One of the most common myths about common law marriage is it exists! It did once but the concept was abolished in 1753 so it is incredible that it lives on in so many people’s mind. A recent study carried out by The National Centre for Social Research discovered 46% of us still believe that a cohabiting […]
If it comes into force, Gloria’s Law will ensure that no elderly or vulnerable person ever dies alone while staying in a care home. During the recent pandemic hundreds died isolated and alone in care homes. This is heart wrenching enough. The fact their families and friends were unable comfort let alone say goodbye to their […]
Since its introduction the Housing Act 1988 has enabled private landlords to use ‘no fault evictions’ to repossess their properties, even when the tenants have not given them any cause for an eviction. The government is now committed to a Bill that will end no fault evictions but what will the changes to ‘no fault eviction’ […]
Following the Court of Appeal’s recent decision to uphold Knowles J’s ruling in A v B and another [2023] EWCA Civ 360, our Head of Chambers – Richard Barton – sat down with our Head of Family – Maria Hancock – to discuss the key facts and the impact the outcome could have on both Family and […]
You must have been married for at least one year before you can get divorced. If your marriage breaks down before you have been married for a year, you have the option to separate until the end of the first calendar year. However, you would need to come to an arrangement over how you will […]
With 800 Met Police officers being investigated, facing sexual and domestic abuse claims and other accusations of potential Met Police misconduct, the question many are asking is what next for the Metropolitan Police? The announcement of the arrest of PC David Carrick who subsequently pleaded guilty to 49 offences including dozens of rapes, has forced […]
You may have recently enjoyed the BBC’s programme ‘The Gold’, a retelling of the story of the Brink’s-Mat heist in 1983. But what does it have to do with keeping up the PACE? During the programme you may have noticed some delicate references to police behaviour at the time. For example, that cautions were not […]
The question as to what each spouse entitled to from a divorce is an important one. In the UK, divorce settlements aim to split the family’s assets and property as close to evenly as possible. While a 50/50 split will not always be the case as – there may be very specific reasons why one […]
Andrew Stephens is a specialist criminal law barrister who acts solely for the defence. He is regularly instructed in serious matters as well as those needing that bit of extra care as Andrew is adept at dealing with both clients and witnesses with vulnerabilities. Andrew is also particularly well regarded for the way he deals […]
One form of criminal exploitation that is now never far from the headlines is cuckooing. Recently there have been hundreds of arrests as police all over the UK crack down on County Lines crime. Cuckooing has been a major factor in many of these cases but why is cuckooing on the rise? What is cuckooing? […]