Family law

Family law in the UK deals with legal matters involving family relationships, including divorce, child custody, financial settlements, adoption, domestic abuse, and prenuptial agreements. It ensures fair and lawful resolutions in cases of family disputes and changes in family structures.

Parental rights and responsibilities involve the duty to care for, protect, and make decisions for a child under 18. These include providing a home, education, medical care, and ensuring the child’s well-being. Typically, both biological parents have these responsibilities, but other guardians or relatives may gain them through court orders.

A financial order is a legally binding court order in the UK that outlines how financial assets, property, pensions, and other finances will be divided between divorcing or separating partners. It also determines financial responsibilities and can cover arrangements for child maintenance or spousal maintenance.

Financial orders help establish a fair division based on factors like the length of the marriage, each party’s financial and non-financial contributions, ages, health, and any child arrangements. There are different types of financial orders, including:

• Lump Sum Orders – where one party must pay a specific sum of money to the other.
• Property Adjustment Orders – directing what should happen to shared property, like selling it or transferring ownership.
• Pension Sharing Orders – dividing pension entitlements between partners.
• Maintenance Orders – setting terms for ongoing spousal or child maintenance payments.

To make a financial agreement legally binding, a financial order must be approved by the court. This usually requires a consent order if both parties agree on the terms or a contested financial order if they do not. Without this order, one partner could make financial claims against the other in the future.