We are often asked by a party in divorce proceedings whether “non-matrimonial” property will have to be shared with their spouse on divorce.

In 12 months to the end of March 2017, there were 1.9 million adults in England and Wales, between 16 and 59 years old who reported domestic abuse. The Office of National Statistics tells us that this equates to 1.2 million survivors being female and 0.7 million survivors are male. Even though domestic abuse occurs in all genders, there is still a disproportionate number who are female and the Government recognises that the most severe forms of domestic abuse is perpetrated against females. v

​Monday the 30th July 2018 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Human trafficking is a crime that exploits men, children and women of all ages for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. Sadly, this takes place in every country in the world. It is estimated that 21 million people are victims of trafficking around the globe. One third of these people are children.

The Supreme Court has recently ruled that restricting civil partnerships to same sex couples is discriminatory, and a breach of an individual’s Human Rights. At present, heterosexual couples may only marry, while same-sex couples can either marry or take up a civil partnership.

On 17th July 2018, the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee began examining the Domestic Abuse Bill. As part of the inquiry, the Committee intend to explore not only what should be included in the legislation, but also what other non-legislative policies should be included, for the legislation to be the most effective.

Prenuptial agreements can be particularly important in farming families. In most farming cases, the farmhouse is the matrimonial home, passed down from generation to generation. Provisions can be included in a prenuptial agreement to protect inherited farming assets (including farmland and machinery) or a party’s interest in a farming business.

Official data has revealed that teenage girls and single parents are among the most likely victims of domestic abuse. Statistics have found that 7.6% of 16-19 year old girls had been the victim of abuse by a partner or ex-partner in the last 12 months, with 7.4% of 20-24 year olds also experiencing domestic abuse from a partner or ex-partner.

Surrogacy is an expanding area and can be the only option for some who have fertility issues, or who are in same sex relationships, but long for a genetic link to the baby. However, issues surrounding surrogacy are difficult and the UK has been slow to develop the law. It is therefore imperative that we have the right laws in place to protect all involved, especially as surrogacy is becoming more common.