The summer is fast approaching so if you haven’t already you should discuss the arrangements for contact with your children over the summer holidays.

Many separated couples are able to agree the arrangements for the absent parent to have contact with their children on a regular basis throughout the year and the specific arrangements for contact over the extended summer school holidays.

Unfortunately some separated parents are unable to agree the pattern of contact and if you are one who has yet to firm up the arrangements over the summer holiday you must start thinking about it now.

If you want contact with your children during the summer and your ex partner says no or is offering less contact than you would like you should seek legal advice.

The first step is always to try to reach an agreement directly with the other parent but if that is unsuccessful you should seek legal advice.

Every

HOW CAN I PROVIDE FOR MY PETS IN MY WILL?

We are a Nation of animal lovers, and February 20th is national “Love Your Pet Day”. Have you ever considered what would happen to your beloved pet if you were to suddenly die? Who would look after them and how would that person pay for their care, feed and vets bills etc? Amye Aris, our Wills, Trusts and Probate specialist discusses this topic in more detail.

All too often it is simply assumed that a pet will be taken in by family or friends in the event of death, however tens of thousands of pets are at risk of becoming homeless after the death of an owner. Careful planning now could avoid many problems later, and these are 5 things you should consider when making your Will to best protect your pet in the future:

Who would look after my pet?

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WHAT IS SIDEWAYS DISINHERITANCE AND HOW CAN I AVOID IT?

Our Amye Aris, specialist Wills Solicitor, explains the pitfalls in leaving your estate to a surviving spouse outright, and how to better protect your children’s future inheritance.

MARRYING AGAIN AFTER LOSING A SPOUSE

Clients will often come to us and have it in their mind that if they die first, they want their surviving spouse to have the benefit of all their joint assets including money, investments, and the house, especially if there are children involved. Often, they want the surviving spouse to afford to bring the children up and live the lifestyle that the family enjoy now whilst both parents are alive.

What they often don’t consider, however, is what happens in later life, if their spouse goes on to have a new relationship or to marry someone new.

I recently met with a lady client, who was sadly widowed very young many years

Our Francine Bristo offers some guidance on helping your child through separation

Separation is difficult for everyone including children.  It is hard to parent when you are struggling with your emotions.  There is information and support out there, be kind to yourself and get help where you need it.  It is important to look after yourself.  Life will be difficult for a while but there is lots you can do to reduce the impact of the separation on your children.  Co-parenting is hard but it is so very worthwhile.  When parents co-parent their children well the outcomes are better for everyone.

Maintain a working co-parenting relationship with your ex and avoid exposing your children to conflict.  Being patient, offering repeated reassurance and a listening ear can make a huge difference at this uncertain time.  Keep the comfort of routine where possible.

When telling the children about the separation prepare what you will

Our Amy Trevellick shares some advice for those who are newly separated or divorced this Christmas.

For many people, Christmas is a particularly special time of year. Spending time with their loved ones, and seeing glee on their children’s faces as they open their presents on Christmas morning. But for others, Christmas can put a huge strain on their relationship and you may find yourself dreading spending another Christmas at home with your partner or spouse.

It is of course, commonly said that January sees a “divorce boom”. The press has even coined the first working Monday of January “National Divorce Day”. But what is the reality of a divorce, and could you see yourself spending Christmas 2021 as a single person?

One of the most rewarding things about being a family lawyer, if not the most rewarding, is to see my client’s go through the journey and come out the other end

Christmas is not that far away so if you haven’t already you should discuss the arrangements for contact with your children over the Christmas holidays.

Many separated couples are able to agree the arrangements for the absent parent to have contact with their children on a regular basis throughout the year and the specific arrangements for contact over the Christmas and New Year period.

Unfortunately some separated parents are unable to agree the pattern of contact and if you are one who has yet to firm up the arrangements over Christmas you must start thinking about it now.

If you want contact with your children over Christmas and your ex partner says no or is offering less contact than you would like you should seek legal advice.

The first step is always to try to reach an agreement directly with the other parent but if that is unsuccessful you should seek legal advice.

Every case

Many of our divorcing clients are concerned about how divorce will affect their future estate planning and whether their ex-spouse will receive anything from their previously drawn up Wills.

Our Amye Aris, Wills and Probate Solicitor at New Leaf Solicitors, sets out the position for divorcing or divorced couples.

Does getting divorced automatically revoke my previous Will?

The act of divorce and obtaining a Decree Absolute operates to treat your ex-spouse as if they had predeceased you on the date the Decree Absolute is granted. Divorce does not, however, automatically revoke your Will. This means that your ex cannot automatically inherit under any pre-divorce Will, but it could mean, depending on the terms of that Will, that your estate or gifts within it will fail and fall under the rules of intestacy. The consequence of this would mean that your estate may not be distributed in the way you had set out for

Our Amye Aris helpfully explains what the terminology in Estate Administration and Probate means.

The loss of a loved one is upsetting enough. Having to then deal with arranging a funeral, locate a valid Will and then navigate the legal jargon used by solicitors whilst trying to deal with an Estate can be extremely daunting.

If you need help, our specialist team can assist with Administering Estates on behalf of executors. We provide a bespoke service, and our fees reflect the amount of work you need us to do. We deal with all matters with compassion and sensitivity and understand that clients come to us at an incredibly difficult period when dealing with grieving.

To ease some of this stress and help with the process of Estate Administration we have complied a glossary of terms that you may encounter.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

TERM USED
MEANING OF TERM

Administrator(s)
The person or persons who are required to deal with