Unmarried Couples and Children

Any cohabiting couple needs to be aware that if they intend to have children and are not married, only the mother will automatically have parental responsibility.

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COMMENT

Shared residence and the role of CMEC

Increasingly, the courts are making shared residence arrangements to reflect the fact that parents have equal roles in children’s lives. However, the approach towards financial provision for children remains very unequal: only one parent can receive child benefit for a …

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COMMENT

Child maintenance and the abolition of CMEC

Following our earlier updates regarding the Government’s plans to revise the way in which child maintenance is paid, it has been recently reported that there are further proposals afoot. The Government is now seeking views on a plan to transfer …

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COMMENT

Proposed child maintenance fees unaffordable?

We reported in February that the Child Support Agency’s successor agency, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), controversially intends in 2012 to run a new scheme that will prompt parents to pay application fees and collection charges to pay …

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COMMENT

Child Support Agency – a record setting year

For many people the issue of child support can be a thorny issue. Indeed, there has been much press in recent years suggesting that the Child Support Agency (CSA) has failed to live up to its responsibilities. In November 2008 …

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COMMENT

Family Solicitor Devon – Insure against non-payment of maintenance

It is perhaps fair to say that most people are used to insuring against some form of undesired (and sometimes unforeseen) event. It is a legal requirement to insure your car unless it is declared to be off the road. …

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COMMENT

Government plans new Child Support scheme from 2012

Single parents may be aware that the Child Support Agency (CSA) that has since 1993 been the agency to help children receive maintenance from their non-resident parent. The CSA’s successor, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC), intends in 2012 …

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COMMENT

The Law on a Parent Relocating Abroad and Maintaining Contact with Children

For some years there have been mumblings in judicial quarters about the current case law surrounding how a Court approaches the issue of a parent who wishes to leave England and Wales and relocate elsewhere. The current leading case of …

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COMMENT

Child Maintenance : An Unknown Quantity?

Inevitably, when parents separate there are a number of issues that need to be considered, both in the long and short-term.  One of the long-term issues to be considered is child maintenance – something that people often need some guidance …

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COMMENT