The Government has recently announced that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 is coming into force on 6 April 2022. This long awaited reform (originally scheduled to be brought into effect from late Summer 2021) will allow married couples to divorce without assigning blame to their spouse. If a married couple have been separated for less than two years and wish to divorce, under the current legislation, the only facts to rely upon within the divorce petition are either one spouse’s adultery or their unreasonable behaviour. In both scenarios, this means that one party essentially has to blame the other for the marital breakdown.

Many separated families continue to encounter confusion, difficulties and acrimony surrounding the lockdown rules and whether children can travel between their parents’ homes and other practical day to day issues.  The government published a briefing paper yesterday which may provide helpful guidance if you are struggling to know what to do. 

The firm has once again been ranked at Band 1 by Chambers and Partners 2021.

We are delighted that for the third year running we have been listed in The Times Best Law Firms.

We are delighted to announce that for the first time our mediation practice, headed by Rachel Woodd, has been ranked by the Legal 500.

We are delighted to have once again been awarded the highest ranking in the Legal 500 guide to the best family teams in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

For many couples a divorce involves the sale of their family home. Recent changes to the capital gains tax (CGT) rules mean divorcing or separating couples in the UK now have a shorter period of time in which to sell their interest in the family home without being hit by a CGT charge.

Jones Nickolds are a niche family law firm based in Beckenham and Chislehurst. All of our partners have previously worked in central London practises and are experts in family law.

When dealing with the treatment of pensions on divorce, there are a number of points to consider, and ensuring that both parties are sufficiently provided for in retirement can often be tricky.

Grandparents play an enormously important role in the lives of their grandchildren. In recent times it has become more and more common for grandparents to take an active role in raising their grandchildren.

As a result of the current Covid-19 crisis, parents with whom their children do not live are understandably concerned about the impact the Government’s recent Stay at Home rules will have on their ability to continue to spend time with their children safely.

As the number of cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to rise globally, we would like to reassure our clients that Jones Nickolds will continue to operate as usual.

Spousal periodical payments orders, more commonly referred to as spousal maintenance, are one of the options the court has at its disposal in order to adjust the parties’ financial resources upon divorce.

As we sit at court waiting interminably for the case to be called on, my client asks, with a hint of desperation in his voice, whether there isn’t a way to “go private”.

For years there has been an imbalance between the options of unions for same-sex couples, against the limited choice for mixed-sex couples. 

We are delighted that for the second year running we have been listed in The Times Best Law Firms.

The firm has once again been ranked at Band 1 by Chambers and Partners 2020, one of only four firms in Kent.

We are delighted to say that the firm has been ranked in the top tier for family law by the Legal 500; an independent directory of the best law firms in the country.

For some years it has been a cause of criticism and concern that the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) does not take into consideration any notional income that a non-resident parent (NRP) may be deemed to receive.

Sadly, it is not uncommon for incidents of domestic abuse to occur both within relationships and between family members.