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06 February 2015 / Camilla Fusco
Issue: 7639 / Categories: Features , Divorce , Child law , Family
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Moving on

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Camilla Fusco outlines the legal implications for new relationships after a divorce

The latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics (in December 2012) estimate that 42% of marriages in England and Wales end in divorce. Many of those whose marriages have ended form relationships with new partners which may well lead to cohabitation. The percentage of all UK households comprising a couple living together rose from 14% to 17% in the 10 years to 2011 while the percentage of households made up of married couples fell from 70% to 65% over the same period. This article focuses on some of the potential legal implications arising from new relationships after divorce.

Introducing a new partner

When or even whether a new partner should be introduced to their children can sometimes be a contentious issue between separated parents. Organisations such as Gingerbread, Relate and the Parent Connection all offer useful guidance. The Parenting after Parting workshops (PAPs) organised throughout the country by Cafcass and Resolution offer a specialist programme for separated parents to learn

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Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

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NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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