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Interview with Lord Sumption

Interview with Lord Sumption

In ‘Family law at a distance’,[[1]] you spoke about the benefits of cross-fertilisation. As a practitioner, were you ever interested in family law? Did you ever come across family law practice? No, I was a commercial practitioner. I had two exposures to family law before I went to the

Financial Remedies Case Round-Up: February to April 2022

Financial Remedies Case Round-Up: February to April 2022

From the Chair of the Editorial Board ‘The Mostyn’ award for this issue: WC v HC (Financial Remedies Agreements) (Rev 1) [2022] EWFC 22. In our first issue, I indicated that the main aim of this Case Round-Up would be to feature a concise summary of judgments from all levels

Money Corner: Pension Taxation - A Tax on Ambition is Never Wise

Money Corner: Pension Taxation - A Tax on Ambition is Never Wise

Pension classification Most pension arrangements will be either one, or a hybrid, of the following arrangements: * Defined contribution (DC) (also known as ‘money purchase’): the retirement benefits (or income) are defined by the contributions you make. These are usually invested in stocks and shares, commercial property, and may also include

DR Corner: Mediation in the Wake of WL v HL – Low-Hanging Fruit or Golden Opportunity?

DR Corner: Mediation in the Wake of WL v HL – Low-Hanging Fruit or Golden Opportunity?

Traditional perceptions of mediation ‘[M]ediated cases are self-evidently the easiest to settle; the low fruit of the dispute resolution world. Quite rightly this will always remain so. But my nagging concern about the mediation process remains; that one side often has the upper negotiating hand either psychologically or practically.

Menopause – Turning the Clock Back for Women?

Menopause – Turning the Clock Back for Women?

Earlier this year, with the help of Family Law Partners, I launched the Family Law Menopause Project. It had the straightforward aim of encouraging family lawyers to consider the impact of menopause on clients. I was prepared for curiosity and healthy scepticism about the Project. However, I was unprepared for

Dodgy Digital Documents: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?

Dodgy Digital Documents: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?

In the sun-kissed, halcyon days of late 2019 when Brexit had not yet taken effect and a corona was a halo of gas seen around the sun during an eclipse, a fevered discussion was taking place on Twitter between family lawyers regarding the increasing frequency with which we were seeing

Security for Costs in Family Proceedings

Security for Costs in Family Proceedings

In MG v AR [2021] EWHC 3063 (Fam), Mostyn J made an order providing security for costs. Such orders are more frequently made in civil proceedings, where ‘costs follow the event’ and costs orders are made in favour of the successful party. An application for security for costs is an