A solicitor with a strong track record in family law and social care law is further enhancing the reputation of our children’s team at our niche family law firm.

Sasha Williams joins our department’s nine-strong team – which includes an ‘in house’ counsel – and attracts complex and varied casework in the UK and overseas. Her experience spans areas including residence, contact, immigration, asylum and domestic violence.

Based in Leeds, Harrogate and London, Jones Myers is at the forefront of international child abduction law and is accredited by a specialist panel operated by the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit.

Sasha said: “The reputation of Jones Myers, which is among the country’s most respected family law firms, is second to none and I’m looking forward to contributing to the ongoing success of the practice.”

Headed by Kate Banerjee – who has Higher Court Rights and is a member of the International Child Abduction and Custody Unit – the children’s department team members jointly combine almost nine decades of expertise.

Kate added: “In today’s evolving modern world, families are more diverse – bringing wider issues, which impact on children. With a wealth of experience in family law and social care law, Sasha’s expertise compliments our skills as our national and international casework continues to increase.”

Sasha’s new role has been well received in the media, achieving much vibrant coverage. This has included a special profile in the Yorkshire Post on the biggest developments the lawyer has witnessed in the legal world during her career.

Her appointment coincides with a series of recent milestones which include our specialist firm retaining its joint top tier ranking and being recommended as ‘one of the best in the area’ by the latest esteemed Legal 500 guide.

Formative developments have also seen us open a new office in Harrogate. Based at Windsor House, our services will complement those we provide at our existing offices in Leeds and Essex where we combine professional legal advice with a sensitive approach.

For more information about child abduction, children’s issues, divorce or any aspect of family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post Jones Myers in the media spotlight as we further expand our children’s law expertise appeared first on Jones Myers.

The spotlight has fallen on youngsters who are caught in the explosive crossfire of warring parents following the volatile BBC melodrama, Doctor Foster.

The relentless and destructive behaviour of Tom’s divorced parents left the series on a cliffhanger, with the distraught 15 year old taking off on his own because all semblances of a normal family and school life had been stripped away.

The stark reality is that thousands of children and young people unwittingly find themselves trapped in the middle of constant conflict in the real world – irrespective of whether their parents are living together or apart.

Such damaging behaviour can not only affect youngsters’ mental health, the development of their social and emotional skills and academic achievements – it can also influence their ability to form future relationships

Jones Myers family lawyers put children at the heart of family law, always encouraging parents to work together to resolve their differences rather than engage in bitter conflict.

Couples who are not consumed by battles are more likely to strive towards supporting their offspring’s psychological and emotional needs. Failure to do so risks horrendous outcomes – as reinforced by Dr Foster’s conclusion.

We urge parents to choose collaboration over conflict at all times and follow these steps:

1. Don’t use children as bargaining tools in your relationship with your ex – encourage them to see – and love – both parents.
2. Linked with the above, don’t criticise your ex in front of them and avoid asking them directly or indirectly to take sides – no matter how resentful and bitter you feel about your former partner.
3. Children need to feel loved by both parents as they struggle to come to terms with the breakdown of family life as they know it.
4. Presenting a united front can help children to adjust. This includes agreeing on key areas such as bed times, amount of television or computer games and space and time for homework. For teenagers it extends to seeing friends and social/sports activities.
5. Encourage your children to show a genuine interest in what they do during their time with the other parent.
6. Listen to your sons and daughters; give them space and time to talk about their feelings.
7. If you, your children or your ex aren’t coping, seek external help and support. At Jones Myers,we take a holistic approach to separation and divorce, referring clients to appropriate professionals such as counsellors or therapists who are experienced in helping families and individuals deal with the fallout of a broken relationship.

We wholeheartedly understand that our guidance is given from the sanctuary of our office as opposed to emotionally charged backdrops which parents deal with daily when coping with their children and managing contact arrangements.

However, if both parents can draw on their inner strength to communicate with, and respond to, each other with dignity and care, they will reap the rewards of their children remaining loving and caring towards their mums and dads – and considerably less likely to fall by the wayside of life.

For more information about children’s issues, divorce or any aspect of family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post Dr Foster: a stark reminder why children should never be pawns in parents’ battles appeared first on Jones Myers.

Milestone expansion: our new office will be based at Windsor House.

Having worked with divorcing and separating couples for many years, as a firm we understand that it is no cliché to describe the process as one of the most stressful in life – up there with bereavement and moving home.

