evidence the court considers, and how to prepare without a solicitor.
What a clean break order means in the context of a financial settlement on divorce in England and Wales, how it's achieved, and when it may not be appropriate.
A plain English explanation of the mandatory 20-week wait between starting a divorce application and applying for a conditional order in England and Wales.
What to expect at the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA) in child arrangements proceedings in England and Wales, and how to prepare without a solicitor.
A plain English explanation of pension sharing orders in financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales: what they are, how they work, and when they're used.
If your ex-partner breaches a child arrangements order, you can apply to the court to enforce it, but you'll usually need to try resolving things directly or through mediation first.
What a position statement is in financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales, what it needs to include, and how to write one if you don't have a solicitor.
A plain English explanation of the Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting required before most child arrangements applications in England and Wales, and who is exempt.
A plain English explanation of the Financial Dispute Resolution hearing in England and Wales: what happens, what the judge does, and how to prepare if you don't have a solicitor.
A plain English guide to the C100 application form used to apply for a child arrangements order in England and Wales, and how to complete it without a solicitor.
What spousal maintenance is, how it is calculated, how long it lasts, and when it can be varied or ended in England and Wales.
What a Dispute Resolution Appointment is, what happens at one, and how it differs from the first hearing in child arrangements cases in England and Wales.
What a McKenzie friend is, what they can and cannot do in family court proceedings in England and Wales, and how to use one if you don't have a solicitor.
What a Section 7 welfare report is in child arrangements proceedings in England and Wales, what CAFCASS investigates, and how the report affects your case.
A court bundle is the organised set of documents a judge reads before your hearing; as a litigant in person you may be responsible for preparing it yourself, following strict formatting rules.
A plain English explanation of fact-finding hearings in family court proceedings in England and Wales, when they're ordered, what happens, and how to prepare without a solicitor.
What a non-molestation order is, what it covers, how to apply, and what happens if it is breached, in England and Wales.
What a position statement is in child arrangements cases in England and Wales, what it should include, and how to write one without legal training.
A prohibited steps order stops a parent taking a specific action affecting a child, while a specific issue order asks the court to decide a particular disputed question about their upbringing.
An occupation order decides who can live in the family home, while a non-molestation order stops someone from being violent, threatening, or abusive towards you; the two are often applied for together.
Coercive control is a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015, covering patterns of controlling or threatening behaviour that don't need to be physically violent to be taken seriously by the family court.
Parental alienation describes a pattern of behaviour that damages a child's relationship with a parent; family courts now use the term 'alienating behaviours' and require clear evidence before acting.
What parental responsibility means in England and Wales, who has it automatically, how to acquire it if you don't, and what it means in practice for separated parents.
Special guardianship gives a carer, often a grandparent or relative, parental responsibility for a child until they turn 18, while allowing the child to keep a legal connection to their birth parents that adoption would permanently end.