covent garden Family Law
Joel House | 19 Garrick Street | Covent Garden | London | WC2E 9AX

T: 020 7257 6130 | F: 020 7836 3656 | DX: 40002 Covent Garden
Our Expertise
Cohabitation & Divorce
Children
Collaborative Family Law
Mission Statement

Our aim is to give you the advice which will allow you to make the best possible decisions about your family and the future.

Our approach is to seek agreement wherever that is possible, using court proceedings only as a last resort and never for their own sake. Where it is necessary to litigate, we will represent you with care and vigour.

We will give you sensible and sensitive advice; where we feel that you would be best served by an expert from another discipline, as well as or instead of a lawyer, we can help you identify that person.

We are committed, discreet and professional.
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News

23-Mon-Aug-10
 Alison Burt appointed as Deputy District Judge

CGFL is delighted to announce that Alison Burt has been appointed as a part time judge, one of just 198 such appointments made this year. There was a high volume of applications for this role and the selection process was competitive.
Alison will sit as a Deputy District Judge on the South Eastern circuit following completion of the induction process.
19-Thu-Aug-10
 ONS figures on Civil Partnerships

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics this week shows that in 2009, 6281 same sex couples registered their civil partnerships. The division between male and female same sex couples was almost equal with 3054 female couples and 3227 male couples. The average age of women entering into civil partnerships is 38 whilst for men it is 41.

This brings the total number of civil partnerships officiated in the UK since the Civil Partnership Act came into force in December 2005 to 40,237.

In 2008 there were 180 civil partnership dissolutions while in 2009 this figure has almost doubled at 351.

CGFL has particular expertise advising on family law issues as it pertains to same sex couples whether it be dissolutions, pre and post civil partnership agreements, parenting and family creation arrangements.

Click here to see the article
11-Wed-Aug-10
 LEGAL AID CONTRACTS

CGFL are pleased to announce that they have been awarded a contract by The Legal Services Commission to continue with public funding work in the field of family law. 2400 firms in England and Wales had family law contracts but after this tendering process that has now been reduced to approximately 1300. A cull of firms that many claim will lead to tens of thousand of clients being left without access to a solicitor.
20-Tue-Jul-10
 Senior judge criticises growing trend of ‘divorce tourism’

Many of CGFL’s cases involve international issues and there is an increasing need to liaise with foreign lawyers to ensure that our clients have the best possible advice about the best jurisdiction in which to start divorce proceedings. Often the system in one jurisdiction will better serve the interests of one party, whilst another jurisdiction may benefit the other. Courts are however increasingly critical of cases in which the parties and their lawyers have adopted a purely tactical approach, often with both parties racing into court in their preferred jurisdiction. In a recent case, Thorpe LJ has questioned this type of litigation and said ‘ In these sagas it is commonly seen that one sharp manoeuvre provokes an even worse response’. Haema Sundram of CGFL encourages all of her clients to consider approaches other than litigation, particularly collaborative law and many of her clients find that in this way they can avoid the expense, stress and bitterness of the type of litigation which Thorpe LJ found so unattractive. click here to see the article

14-Wed-Jul-10
 Law Commission announces new consultation on pre-nuptial agreements

Haema Sundram of CGFL has particular expertise in advising clients about pre-nuptial and pre-civil partnership agreements. At present however it is difficult for our clients to know with certainty that these agreements will be respected by the courts in the event that the relationship breaks down; they are taken into account by judges but are not legally binding. Professor Elizabeth Cooke, the head of family law at the Law Commission, has told the Telegraph that the Commission will in the next few weeks announce new proposals for binding pre nuptial and pre civil partnership agreements, which will be followed by a period of consultation. Haema will follow the progress of those proposals closely to ensure that her clients are kept informed about possible future legal developments. Click here to see the article
08-Thu-Jul-10
 The Irish Civil Partnership Bill

The Irish Civil Partnership Bill, which will extend rights similar to marriage to same sex couples, has pass through all necessary stages in the Dail and is expected to become law later in the year. Gay and lesbian groups are broadly supportive of the new law, whilst pointing out that the rights granted to civil partners under the new law fall short when compared to those given to married couples. See the Irish Gay and Lesbian Equailty Netwrro for more information: www.glen.ie
29-Tue-Jun-10
 High Court Judge suggests caselaw on international relocation is ripe for review

Our specialist children lawyers are often asked to advise parents who are dealing with the possibility of children being moved permanently to another country.  For some time there has been pressure on the courts to look again at the existing decisions in this area, which have often suggested that the courts should focus on the implications for the parent who is seeking to take the child to another country if permission is refused. The courts are at present bound by two Court of Appeal decisions, Poel and Payne.

Many legal and parents’ groups have felt that this approach does not attach enough importance to the effect on the children’s relationship with the parent who is left behind.  In a recent decision. Mr Justice Mostyn has reviewed the existing research from this country and abroad on this issue and said: "In my view (for what it is worth) a review of the ideology of Poel/Payne by the Supreme Court is urgently needed, where the "emerging body of significant research in various jurisdictions" would be brought into account." Read the judgment here

This decision must increase the likelihood of a review by the Supreme Court in the near future of the existing decisions in this complex area of law.
21-Mon-Jun-10
 Special Guardianship Allowances

CGFL have issued proceedings in the High Court for a Judicial Review against a decision made by a local authority to refuse to pay foster care allowances to an aunt who is caring for her two nieces under a Special Guardianship Order. CGFL is arguing that the non-payment of these allowances discriminate against a family member caring for children under these circumstances. Deirdre Fottrell of Coram Chambers has been instructed by Simon Green.
14-Mon-Jun-10
 "I’ve got parents who love me. It doesn’t matter if they’re a man or a woman"

CGFL advises many couples in same sex relationships who wish to create a family, whether by assisted conception or surrogacy. Those clients may be interested in groundbreaking research from Stonewall which examines the experience of children brought up by gay and lesbian parents. Interestingly most of the 80 children and young people interviewed did not see their own families as particularly unusual nor were they themselves confused about their families – several said they enjoyed feeling special. Many children however had experienced homophobic comments from other children in school, even in primary school and the report suggests that many schools have a long way to go in addressing this issue. See the article here. www.stonewall.org.uk
16-Fri-Apr-10
 New parenthood provisions for same sex couples

Covent Garden Family Law are delighted to have advised two women who are registered as domestic partners in the State of New York, who have successfully registered both their names on their child’s birth certificate as ‘mother’ and ‘parent’.

This birth registration, naming the two women as the child’s legal parents, is the first such application made in The City of Westminster under the new legislation.

They were guided through the new parenthood provisions introduced by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 and the conditions necessary for the recognition of overseas relationships under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Haema Sundram and Alison Burt have both got particular expertise in this complex and cutting edge area of law.

Click here for more information
 Headline/Articles
Alison Burt appointed as Deputy District Judge
ONS figures on Civil Partnerships
LEGAL AID CONTRACTS
 Collaborative Practice Resolution Accredited Family Law Collaborative Family Lawyer Legal Service Comission Alison Burt