News and Articles

An overview of the grounds for divorce in Northern Ireland

16 April 2019 In light of the announcement by the Government last week regarding imminent reform to the divorce system in England and Wales, Clare Curran, Partner in charge of the Matrimonial Department at Worthingtons Solicitors based... READ

Custody and Access – the Law in Northern Ireland

26 March 2019 In general, it will be presumed that children should continue to have a relationship with both parents following a relationship breakdown however there are no set rules to determine the frequency and duration of... READ

A friendly Divorce? Explaining the Collaborative process

The concept of a collaborative divorce is based on the shared belief of all those participating, that it is in the best interests of the parties and their families to avoid the often adversarial... READ

Dissolution of Civil Partnerships in Northern Ireland – what is the process?

If you have been together in your civil partnership and have the grounds to issue proceedings, papers will be drafted and lodged on your behalf with the matrimonial office.  Once the proceedings are served... READ

Co-habitation – what happens when a relationship breaks down?

One common scenario, in which we are asked to help, is a when a couple co-habit in a house which is registered in the name of only one of those parties and the other... READ

Resolving Children’s Law Issues following a Relationship Breakdown

The relevant legislation covering this area of law is The Children (NI) Order 1995.  Article 8 Orders replace the old ‘custody and access’ orders. There are 4 main types of Article 8 Order which... READ

International Child Abduction – The Facts

The main legislation covering child abduction from Northern Ireland are the 1980 Hague Convention and Brussels II Revisited.  Both apply to a long list of countries which have ratified those instruments within their domestic... READ

Child and Spousal Maintenance in Northern Ireland – The Facts

ARTICLE – CHILD AND SPOUSAL MAINTENANCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND – THE FACTS When dealing with issues of maintenance following a marriage or relationship breakdown, there are 2 separate areas to look at; firstly any... READ

Annulment – what is a void and what is a voidable marriage?

To establish that a marriage is void, one of the following grounds must be proved: that the parties are within prohibited degrees of relationship that one of the parties was under 16 that the... READ

Legal Issues Surrounding Surrogacy in Northern Ireland

20 December 2016 Family Law – legal issues surrounding the increasing use of surrogacy arrangements in Northern Ireland. Legal Issues Surrounding Surrogacy in Northern Ireland Surrogacy is the process whereby a woman carries a child through pregnancy... READ