In a bid to crack down on sham, illegal marriages, couples must now give almost double the notice of intention to wed.

Family law has been undergoing huge changes in recent years and is one area of law that is constantly evolving and developing.

Ramsdens are delighted to announce the appointment of Caroline Brayshaw and Lesley Cropper to our family team.

CAFCASS (the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service) are independent of the Courts and the Local Authority.

Did you know: 1. The average rate of divorce in 2013 was 13 per hour 2. The UK's biggest divorce settlement amounted to £337million 3.

In a recent divorce case, heard in the High Court in London, the wife claimed that she was tricked into signing a pre-nuptial agreement as her husband told her it was 'just a piece of paper'.

1. Between 2003-2012 there were 1,298,52 divorces in the UK. 2. There were 13 divorces an hour in England and Wales in 2012.

230,000 people in England and Wales go through divorce proceedings each year and a large proportion of these people have children of their marriage.