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Family Gifts, Non-Disclosure and Divorce: Lessons from a Recent Court of Appeal Case

Financial remedy cases often turn on one fundamental principle: full and frank disclosure. Without a clear picture of the parties’ finances, the court cannot achieve a fair outcome. A recent Court of Appeal decision, …
March 19, 2026
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When Do Non-Matrimonial Assets Become Matrimonial? Transfers Between Spouses Under the Microscope in RRE v JPR [2026] EWFC 7

One of the more nuanced issues in financial remedy cases concerns the status of non-matrimonial property—particularly where assets originally owned by one party are later transferred into the other spouse’s name or into joint …
March 16, 2026
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When Is a Marriage Not a Marriage? The Problem of “Non-Qualifying Ceremonies”

Most people assume they know when they are married. There was a ceremony, family attended, photographs were taken, and life moved on. But in law, the answer can sometimes be very different. A recent …
March 12, 2026
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Can a Divorce Be “Undone”? Lessons from a Case About Setting Aside a Final Order

Divorce lawyers often focus on finances and children, but sometimes the legal mechanics of divorce itself become the battleground. A recent Family Court decision, Labeja v Estate of Shatochina Labeja & Anor [2026] EWFC …
March 9, 2026
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False Prenups, Hidden Assets and an Art Collection: Lessons from a Complex Divorce Case

Financial remedy cases often involve difficult factual disputes, but KMR v AER is a particularly striking example. The judgment touches on several recurring themes in modern family litigation: the validity of nuptial agreements, non-disclosure …
March 6, 2026
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Set Aside Applications in Divorce: When Will the Court Unwind a Transaction?

Financial remedy proceedings often involve a careful reconstruction of the parties’ financial positions. But what happens when one spouse appears to have moved assets out of reach before the court can deal with them? …
March 5, 2026
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When “It’s Our House” Isn’t So Simple: Beneficial Ownership, Parents and Property in Divorce

In Archer v Archer & Ors [2026] EWHC 468 (Fam), the High Court allowed a wife’s appeal against a finding that her husband’s parents were the beneficial owners of a property which, on its …
March 5, 2026
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When Experience Isn’t Enough: Litigants in Person, Representation and the Reality of Financial Remedy Litigation

The recent decision in XX v GH [2026] EWFC 51 (B) is not, on its face, about divorce settlements or asset division. Instead, it addresses a technical — but hugely significant — issue: Who …
March 4, 2026
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Costs in Financial Remedy Proceedings: When “No Order” Becomes a £275,000 Bill

Costs in financial remedy proceedings are often described as the exception rather than the rule. The starting point under FPR 2010 r.28.3 is clear: no order as to costs. But as the recent decision …
February 20, 2026
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When “50/50” Isn’t Equal: Pensions, Needs and the Myth of Forensic Accounting

The decision in JK v LM [2026] EWFC 32 is a quietly instructive reminder of how the Family Court actually approaches fairness in a mid-range “needs” case — and why arguments about micro-accounting, add-backs and …
February 18, 2026
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Overseas Divorce, English Property: 90% of the Home to the Wife

The recent decision in Fisayo Olaoluwa Awolowo v Olusegun Samuel Awolowo is a striking reminder of the power of the English court to intervene financially following a foreign divorce — and of how decisive …
February 17, 2026
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Lifestyle vs. Disclosure – When the Numbers Don’t Add Up: Lessons from MK v SK [2026] EWFC 28

The recent decision in MK v SK is a striking reminder of three enduring principles in financial remedy litigation: The duty of full and frank disclosure is absolute. The court is entitled – and …
February 13, 2026
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Litigation Funding That Actually Works: Lessons from DR v ES on Legal Services Payment Orders

Legal Services Payment Orders (LSPOs) are often spoken about as a remedy of last resort. In practice, they can be the difference between a party being able to litigate at all — or being …
February 10, 2026
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Farming, Partnerships and Divorce: When the Farm Isn’t a Matrimonial Asset – T v T [2025] EWFC 395

Farming cases occupy a distinctive corner of family law. Assets are often valuable, illiquid, generational, and emotionally charged. Add informal business structures, historic accounting practices and land held within families for decades, and it …
February 9, 2026
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Big changes to Family Court preparation from March 2026 – what you need to know

From Monday 2 March 2026, the Family Court is introducing the most significant overhaul of case‑preparation rules in years. A new Practice Direction 27A (PD27A) replaces the old guidance on court bundles and applies …
February 6, 2026
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When Pensions Blur the Line: Matrimonial and Non-Matrimonial Property in BS v HC [2026] EWFC 20

One of the most difficult — and often misunderstood — areas of financial remedy law is the distinction between matrimonial and non-matrimonial property. That difficulty is magnified when the asset in question is a …
February 5, 2026
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When Conduct Undermines a Prenup: Lessons from Loh v Loh Gronager [2025] EWFC 483

Pre‑nuptial agreements are often presented as the ultimate form of certainty in financial remedy proceedings. Properly drafted, independently advised, and entered into freely, they are intended to provide clarity, limit dispute, and avoid costly …
February 2, 2026
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When Conduct Changes Everything: Fraud, Coercive Control and Financial Penalties

In financial remedy proceedings, the court is famously reluctant to allow “conduct” to influence outcomes. The bar is deliberately set high. Most behaviour — even unpleasant, unfair or morally questionable conduct — is excluded …
January 26, 2026
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Keeping the Peace at Christmas: A Family Lawyer’s Guide to Managing Holiday Pressures

The festive season is often marketed as a time of joy, connection and togetherness. Advertisements promise glowing fires, full tables and effortless family harmony. But for many families — particularly those navigating separation, divorce …
December 23, 2025
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When the Court Can’t Yet Make an Order: Indications of Outcome, Adult Dependent Children and Financial Needs

VP v SP [2025] EWFC 447 (B) is a quietly important reminder of two things family lawyers sometimes take for granted: first, that jurisdiction in financial remedy proceedings is still anchored to decree nisi …
December 19, 2025
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Arbitration, Confidentiality and Court Orders: Lessons from Spencer v Spencer [2025] EWFC 431

Family law arbitration has long been promoted as a private, efficient alternative to litigation. But what happens when an arbitration award collides with parallel High Court proceedings — and the losing party wants to …
December 15, 2025
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