Amanda Rimmer

A woman who claims she has been ‘condemned to a loveless marriage’ by the UK courts has taken her case to the Supreme Court in a bid to divorce her husband of 40 years. Tini Owens, 66, previously failed in her attempts to divorce Hugh...

There’s been major a cock-up in our divorce courts! This significant administrative error may have wide reaching consequences, although officials have said they don’t know how many it will affect. In short there are some people who will...

According to new figures released about our personal lives, not only are baby boomers commanding an ever greater share of the population – their number has risen by 20 per cent, living longer and taking the place of the existing ‘silver...

Making good decisions when you are in the midst of life changing events isn’t easy - particularly when you’re trying to make the most of a difficult situation. Physically separating is one thing but when is a good time to divide your...

How long is a short marriage and how should the assets be divided? The first has not been answered but the second has – effectively, with fairness. Yesterday guidance was provided by the Court of Appeal on how it may be possible to divide...

How much is too much, when paying for lawyers in financial proceedings? The starting point for anybody in dispute about the division of assets following divorce - and considering going to court to fight about it - is to ask that very question....

The world has been overtaken by social media, Facebook, Skype, Snapchat, Twitter and – apparently – ‘WhatsApp’. Today, many people’s personal lives are being played out publicly, marriages, separations and divorces. There...

One woman in four and one man in six in the UK will be a victim of domestic violence during their lifetime, according to research. Before knowing how to deal with instances of domestic abuse it is important to have a reminder of what it is or can be. ...

You may have heard about the case of Mrs Owens who has been denied a divorce by the Court of Appeal. She said that the decision had left her trapped in a loveless marriage and you would be forgiven for wondering how such a situation was possible –...

How badly does your ex have to behave to justify you getting extra money from them or a bigger share of the assets when you separate? In many relationship breakdowns - unfortunately – there are allegations and counter allegations about behaviour....

Making a Will isn’t the most exciting subject. And separating and thinking about death is a combination must people don’t want to think about. But ignore it at your peril and here’s some examples why. Anne (not her real name) came...

“It looks like a clean break!” While one might commonly hear those words whilst flat-out on a hospital gurney, it is also very common to hear this from your solicitor when talking about your financial settlement. What is a 'clean...

Roses are red, violets are blue, etcetera! It’s that time of the year again and, for many, the pressure is on to declare undying love and to get down on one knee. You’ve bought the card, booked the table next to the window and ordered the...

Separating - and the legal process of doing so - is one thing, but the practicalities of divorce go hand-in-hand with an emotional transition. If proper attention isn’t paid to the emotional side of divorce it can lead to a significant impact...

Is there really such a thing as D-Day? It might seem like a silly question; but we’re not talking about the date marking the Normandy Landings, but rather ‘Divorce Day’. It is often said that the first working day back after Christmas...

Tick tock, tick tock! The big day is nearly upon us and many of us will be rushing round to get everything sorted before the 25th of December. It is an exciting - if a little hectic - time of year. Without wanting to put a dampener on the festivities, for ...

‘Ding dong merrily on high!’ We’re definitely on count down. The Christmas lights have been switched on in town - the Christmas Markets are in full swing - the weather has turned - Black Friday is…well, Black Friday - and...

The family home. A place of sanctity. But it can also become the centre of a battlefield when separating. Who should keep it and who should leave? You might both want it but can’t live under the same roof once the relationship is over....

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s divorce takes a dramatic turn as information is leaked about the “Allied” star being in possession of a damning video of the mother of six. News sites report the star would be ready to release this if his...

You have picked the house with a nice big garden, the children’s schools and you have secured your dream job. All of this could be just down the road, in a neighbouring town, in a different county or it might even be on a different continent. You...

How much can a spouse claim on separation? How much ‘maintenance’ – the financial support one spouse is ordered to provide to another - is reasonable? These are the issues that continue to trouble our family courts. ...

Breaking up is never easy to do. In the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed the fall out of ‘separation’ in the news and in the media. We have fallen out with Europe and have decided to divorce. At home we fell out...

Pensions are in the news again following the demise of the national retailer, BHS. As family solicitors, we are regularly dealing with them – particularly with the question of what to do on separation. They are a tricky subject and one which can be...

Are you looking after grandchildren, nieces and nephews or other children in your family? I am not referring to the odd babysitting or for a couple of hours after school – I am talking about children who are living under your roof because they...

The decision to permanently separate can be stressful enough, but the additional financial worries that come with it can make an already difficult time worse. There will always be costs when making life changing decisions - whether emotional,...

Are you a “common law” husband or wife? If you are, you might be thinking that because you have been living together for a couple of years that you have protected yourself legally and financially. You might think that all is well,...

Figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) suggest that the number of non-molestation orders issued by the courts have increased by 21 per cent from 4,925 to 6,101 in England and Wales, between 2012 and 2014. In the Midlands alone, the number of...

When a relationship is breaking down, experience shows that effective communication is one of the first things to go. This can lead to all sorts of unintended misunderstandings, which then inevitably impact upon trust. Once this happens it can make...

Each New Year is celebrated for the passing of one year and the arrival another. With it the comes excitement of new opportunities and the desire to make a ‘fresh start’ along with a host of other resolutions with rarely see the end of the month...

How quickly time flies! The festive season is already upon us and if your family is anything like mine, you’ll be looking forward to the usual fun-filled, but manic, Christmas. It’s a time when family come together, sometimes from great...

We are all at it these days! There’s hardly a moment in our day that isn’t captured by a camera. Your entire life in pictures, forever. This undoubtedly creates some great memories, but, occasionally, those pictures and memories turn into...

The press and social media were going overtime last month with the announcement of a long awaited judgement from the Supreme Court on the high profile ‘Sharland and Gohil’ cases. Both women said that they had been misled by their...

In my last column, I discussed the legal matters surrounding adultery and how it forms a significant part of the five so-called grounds for divorce . I also showed how complex a simple term like adultery can be; why it doesn’t always meet our everyday...

Adultery and unreasonable behaviour. Between the two, they account for the vast majority of so-called ‘grounds for divorce’. But these terms have strict legal definitions which do not always match our everyday definitions. In my next blog,...

How many of us get that ‘Friday feeling’? The office is locked and the weekend beckons – so what’s the priority? Straight to the pub or in the queue at the local chippy? Decisions, decisions. Either way, at the end...

Divorce. It is very rarely an easy or straightforward process, but when there’s a business involved, things can feel even more complicated. When couples go through divorce proceedings, any goodwill that remained between them can often go out of the...

How many grandparents are spending this summer looking after grandchildren? At a time when many people look forward to relaxing in the sunshine, for some older people the school holidays mean a significant chunk of their time taken up by childcare...

‘Get a job!’ - That’s what the divorce court told Mrs Wright when she asked for maintenance payments from her husband to support her...

Nobody wants to dwell on the inevitable, but, as the saying goes, only three things in life are certain: birth, taxes and our inevitable demise at the end of it all. Making plans for when we’re no longer around can often be a taboo subject and one...

A new day has emerged in the calendar in recent years for family lawyers – Divorce Day, or D-Day for short. Not of course to be confused in any way, shape or form with the historical day itself. How or why has this day evolved and does it really exist?...

The first letter anyone receives from a solicitor is so important – and without a doubt this cannot be more truthful than when a relationship is ending. It brings with it through your letter box, all the emotion and realisation that you are actually...

Much is being said and written in the media about the outcome of the Family Justice Review. However there is a greater problem on the horizon for parents who fall into disputes about their children which they are unable to resolve between themselves. That is...