Legal Resources and News

There are many reasons why a parent may wish to change their child’s surname. For instance:-

• A parent may wish to do so in order that the child shares their name if their name has changed as a result of a divorce.

A recent report from the Office for National Statistics shows that there was a slight increase in the number of people marrying in 2014, the last year for which statistics are available.

It is often the case that parties to a divorce do not have the same financial resources at their disposal, for example, one party may have been a stay-at-home parent allowing the other to climb the career ladder to a well paid job. Similarly, one party may have a steady, ready income whereas the other may have money, but that money may not be readily accessible for instance where it is tied up in property.

Family arbitration is a method of resolving a dispute and an alternative to going to court where mediation and /or negotiations between parties, with or without their solicitors, have failed to result in an agreement. A separating couple can use this service perhaps where they have a dispute over finances or over the arrangements regarding the children, following the breakdown of their relationship.

In 2015 cohabiting couple families accounted for 17% of all families in the UK and the percentage of over 16’s who were married decreased to 50.6%. These figures may be explained by an increasing trend for couples to cohabit before marriage or to cohabit instead of marrying at all. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for cohabiting couples to consider their financial position carefully.