It can be quite a shock. You’ve been with your spouse for ten, fifteen, 20 years, and then one day, they announce, suddenly and perhaps shockingly, that they want a divorce. Do you respond to this announcement with relief or grief? Disentangling your life from another person is never easy, but doing so after decades together is especially hard. Possessions must be divided, finances separated, new living arrangements made. The spark that once brought you together has gone and you must learn to live without your spouse as an everyday presence in your life. Long-held plans must be remade and the ..read more

Major Family Law has promoted experienced solicitor Stephanie Layton to Associate, in recognition of her outstanding work since joining the firm in March 2020. Stephanie specialises in financial matters and has an impressive track record advising both married and unmarried couples going through separation. She has also worked with many parents in dispute about care of and access to their children. Stephanie’s promotion will take effect on April 1. She said: “It has been a pleasure to learn and grow with the team at major Family Law. I have really appreciated the guidance, training and support ..read more

Yes, there is a lot you can do to help. It’s often a shock to their children and families, but sometimes older people decide to end their marriages, even if they’ve lasted for decades. Advancing years can bring an uncomfortable awareness that time is running out. Their children have grown up, left home and started families of their own. Perhaps they and their spouse have little left to say to each other and the older person have begun to dream of some precious alone time and freedom in their twilight years – but if they want a chance to savour those good things, they are going to need to make ..read more

Finding yourself in the role of step parent is an increasingly common experience. Divorce and separation are routine: relationships end every day, and most parents go on to meet new partners. Less commonly, and more tragically, parents sometimes pass away, leaving a surviving spouse to raise children alone. In most cases, new partners eventually meet the children of the earlier relationship and spend time with them. It’s very easy to fall into a semi-parental role in such situations. You’re an adult, they’re children and their other parent is not around. A balancing act But it’s a delicate sit ..read more

If you hear the words ‘domestic violence’, which images come to mind? Most likely you will find yourself picturing a cowering wife and an angry husband with a raised fist. This is the default image of domestic abuse delivered by 1001 media articles and stock photos. Threats and intimidation But real-life domestic abuse is a more complicated and multi-faceted phenomenon. For one thing, it need not involve actual violence. This has been recognised in law since 2015, when section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 created the offence of “controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family re ..read more

There are many differences between motherhood and fatherhood, but the biggest and most significant occurs on the day of the birth. Motherhood is certain: there is never any doubt about the biological mother of a child. But before the invention of modern DNA testing, there was less certainty about the child’s paternity. As a result, family law evolved to favour the husband of the mother at the time of the birth: he was presumed to be the father, with all its attendant responsibilities, such as financially supporting the child. In the great majority of cases, this presented no problem, but occas ..read more

Major Family Law has been described by no less a publication than Reader’s Digest as one of the six “top family lawyers in the north of England”. The legendary magazine – which celebrated its 100th birthday earlier this year – notes quite rightly that: “When navigating a divorce, it’s important to have the right team on your side.” Skilled family lawyers help prepare for potential problems before they occur, the article explains, working hard to ensure their clients receive the full and fair settlements to which they are entitled. Major Family Law, the magazine continues, is: “…known throug ..read more

A nationwide new podcast series on how to navigate divorce and separation has been launched in the North East. Each episode of the SplittingUp.com podcast tells the real stories of real people’s experiences before hearing from experts in areas such as family law, finance and mediation, to help others who might be going through a similar situation. Hosted by award-winning family lawyer Joanne Major, the podcast accompanies a new website designed to help those going through a separation to find help and advice. In the latest episode “Andrew” tells how close he came to suicide while spending four ..read more

Top North East law firm Major Family Law has launched a ground-breaking new website to guide people who are splitting up through the pitfalls of separation and divorce. SplittingUp.com is an online portal for those who don’t know where to turn to for help and advice when a relationship hits the rocks, and provides access to some of the country’s top experts and lawyers through an extensive and easy to search directory of professionals. From relationship counselling and mediation services to divorce lawyers and barristers, the site provides contact with financial advisors, exper ..read more

In most cases the answer will be England – as long as if you lived here before separation and had meaningful links to this country. If your husband, does not agree, however, he may counter an application for divorce in the courts of England and Wales by arguing that it should proceed in the United States instead, or even in a third country, depending on your family circumstances. If he does respond in that way, the English family courts will apply a set of legal principles called forum conveniens – Latin for ‘appropriate forum’. What is the forum conveniens? Forum conveniens is the analysis of ..read more