As we enter the festive season, our Family Law team has achieved a remarkable legal outcome that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable clients and their children. Our Senior Associate, Jaynie Broughton, recently secured an extremely rare court order to terminate parental responsibility – an achievement that many legal experts consider a “once in […]
With Christmas approaching, it is important to remember that the festive period can be a frightening and isolating experience for victims of domestic abuse. There is a worrying increase in domestic abuse over Christmas, with many people off work resulting in more time spent at home, increased alcohol consumption, financial strain and family tensions rising. […]
Financial remedy proceedings are a Court led process to determine how the assets of divorcing couples are to be divided. When dividing up the financial assets of the parties, the Court has a duty to consider the factors outlined in section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Arguably, the most contentious, and recently debated, […]
In the UK, police receive a domestic abuse related call every 30 seconds, however the real figures are significantly higher, as less than 24% of domestic abuse cases are reported to the police. Of those cases that are reported to the police, 75% are committed against women. On average, in England and Wales, one woman […]
A recent report by the national Domestic Homicide Project has for the first time seen suspected victim suicide overtake intimate partner homicide as the largest cause of domestic abuse related deaths. Suicide is a major public health problem and a large contributor to UK deaths overall. Further, it has been shown that women who suffer […]
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse, a relation of coercive control. This type of abuse is becoming more recognised within society and within the Courts.
In October 2022, the Ministry of Justice announced that the legal aid rules concerning domestic abuse evidence would be broadening. Read our blog post to find out more.
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has recently published a response to the independent review commissioned to evaluate how the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) supports users who are victims of domestic abuse. Read our blog post to find out more.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is the first time that a definition has been produced for what constitutes ‘domestic abuse’.
This week we are supporting Kirklees Safeguarding Week 2022. The theme this year is ‘continuous learning’ and during the course of the week, the aim is to cover a number of safeguarding topics to increase awareness within agencies, communities and the public.
This week we are supporting Kirklees Safeguarding Week 2022. The theme this year is ‘continuous learning’ and during the course of the week, the aim is to cover a number of safeguarding topics to increase awareness within agencies, communities and the public.
Join Ramsdens Solicitors from 1st – 7th March 2022 as we support The National Centre for Domestic Violence in their Male Domestic Violence Awareness Week.
Throughout this week, our Abuse and Family teams have being supporting Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week.
As we continue to support Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, our Abuse team explains how they may be able to assist survivors.
Join us in supporting the fifth Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week from 7th-13th February 2022.
According to research carried out by Women’s Aid, one in seven (14.2%) of children and young people under the age of 18 will have experienced domestic abuse at some point in their childhood.
As part of our series of blogs supporting 16 days of Action Against Domestic Violence, we focus on the impact of domestic abuse on the mental health of victims.
Emotional abuse is a grey area within the realm of abuse as many people don’t know what constitutes emotional abuse or how it is perpetrated on an individual. Victims of emotional abuse believe that abuse is a ‘strong’ word and don’t think they are ‘abused’ but this is far from the truth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic our Family team have seen an increase in domestic abuse cases with an increasing number of those being subjected to abuse being men.
Honour based violence is an umbrella term used to describe practices which punishes individuals for their disobedience.
Elder abuse is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring in any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. WHO further outlines that elder abuse constitutes a violation of human rights which can take the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, financial abuse, neglect and serious loss of dignity and respect.
The recent case of BU, Re [2021] EWCOP 54 concerns a lady (BU) who is 70 years old and suffers from vascular dementia. BU had been in a relationship with a man (NC) for 5 years. During this time, a number of family members raised concerns that NC was coercively controlling BU.
In order to qualify for legal aid, survivors are required to provide evidence of domestic abuse taking place. This is to ensure that legal aid funding is targeted at those who are most in need. From 1st October 2021, health professionals will no longer be able to charge for providing this evidence in accordance with Section 80 of the Domestic Abuse Act.
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and Home Secretary Priti Patel have expressed how they feel “deeply ashamed” of the low conviction rates for rape cases in England and Wales.
The long-awaited Domestic Abuse Bill shall become law after the House of Lords approved the bill just days before the end of the parliamentary session this week.
Last month the Government has confirmed their plan to make non-fatal strangulation a specific criminal offence under the new Domestic Abuse Bill.
This week we’re supporting ‘UK Says No More week – a national campaign aimed at ending domestic abuse and sexual violence across the UK.
The chancellor has announced a £15million package for support for domestic abuse programmes. This follows a previous increase in funding for domestic abuse services during the first national lockdown last year amid the huge rise in domestic abuse and has almost doubled the funding towards domestic abuse in the 2020 budget.
For many victims of domestic abuse, work is a place of respite. However the covid-19 lockdowns have meant victims have had to work from home, or those on furlough have had to stay at home with the abuser.
As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week continues, running from 1st February to 7th February 2021, it is highly important to continue to spread the message #ITSNOTOK.
