Following on from our article on 27 June 2018 regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling that Civil Partnerships should be open to heterosexual couples, the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration Etc.) Bill, which formally extends Civil Partnerships to opposite sex couples, is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords, today, […]
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Divorce: Christmas used to be a time for goodwill to all men – now, not so much

Latest figures from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have revealed that 455 online applications for divorce were lodged in England & Wales during the period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. Surprisingly, 13 of these divorce applications were filed on Christmas Day! In April 2018 the MOJ launched its online divorce service which allows […]
Barlow’s Cohabitants and the Law, 4th edition by David Josiah-Lake (4/6)

It is telling that, despite numerous attempts to curb this practice, in 2018 tabloids and many of their readers still continue to refer to unmarried cohabiting couples as ‘common law spouses’, which phrase implies rights that do not exist in law. Indeed, a poll conducted by Resolution (the association of family solicitors) during the Cohabitation […]
New Book Review: Barlow’s Cohabitants and the Law, 4th edition by David Josiah-Lake

Josiah-Lake Gardiner are pleased to announce that David Josiah-Lake’s latest book “Barlow’s Cohabitants and the Law, 4th edition” has received another fantastic review. In the November 2018 Newsletter issued by the Association of Lawyers for Children, Poonam Bhari of 3PB writes“This 4th edition is a clearly written and invaluable resource for dealing with the issues and […]
Conference updates from Margaret Kelly – Consultant Solicitor (Part 2/2)

October has certainly been conference month for Margaret Kelly. Here, she offers her reporting: Second Stop Nottingham England The annual dispute resolution conference took place on 11 and 12 October. As an enthusiastic proponent of non-court based resolution of issues following the break down of relationships wherever possible, I was proud to be a member […]
Josiah-Lake Gardiner is an ‘innovative and exciting practice with a personal touch’ says The Legal 500 UK 2018

Josiah-Lake Gardiner are pleased to announce that the firm has once again been recommended in The Legal 500 UK. The Legal 500 UK independently surveys law firms across the UK and ranks them in accordance to practice area. The Legal 500 UK 2018 edition recommends Josiah-Lake Gardiner for services in relation to Family Law and […]
Conference updates from Margaret Kelly – Consultant Solicitor (Part 1/2)

October has certainly been conference month for Margaret Kelly, Consultant Solicitor at Josiah-Lake Gardiner. Here, she offers her reporting: First Stop Brisbane Australia As a solicitor qualified in both the UK and Australia I belong to a group of dual qualified solicitors based in the UK and Australia called the Anglo Australian Family Law Association. […]
Book Review: Barlow’s Cohabitants and the Law, 4th edition by David Josiah-Lake

Josiah-Lake Gardiner are pleased to report that David Josiah-Lake’s latest book “Barlow’s Cohabitants and the Law, 4th edition” has received a fantastic review by Graeme Fraser in the New Law Journal (19 October 2018). The review notes that David’s book provides “a clear and easily accessible summary of rights and remedies for cohabitants living together and […]
Owens v Owens [2018]: Fault-based divorces to continue

Somewhat reluctantly the Supreme Court last week ruled in the case of Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41 to uphold the decision made by the judge at first instance which was endorsed by the Court of Appeal to dismiss the wife’s divorce petition alleging that her marriage had broken down irretrievably because her husband had behaved […]
Mills v Mills [2018]: No second bite of the cherry

The Supreme Court has this week delivered a unanimous judgment in the case of Mills v Mills [2018] UKSC 38 setting aside a 2017 Court of Appeal decision to increase a wife’s spousal maintenance to cover her rental payments, 16 years after a financial settlement was agreed in 2002. A timely reminder that despite the making […]