Jones Myers’ new office in Harrogate will enable us to help more clients who are undergoing relationship breakdowns and seeking assistance with issues relating to children, finances and future planning.

Based at Windsor House, our services will complement those we provide at our existing offices in Leeds and Essex where we combine professional legal advice with a sensitive approach.

Dealing exclusively in family law, including divorce, separation, complex financial disputes, children issues and contested wills and estates, we understand that choosing the right representation, particularly in an area as complex and sensitive as family law, is critical.

Our experts, who jointly combine 250 years of legal experience, include one of the country’s leading divorce lawyers, a Deputy District Judge, an experienced mediator, an arbitrator and our own in-house barrister.

Our clients, who hail from all walks of life, are involved in wide-ranging relationships issues. They look to us to for the best possible solution for their individual situations.

We champion a holistic approach comprising suitably trained lawyers, life coaches and financial advisers (as the case requires). This specialist support group understands the grieving process and works as a team to help manage each part of the jig-saw in a vital planning process.

We strive for the right outcome for each and every one of our clients – supporting, guiding and advising them through options such as collaboration, mediation and arbitration, which can avoid going to court. Likewise, when they require strong and tenacious support to pursue litigation, we adeptly navigate them through this process.

Knowing only too well the impact that relationship and family issues can have on people’s lives, our understanding, expertise and reputation underpin everything we do.

For more information about any aspect of family law, call our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post We’re marking further expansion with a new office in Harrogate appeared first on Jones Myers.

A senior judge’s highly unusual move in explaining to a 14-year-old boy in a letter his decision why the child could not live with his father will have touched the hearts and minds of all parents.

Typically, judges produce a written ruling, In this case, Mr Justice Peter Jackson’s extraordinary action to compose a letter was made after the teenager, to whom he gave the pseudonym ‘Sam’, had given evidence and left for a school outing before the hearing had finished.

The case, in which Sam’s parents had disagreed since he was a baby, culminated in his application to move with his father to Scandinavia reaching the Family Division of the High Court.

In his letter, Mr Justice Peter Jackson explained why he did feel not feel relocation would be in Sam’s best interests. He also said he was confident his decision about Sam’s future was the right one in the long term.

This situation prompts the wider question of whether all judges should simplify court judgements to teenagers via a letter which cuts through the legal jargon and gets to the heart of the matter in language that young people can relate to.

The case also reinforces how vital it is for separating parents to ensure the best interests of their children when arranging their future security and wellbeing.

When couples split up, they continue to be parents and it is important that the process of unravelling their marriage or relationship doesn’t stop them co-operating on what is best for their offspring.

Parents who are not consumed by conflict and battles are more likely to strive towards ensuring that their children’s maintenance, emotional needs and education are properly supported.

A constructive approach through the divorce or separation will lay the best foundations for the children to feel settled with the new family relationships. As collaborative family lawyers, we advise parents to reach a settlement, wherever possible, by avoiding protracted, expensive and stressful court confrontations. This will help the whole family come to terms with their new lives and face the future.

For more information about children’s issues or any aspect of family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post Should all judges compile a ‘Dear Sam’ letter when putting children’s interests first? appeared first on Jones Myers.

The call by the UK’s top family law judge for new legislation to allow ‘no-fault’ divorces reinforces the pressing need for their introduction.

Sir James Munby, the president of the Family Division and Britain’s fourth most senior judge, has said that current divorce laws, which date from 1969, “are based on hypocrisy and lack of intellectual honesty”. He has called for a system where registrars are simply notified of divorces – like births, marriages and deaths – with the only legal involvement being to resolve disagreements over money.

As the law stands, unless couples have been living apart for two years, one of them must apportion some form of blame – adultery or unreasonable behaviour – which can create conflict and makes reaching a mutually acceptable agreement much more difficult.

The introduction of no-fault divorces – a legal separation granted by the courts without one person saying anything bad about the other – would make it easier for people to make their separation more harmonious and avoid court disputes.

Jones Myers founder, Peter Jones, has played a leading role in a campaign organised by Resolution – a national family law group that promotes non-confrontational family law solutions. A Lobby Day campaign in December, where he and fellow family law professionals urged MPs to introduce no-fault divorce, saw members acknowledge that changes are overdue.

