Humanist marriage: MPs call for legal recognition of ceremonies – BBC News

Posted January 28th, 2022 in equality, marriage, news, religious discrimination by tracey

‘The UK government’s failure to legally recognise humanist weddings in England and Wales is “discriminatory”, MPs have argued, as they called for marriage reform.’

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BBC News, 27th January 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Recent case highlights need for law reform in forced/predatory marriage – Family Law

Posted January 24th, 2022 in elderly, families, family courts, forced marriages, marriage, mental health, news by tracey

‘Predatory or forced marriages faced by individuals (usually elderly) whose mental capacity is in doubt or who are vulnerable to undue influence remain an open wound for many families.’

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Family Law, 12th January 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Does the law on predatory marriage need to change? – Family Law

Posted January 10th, 2022 in consent, elderly, fraud, intestacy, marriage, news, wills by tracey

‘In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in cases where fraudsters have married vulnerable and often elderly individuals, without the knowledge of their loved ones, and are then able to access the new spouse’s lifetime savings and inherit their entire estate under the intestacy rules, as marriage automatically revokes any previous Will a person may have made.’

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Family Law, 7th January 2022

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

How we marry is changing, and the law needs to keep up – Law & Religion UK

Posted December 6th, 2021 in Law Commission, marriage, news, statute law revision by sally

‘It has long been recognized that the law governing the process of getting married needs reform. Following on from Getting married: a scoping paper, published in December 2015, in September 2020 the Law Commission published Getting Married: A Consultation Paper on Weddings Law, setting out a series of provisional reform proposals for weddings law. An empirical study conducted by us titled “When is a wedding not a marriage? Exploring non-legally binding ceremonies” investigated wedding ceremonies taking place outside of the legal framework which reflected a variety of faiths, beliefs and non-beliefs. Drawing on the extensive data we gathered from September 2020 to May 2021, a Briefing Paper for the Law Commission has been published this week analysing the potential impact of the Commission’s proposals for reform.’

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Law & Religion UK, 4th December 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Research Briefing: Commons Library analysis of Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill 2021-22 – House of Commons Library

Posted November 18th, 2021 in age of consent, bills, children, civil partnerships, forced marriages, marriage, news by tracey

‘This Commons Library briefing paper deals with the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill, a Private Member’s Bill which is due to have its Second Reading on 19 November 2021.’

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House of Commons Library, 17th November 2021

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Parliament to vote on bill to ban child marriage in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘A bill that would ban child marriage in England and Wales will be presented to parliament for its second reading this week and has been welcomed by campaigners as a “huge stride” forward.’

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The Guardian, 16th November 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Does the law on predatory marriage need to change? – Family Law

Posted November 8th, 2021 in consent, families, forced marriages, fraud, intestacy, marriage, news, wills by tracey

‘In recent years there have been calls for a change in the law to protect vulnerable adults from falling victim to what has become known as “predatory marriage”. This is due to a rise in cases where fraudsters have married vulnerable and often elderly individuals, without the knowledge of their loved ones, and are then able to access the new spouse’s lifetime savings and inherit their entire estate under the intestacy rules, as marriage automatically revokes any previous Will a person may have made.’

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Family Law, 5th November 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

High Court rejects appeal from sham marriages solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted October 12th, 2021 in appeals, disciplinary procedures, marriage, news, sham transactions, solicitors by sally

‘The High Court has rejected an appeal from a solicitor struck off twice by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) after being recorded by an undercover TV reporter giving advice on what he knew was a sham marriage.’

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Legal Futures, 12th October 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Consultation for vaccine passports – England – Law & Religion UK

‘Late on 27 September 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care issued the Consultation Proposal for mandatory COVID certification in a Plan B scenario: call for evidence, asking for responses by 11 October, although it encourages stakeholders to submit views as quickly as possible in case there is need to introduce certification, as part of Plan B, at short notice.’

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Law & Religion UK, 28th September 2021

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

Financial Remedy Update, September 2021 – Family Law Week

‘Rose-Marie Drury, Principal Associate at Mills and Reeve, consider the important news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during August 2021.’

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Family Law Week, 9th September 2021

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Short Marriages … “A marriage is a marriage”? – Family Law

Posted September 6th, 2021 in appeals, children, divorce, families, financial dispute resolution, marriage, news by tracey

‘The recent case of E v L has once again brought to the fore short marriages and their treatment within financial remedy cases.’

