The Myth of the “Common Law Marriage”. In a recent survey of MPs, undertaken by Resolution (www.resolution.org.uk), 69% of those surveyed agreed that many of their constituents mistakenly believed that there was such a concept as ‘common law marriage’. The Liberal Democrats also recently debated the issue of cohabitation rights at their annual conference. This [...]

How not to behave as a parent: A masterclass If there was ever a clear illustration of how not to behave as a parent, the film adaptation of Henry James’ novel, What Maisie Saw, demonstrates it perfectly. Directed by Scott McGhee and David Sigel, the 2013 release tells the story of a little girl's struggle [...]

The New “Gross Income Scheme” Introduced From the 29th of July 2013, the new “gross income” regime for calculating child maintenance was extended to families with two or more children. Previously the “gross income” scheme had only been open to families with four or more children. New applications to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), previously [...]