Says Peter, a former chair of Resolution and one of the UK’s first qualified arbitrators: “We’re particularly concerned about the impact that conflict and confrontation between parents has on their children, whose interests should always be put first. The general view is that “if they both want it – why should a court stand in their way?”

“There surely has to be a better way via no-fault divorce which allows couples to work together to manage their separation without long, drawn out, stressful court disputes.”

For more information about any aspect of divorce or family law call our team of experts at Jones Myers on 0113 246 0055 or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce

The post Senior judge’s plea adds weight to ‘no-fault’ divorce campaign appeared first on Jones Myers.

The family law process of arbitration, which allows couples to reach a divorce settlement without the trauma of the courts, also brings privacy to the process.

As one of the first arbitrators in the country, when it was introduced in 2012, I am certain that it is a far better route than the trauma of daunting, lengthy, expensive court battles, which can also be highly visible.

The recent gagging order preventing media groups publishing financial details of Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton’s divorce raises the question of privacy at what is usually – even in the most amicable split – a sensitive time for both parties.

This is not a concern that occurs to most who embark on divorce, but there is a prospect of your private life and most intimate details being broadcast to the world. This is because, once you go court, some of the proceedings are placed in the public domain and the press are entitled to review and publish. They can also attend some of the hearing.

You may think that divorce reporting only applies to celebrity couples, but regional and national newspapers also devote many column inches to those of previously anonymous couples.

The splits of ‘ordinary’ people can be considered noteworthy enough to be served up for public consumption for several reasons: a salacious element; perceived wealth; accusations of an attempt to hide or offshore assets; or a link to a locally prominent business or individual.

This might not only be embarrassing and distressing for the couple themselves, but also their children, parents, business partners and other ‘stakeholders’.

You can apply for a gagging order but they are expensive with no guarantee of success. However, in arbitration the press would not be invited into the hearing. Consequently, they would have no information to report.

The family arbitrator, who is independent, rules on your finances and who should have what. Similar to a judge, they collect relevant facts and evidence and base their decision on this evidence – taking into account the views of both parties. The Award, is final and binding in both parties.

Arbitration is quicker and more efficient than court and meetings are arranged at the clients’ convenience and a mutually comfortable venue. It is worth investigating to keep the circumstances surrounding the split entirely veiled from public inspection.

As Columbian novelist and screenwriter Gabriel Garcia Marquez said: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”

If you have any comments, queries or concerns on divorce related issues, leave a comment below, call the team at Jones Myers on 0113 246 0055 or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce

The post Why arbitration guarantees privacy in divorce appeared first on Jones Myers.

A long awaited Law Commission announcement which is recommending a special status pre-nuptial agreement is unlikely to have any relevance whatsoever for most people earning average incomes.

I was invited onto Martin Kelner’s  BBC Radio Leeds show to discuss the proposed draft bill which, if implemented, would introduce legally recognised ‘qualifying nuptial agreements’ (QNAs) – which mean a couple can establish how finances can be shared should they split up. Under current law, pre-nups are not legally binding and can be overturned by the courts.

As I explained to Martin’s listeners, while I welcome the recommendations, I believe that the suggested changes would benefit primarily the very wealthy. The proposed changes are less relevant to the average person with limited finances and assets. Even if they draw up a ‘qualifying nuptial agreement’ spelling out how their property and/or finances should be shared if they divorce, the proposal is that courts could still overrule this agreement to the extent that it does not meet the financial needs of one party.

For people with considerable wealth there is no doubt that a QNA would give them more certainty about how the rest of their financial assets are split – and, as some media commentators have pointed out, could protect wealthy individuals against so called ‘gold diggers’.

The announcement may be a ‘vote catcher’ only for the very rich and the jury’s still out as to whether MPs will drive it onto the statute book during this Parliament.

In the meantime existing pre-nups are useful for couples of relatively modest means who want to help protect their assets should their marriage fail.  A well-drawn up agreement, backed up with sound legal advice and which takes into account both party’s future needs, will remain one of the factors to be considered in a divorce court when assessing what constitutes a fair settlement.

If you have any questions about the Law Commission’s proposals, or about pre-nups generally, please call us on 0113 246 0055, leave us a comment below or drop us an e-mail.

You can follow us on Twitter @helpwithdivorce

The post Why proposed new pre-nup laws are only for the wealthy appeared first on Jones Myers.