The By Lawyers Financial Remedies Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. Read more...

n response to a user request, we have compiled four example content documents covering the four most common concise financial remedy orders: Concise clean break order with one joint account to close and one property to be sold; Concise clean break order with a lump sum payment, one pension to be shared and one property to be transferred; Concise order with spousal maintenance, one pension to be shared and one property to be transferred; and Concise Mesher order for deferred sale. These can be found in the Financial Remedy guide, within the C. Settling it early folder. They are alongside a Template Financial remedy order into which the example content can be copied and pasted. The paragraphs in the Clauses for a Financial remedy order (The Orders Project - Financial Remedy Omnibus) can be used to supplement the new concise orders to cater for more complex situations. We have also produced a Deed of assignment to secure legal costs - Sears Tooth Agreement also in response to a user request. This can be found in the Getting the matter underway folder.

To complement the new ‘Your Finances’ app for gathering financial information from clients, two new letters have been added to the Financial Remedy guide. The first, Letter to client instructed to commence proceedings with financial remedy – Form E shared via LawConnect, contains step-by-step instructions for using LawConnect which clients can follow. The second, Letter to client with financial statement for signing – eSignature, contains guidance for clients on signing the Financial Statement using DocuSign. We invite you to explore these new letters. Comments and feedback are always welcomed.

Discussion of trust of land claims has been added to the Financial Remedy guide, enabling family law practitioners to gain an appreciation of the case law and process in this area. Covering an overview of trust law, a number of key cases and practical points to consider when dealing with disputes and making applications to court, this section of the guide will help practitioners when encountering this complex area. More informaiton is also available in the Freehold Property Disputes guide.

As a response to a user request, the matter plan has been amended to include a letter sending a blank form FP8 Notice of Change of Solicitor to a client at the start of the matter, to assist practitioners in ensuring that a signed copy of this is on file should the need arise later in the matter. The user who requested it kindly let us know that it is ‘wonderful to have such amazing speedy support from By Lawyers’. The matter plan also now provides a link to the new interactive PDF version of the form E Financial Statement. The interactive PDF will populate fields, calculate figures and guide practitioners through the form. More information about this form is available from the LEAP Content Blog.

The Domestic Violence Orders Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. The extensive review was performed with a focus on practical tips that will help lawyers confidently run a matter to completion. Commentary covering types of domestic abuse including coercion, financial and online abuse has been expanded. Additional example content for witness statements have been included in the example content precedents and a new To Do List – Domestic Violence Orders has been created to assist practitioners. We invite you to explore this updated publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for lawyers acting for applicants or respondents in domestic violence matters.

The By Lawyers Private Child Arrangements guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. The extensive review took a practical approach to cover all aspects of procedure, with a focus on practical tips that will help solicitors and conveyancers confidently run a private children matter. The commentary covering witnesses has been expanded. We invite you to explore this updated publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for solicitors and practitioners.

Our Financial Remedy Guide underwent a recent review with considerable commentary enhancements to include greater practical detail on topics such as financial dispute resolution appointments, costs and clean break lump sums. The Retainer Instructions – Financial Remedy, which is a useful risk management tool, was also further developed to include sections for clients to consider their financial position in order to assist in the completion of a Form E Financial Statement. This is an excellent publication providing practical and useful information for practitioners when conducting a Financial Remedy matter.

The By Lawyers Divorce Guide has been reviewed and updated to ensure that the commentaries and precedents are in line with current law and practice. The extensive review was performed by our author Marcella King. As with all our authors, Marcella takes a practical approach, drawing on her considerable experience to cover all aspects of procedure, with a focus on practical tips that will help legal advisors confidently run a divorce matter. New precedent separation agreements for both married, civil partnered, and unmarried couples have been included. We invite you to explore this updated publication and to consider the wealth of assistance the guide offers for practitioners.

The By Lawyers Financial Remedy publication has been reviewed and updated by our authors as part of our continuing review process. The review included several new precedents and greater commentary detail.

The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 enabling opposite-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership come into force on 2 December. This means that after a 28-day notice period, the first heterosexual civil partnership ceremonies could take place any time from the 31st December.

The By Lawyers Domestic Violence publication has been reviewed and updated by our authors as part of our continuing review process. This review saw the commentary in particular enriched with a deeper more practical approach to running such a matter.

The Financial Remedy commentary has been updated to include a straightforward appreciation of the different types of pension funds. The aim of this new section of commentary is to better assist practitioners in dealing with pensions in financial settlement matters including more detail on pension sharing orders, attachment orders and offsetting.

UK By Lawyers author Robin Charrot of Evolve Family Law has just completed a comprehensive review of the Divorce publication. He notes that the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill was introduced June 2019 and has passed through a second reading in parliament. Whilst the actual introduction date is as yet unclear, he forewarns there will be a need for significant changes to the Family Procedure Rules to enable the legislation. By Lawyers is keenly watching the progress of these changes and will update the publication again as and when they come into effect.

The Nuptial agreements publication was recently reviewed by UK author Robin Charrot of Evolve Family Law with particular focus on law and practice as it currently applies to nuptial and cohabitation agreements in England and Wales. Although there is no indication that legislation is imminent regarding binding Qualifying Nuptial Agreements as envisioned by The Law Commission, By Lawyers continues to maintain a watching brief over all UK legislation to keep users informed and our publications up to date.