Following its online pilot scheme the Ministry of Justice has launched the scheme nationwide this month. The latest initiative in the department’s £1bn modernisation programme enables divorcing couples across England and Wales to complete their applications on a website without going to court. The language on the digital form has been simplified and also allows payments and
Newly-divorced couples may still be married because of a series of blunders by officials. A senior judge said that those affected were granted legal break-ups too quickly. In some cases, couples submitted divorce petitions before they had been married a year – the minimum period. In others, officials approved divorces before the applicants had spent
A woman who was in the process of divorcing her husband when he was killed by a speeding driver wants almost £700,000 in compensation, claiming they would have reconciled had he not been killed. Cathryn Craven, 50, has taken her claim to the High Court amounting to £676,985 against Davies on behalf of herself and her family under
An Irish couple who got married and then divorced now want to get remarried, however are prevented from doing so because of a legal loophole. Laura Hamilton and Paul McSherry, from Dublin, got married in Ireland in 1990 and then moved to London. In1998 they decided to get divorced in London’s High Court. Both Laura
A high-profile divorce ruling scrapping future payments signifies a sea change in how courts regard maintenance, according to a leading family lawyer. As reported by the Law Gazette, in the case dubbed the ‘meal ticket for life’, the Court of Appeal ruled that maintenance payments for Kim Waggott from her ex-husband should end after three
Three Court of Appeal judges in London are analysing the latest stage of an Anglo-Scottish legal battle between an aristocrat and his estranged wife. Charles Villiers and Emma Villiers, both in their 50s, are embroiled in a dispute about whether their arguments over money should be staged in an English or Scottish divorce court. Appeal
A businessman has pleaded guilty after he went through a bigamous third “marriage.” Magistrates heard Haroon Lorgat had an Islamic ceremony in Morocco. He went on to have a civil marriage in the UK while he was still married to his second wife. Lorgat used the divorce papers from his first marriage to convince the
An 83-year-old millionaire property developer has been given a 14 month jail sentence after he was found to be in “persistent” contempt of court. John Hart failed to comply with court orders following his £9.3m divorce. He was ordered to hand over £3.5m of his £9.3m fortune to his former wife Karen in a divorce
A court heard that a man forged his ill wife’s signature on legal documents and applied for a divorce without her knowledge, The victim discovered his actions when she visited the marital home to collect person items and found the divorce petition. Swansea Magistrates Court heard Nicky Mark Jones, 44, had been married for 18
An estranged couple been told that they must wait another eight months before their battle over money can be fully aired before a divorce court judge. Barbara Cooke and Michael Parker, directors of BC Softwear a firm which supplies towels and bathrobes to top hotels have been told that their hearing will now take place