Penny Manock

After having bounced back strongly following Covid-19, Wilkinson Woodward is well placed for continued growth in 2023, having already strengthened the Family Law team with the appointment of two new solicitors. Our Family Law team, which deals with all...

What can you do if you suspect your partner - or the partner of a friend or loved one - has a history of violence? Your right to ask the police about a partner's history Under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme...

After a lengthy consultation period, the so-called ‘no-fault’ divorce is due to come into effect in England and Wales on 6 April 2022. From this date, separating couples will be able to get a divorce, civil partnership dissolution or legal...

The findings of a recent Quality Care Commission (CQC) report have highlighted that during the early weeks of the Coronavirus pandemic, Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitate (DNAR) orders were wrongly used. Widely condemned by the CQC...

A abused woman who won an appeal over her conviction for murdering her controlling husband can now inherit his estate, a judge has ruled. Sally Challen was given a life sentence in 2011 after being convicted of murdering her husband in 2010....

On 20 th January 2020, Stalking Protection Orders came into effect. These were introduced by the Stalking Protection Act 2019 to protect victims from harassment or intimidation from strangers or non-family members. Under this new legislation, the...

If someone asks you to be the executor of their will, following their death there are several things you’ll need to do. Here’s an overview to help you fulfil your responsibilities as an executor. What is an executor?...

Managing someone’s affairs when they die is something many of us face at some point in our lives. The process of administering a deceased person’s estate involves organising their money, possessions and other assets and distributing them as...

Managing someone’s affairs when they die is something many of us face at some point in our lives. The process of administering a deceased person’s estate - known as probate - involves organising their money, possessions and other assets and...

Chances are that many of us will face conditions which limit our ability to make decisions in the future. When someone loses their capacity to take decisions, families and professionals can struggle to determine what they might have wanted to happen in terms...

According to The Alzheimer's Society, there are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia and 225,000 will develop dementia this year. That's one every...

These days grandparents often play a huge role in their grandchildren’s lives, frequently providing child care. Sadly, when parents break up, many grandparents worry that contact with their grandchildren could be affected. If you have found...

Last week the government signalled the long-awaited reform of divorce laws by potentially removing the element of ‘fault’. The Justice Secretary confirmed his intention that couples wanting to divorce should benefit from a less...

Divorce and separation are sadly dominating much of the media this month – the spike in divorce proceedings in January is often the result of additional pressures faced by couples over the Christmas and New Year period. You can get a divorce in...

It is a sad reality that holidays put pressure on family life. This is especially true of the period over Christmas and the New Year. The strain on families over the Christmas and New Year period can often lead to relationship breakdowns. Sadly, statistics...

Family law specialist Clive Masters sets the record straight. The question of whether to re-register a child’s birth if the natural parents subsequently marry can be confusing....

While many parents will greet their children’s return to school with a sigh of relief, for some the end of the summer holidays could also mark the start of a divorce. Alongside Christmas and the New Year, the long summer holidays can represent a...

The amount you can currently pass on to your children when you die without being liable for inheritance tax is £325,000. This is known as the Nil Rate Band. Amounts over this threshold are taxed at 40% (with a few exceptions such as gifts to...

It’s a common misconception that if you’re married and die without making a will , your surviving partner will inherit your estate. In fact, intestacy rules (i.e. the rules governing what happens to wealth where there is no will) state that...

When it comes to inheritance, there’s no such thing as “common law” rights. Sadly, many surviving unmarried partners discover this all too late i.e. when their loved one has passed away without a will and they are left facing the harsh...

When the recent case of a widowed cohabitee’s rights to her late partner’s pension made the news, I did wonder whether the decision may have an effect on co-habitation law generally. Rights for cohabitants are limited Cohabitation does not...

A recent court of appeal decision reported in the media earlier this week has caused quite a stir. A wife, who petitioned for divorce on the grounds that her marriage had irretrievably broken down because of her husband’s behaviour, has been...

Lasting Powers of Attorney were brought in in October 2007 as a result of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Lasting Powers of Attorney were designed to produce extra protection as they need to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before...

As a family lawyer and mediator I come across many pre-conceived ideas and misunderstandings about rights following a relationship breakdown. A few of the most common : My ex can make me sell our home straight away This is not...

These days, once you’ve met the man/ woman of your dreams, saying “I do” is a remarkably simple process. If the relationship breaks down, for many couples, the prospect of saying “I don’t” is a very daunting...

It is a sad reality that holidays put pressure on family life. This is especially true of the period over Christmas and the New Year. The strain on families over the Christmas and New Year period can often lead to relationship breakdowns. Sadly, statistics...

Recently I came across a court case in New Zealand where a judge expressed the following views about a child’s name "The court is profoundly concerned about the very poor judgment which this child's parents have shown in choosing this...

The life of 20th Century artist Lucian Freud seems to have been as colourful in reality as it was on canvas, with the resultant issues concerning his estate continuing long after his death in 2011. The grandson of Sigmund Freud and brother of writer and...

Over the past twenty or so years of my practice as a family mediator, children have frequently been brought into the mediation room. Most family mediators involve children on a regular basis in one form or another. Actually bringing children into the...