John Cleese’s divorce from wife number three, Alyce Faye Eichelberger, has reportedly culminated in the actor and comedian being forced to hand over nearly £12.5 million of his fortune. The payout is expected to reduce the 69-year-old’s overall wealth to about £10 million and may mean that she is worth more than he is.   more »

Pictures of Samantha Burke showing off her baby bump have appeared on the internet. The part-time model, who is seven months’ pregnant, looks happy and excited. As well she might do. For the 24-year-old American is believed to be demanding nearly £90,000 a year from the baby’s father, British actor Jude Law - £6,000-a-month child maintenance and £1,200 a month for rent and bills.   more »

Divorce severely damages people’s long-term health, even if they remarry, according to new research. The impact of marriage breakdown or the death of a spouse continues to have a “lingering, detrimental” effect on physical wellbeing because it affects the body’s immune system, says a study carried out at the University of Chicago and John Hopkins University, Baltimore. This is despite the fact someone may have moved on emotionally and found happiness in another relationship.   more »

Being madly in love is widely seen as the best recipe for a successful marriage. According to research published this month, however, love is little more than a starting point.   more »

A think-tank run by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith wants to see a Tory government bring in a compulsory three-month “cooling off” period to prevent what it considers to be ill-though-out quickie divorces.   more »

Pre-nuptial agreements (PNAs), in which a couple set the financial terms of their divorce before they get married, have held legal sway in America and much of Europe for some years. In England & Wales, however, PNAs are not enforceable and, until recently, couples could not rely on the courts holding a couple to the terms of the PNA.   more »

The first high profile ex-couple to feel the effect of new legislation that allows the media into family courts in England and Wales are Earl Spencer and his estranged wife Caroline.   more »

Mobile technology is a wonderful invention. It allows us to keep in touch with work colleagues, friends and family wherever we happen to be and at whatever time of the day. The likes of iphones, email and social networking internet sites allow us to communicate with people we might otherwise not hear from and aid us in our business lives. They keep us in the loop - enabling us to be “out there” even when we’re tucked up bed.   more »

A study carried out by researchers at Cornell University, New York State, found that youngsters whose parents regularly argue are more likely to drop out of school, use drugs and binge drink. They are also more likely to have children early and outside marriage, as well as experience the failure of their own relationship.   more »

If you watched the latest series of The Apprentice, which ended on Sunday, you will be familiar with contestant Lorraine Tighe, a 37-year-old single mother of two daughters, who narrowly missed out on a place in the final.   more »

The Press has devoted many column inches to the apparent end of the marriage of singer Peter Andre and model Katie Price, aka Jordan – a relationship born and played out in the glare of publicity. The media spotlight has also fallen on their three children.   more »

More than a million grandchildren are not allowed to see their grandparents, according to a new report by the Grandparents’ Association.   more »

The opening up of family courts across England and Wales to the media – as part of a government bid to boost public confidence in the system – has prompted concern that people’s privacy may be compromised.   more »

Journalists were allowed into family courts in England and Wales for the first time last month as part of a government bid to boost public confidence in the previously “behind closed doors” system.   more »

Being financially well off is one of the keys to a longer, healthier life, according to a Government-backed study carried out for the Economic and Social Research Council.   more »

The expression “timing is everything” has come back to haunt Brian Myerson, a wealthy City tycoon who last month failed in his bid to renegotiate his multi-million pound divorce settlement on the grounds he had been wiped out by the recession. A judge told him he was responsible for agreeing the settlement and just because his shares had fallen in value since then, it didn’t mean he was legally entitled to change it.   more »

The start of the school summer term and for many teenagers it will be their last. Once it’s over and their exams are out of the way, they’ll be off to university or on a gap year abroad. Exciting prospects for them – but a gloomy one for parents who dread their “babies” flying the nest.   more »

If your marriage is teetering on the brink, have a flick through your family photo album. Scientists reckon it is possible to predict whose marriages will fail by looking at snapshots taken decades earlier. Those with the brightest smiles, they say, are more than three times more likely to forge a strong relationship than those who frown their way through family outings as a child or teenager.   more »

Cold calling is irritating at the best of times; if you’re feeling emotionally fragile, it can be very upsetting.   more »

The knock-on effects of the recession are myriad and the divorce process is no exception. Already we have heard how some couples are opting to stay together to preserve their dwindling assets, while others are being forced to live in the marital home after dissolving their marriages because they can’t sell the property.   more »

As someone who has no desire to get involved in social networking internet sites, I am somewhat baffled by their allure. Nevertheless, I am prepared to accept they are fun, sometimes useful and mostly harmless.   more »

On the face of it, a “divorce fair” might seem an incongruous idea. Fairs, after all, are usually jolly, carefree events. Yet the UK’s first such fair – officially called the Starting Over Show – held in Brighton last weekend focused on the positive side of relationship break ups and life crises. Practical help, including legal advice, childcare-friendly business ideas, therapies such as reflexology and health and makeover tips were all on offer at the event.   more »

A few months after an Italian study found that the strain of having an affair can cause a potentially fatal aneurysm, there is evidence that an unhappy marriage can also take a toll on people’s health.   more »

Researchers claim to have come up with the vital ingredients for a long-lasting marriage. The recipe, apparently, is four kisses, three cuddles and a romantic night in!   more »

An Australian lawmaker said this week that staying married is better for the planet because divorce leads the newly single to live more wasteful lifestyles.   more »

How children cope with their parents’ divorce is, to a great extent, down to how the adults handle the situation. Resolution – formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association – has launched an initiative called Parenting after Parting to provide advice and support for separating and divorcing couples. As well as organising workshops around the country....   more »

I have been an active member of Resolution – formerly the Solicitors Family Law Association – for more than 20 years and during this past year the organisation has been celebrating its 25th anniversary by turning the spotlight on to children.   more »

Valentine’s Day has to be one of the most depressing dates on the calendar. Not only is it potentially upsetting for people who are single, it’s a cause of stress for those who aren’t!   more »

Well, here we are at the end of January - a traditionally depressing time for many people. Christmas is a distant memory, the weather is miserable, spring still seems a long way off and, this year, the economic meltdown is taking its toll.   more »

I realise the title of this week’s blog entry looks a little strange – contradictory in fact – but there is method in my madness! Last week’s posting was about how the credit crunch is forcing an increasing number of divorced couples to continue living together because they are unable to sell the marital home and so divide their assets. I gave some tips on how to survive living under the same roof as your ex.   more »

The past week has been a hectic one at our firm: the combination of a stressful Christmas and financial problems has led to a flood of calls from couples seeking to end their marriages.   more »