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Family Law, 3rd September 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

E v L [2021] EWFC 60 (Fam) – Short, childless marriages, the sharing principle and absence of white leopards – Becket Chambers

‘The parties became engaged in 2016 married in 2017 and separated in 2019. The parties disagreed over the date of cohabitation, the wife saying 2016 and the husband denying there was any cohabitation before marriage.’

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Becket Chambers, 13th August 2021

Source: becket-chambers.co.uk

Division of assets in a short childless marriage (E v L) – 1 GC: Family Law

‘In E v L, Mr Justice Mostyn considered an application for financial remedies following a short marriage. He concluded the fact that the marriage was childless was irrelevant to whether there should be a departure from the application of the equal sharing principle. Moreover, there was no reason to distinguish between an accrual (of assets) over a short marriage and an accrual over a longer marriage. The statutory factor of the duration of marriage was likely to be reflected in any event in that an acquest over a shorter period was likely to be less. Mostyn J also considered the approach to valuing businesses in this case where three accountants gave “hot-tub” evidence as to the value of one of the husband’s companies.’

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1 GC: Family Law, 10th August 2021

Source: 1gc.com

Landmark UK court ruling due in ‘bride price’ dispute – The Guardian

Posted August 16th, 2021 in contracts, divorce, islamic law, marriage, news, women by tracey

‘A landmark judgment that could bring part of UK law into line with sharia law’s position on “bride price” payments is to be announced this week in the central London county court, in a case backed by a women’s charity.’

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The Guardian, 16th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

A de-facto problem – Family Law

Posted July 12th, 2021 in cohabitation, families, financial dispute resolution, marriage, news by tracey

‘Should cohabiting couples be permitted to bring more comprehensive financial applications to court upon separation? This longstanding discussion amongst family lawyers in England continues and will continue afresh in the wake of the recent House of Commons Briefing Paper “Common law marriage” and Cohabitation published on 4 May 2021.’

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Family Law, 8th July 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Dana Twidale: Wedding planner jailed for £57,000 fraud – BBC News

Posted July 6th, 2021 in fraud, imprisonment, marriage, news, sentencing by sally

‘A wedding planner who conned would-be brides and grooms out of thousands of pounds has been jailed for five years.’

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BBC News, 5th June 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Outdoor civil wedding and partnership registrations to be legalised – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 21st, 2021 in civil partnerships, marriage, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘Outdoor civil wedding and partnership ceremonies in England and Wales are set to be legalised for the first time – offering greater choice to couples in a boost to the wedding sector.’

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Ministry of Justice, 20th June 2021

Source: www.gov.uk

Frustrated Contracts and Wedding Venues – article by Harry Dyson – Park Square Barristers

Posted June 17th, 2021 in contracts, coronavirus, hotels, marriage, news, regulations, repayment by sally

‘Harry Dyson discusses what appears to be the first judgment at Circuit Judge level in relation to what monies can be retained or claimed by wedding venues when the contract has been frustrated by Covid-19 regulations. Harry has been exposed to this issue whilst working as a paralegal prior to commencing pupillage. He gained experience in dealing with both these claims and issues surrounding venues’ business interruption insurance.’

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Park Square Barristers, 15th June 2021

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Perspectives on civil partnerships and marriages in England and Wales: aspects, attitudes and assessments – Family Law

Posted June 14th, 2021 in civil partnerships, equality, homosexuality, marriage, news by tracey

‘This article considers the developments since the turn of the century in the provision of new options for same sex and opposite sex couples to formalise their unions with full legal recognition. The available statistical information on the take-up of same sex civil partnerships and marriages is analysed and evaluated, and an early estimation made of their dissolutions and divorces. The possible implications of recent trends are considered, and a personal appraisal made of prospects for the immediate future. To a lay person, the sequence of introducing civil partnerships and same-sex marriage in England and Wales has been a curious, if not puzzling, progression, perhaps only really understood by the initial opposition to (same sex) civil partnerships, and in particular that they should not be accorded equivalence to marriage. The whole story[1] is also simultaneously one of developing pressure, firstly for the availability of a legal union for same sex couples, and then for greater freedom of choice, and for equal status. The latter was only achieved for civil partnerships[2] after much effort.’

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Family Law, 11th June 2021

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Child marriage ‘thriving in UK’ due to legal loophole, warn rights groups – The Guardian

Posted May 5th, 2021 in children, forced marriages, marriage, news, young persons by sally

‘A legal loophole that allows 16- and 17-year-olds in England and Wales to marry with parental consent is being exploited and used to coerce young people into child marriage, campaigners have warned.’

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The Guardian, 4th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com