Police failures on domestic violence
Domestic violence charity Women’s Aid has released research revealing worrying gaps in police responses to domestic violence as experienced by women using refuges in England and Wales. The research has been released to coincide with a report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC), which paints a clear picture of a poor quality and inconsistent response by the police to domestic violence which is causing harm and costing women their lives. The charity has welcomed the HMIC report, which highlights the very real failings across the board and shows that where police forces have shown leadership, and invested in training and their officers, responses to domestic violence are more effective. Women’s Aid is stating that the widespread failure of police forces to train officers to deal with domestic violence is akin to the NHS failing to train doctors to recognise symptoms which could indicate the presence of a potentially fatal cancer. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
New ‘business banking’ service for child maintenance
A new service launched this month is making it easier for businesses to meet their legal obligation to deduct child maintenance from employees’ wages. The Child Maintenance Service Employer Self Service will replace the old paper-based system with a new free online portal. The new online service is available for all employers who administer Deduction from Earnings Orders with the Child Maintenance Service and will help ensure these payments are accurate and paid on time, every time. Businesses can report when any employee for whom they deduct maintenance stops working for them in one easy click through to the HMRC website. The Child Maintenance Service Employer Self Service is being introduced gradually from this month. The Government is also reforming child support services to help more separated parents sort out child maintenance arrangements themselves, in the best interests of their children. For those genuinely unable to collaborate, the new Child Maintenance Service will still be there and will provide a faster, better service, backed up by stronger enforcement. The Child Maintenance Service has been introduced gradually since 2012 and is now open to all separated parents. It will replace the Child Support Agency by 2017/18, when all current CSA cases have closed. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Curbing family breakdown could halve the deficit
Pro-marriage think tank, the Marriage Foundation, has put forward its “alternative budget”, in which it claims that by taking measures to address the ‘epidemic’ of family fragmentation, the Chancellor could save up to half of the annual £46 billion cost of relationship breakdown. The total cost of family breakdown figure, calculated in a study by the Relationships Foundation, takes into account the £9 billion in paid out in lone parent benefits, but also the costs of educational failure, juvenile delinquency and mental health problems linked to family breakdown. The new Marriage Foundation report advocates a re-focus on the family in policy-making to curb the soaring rate of family breakdown. Specifically it recommends introducing a minister responsible for families into the Cabinet to put family breakdown firmly back on the agenda as an issue in need of redress. It also proposes distinguishing marriage as opposed to cohabitation on government forms, adapting the transferable tax allowance to go to married mothers with children under three, and moving all NHS ante-natal services into Surestart Centres to improve awareness of relationship support services. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on marriage and cohabitation, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Cohabitation no longer predicts divorce
For more than 20 years, researchers have reported that premarital cohabitation is associated with an elevated risk of divorce. However, a recent report from America has cast doubt on this assumption. The briefing report was presented to the Council on Contemporary Families, and noted that cohabitation has increased by more than 900% in the past 50 years. Author Arielle Kuperberg, a sociologist at UNC-Greensboro, said that: “Today 70% of women aged 30 to 34 have cohabited with a male partner, and two-thirds of new marriages take place between couples who have already lived together for an average of 31 months.” Her new research found that previous studies have over-stated the divorce risk from premarital cohabitation by ignoring how old the individuals are when they move in together. She claims that the age when people move in together is a much more important factor than whether or not they have taken out a marriage license. On average, she reported, cohabitors begin living together at an earlier age than couples who marry directly. But “when couples are compared by the age at which they move in together and start taking on the roles associated with marriage, there is no difference in divorce rates between couples that lived together before marriage and those that didn’t.” Kuperberg stated that premarital cohabitation has very little, if any, impact on a couple’s chance of divorce. Rather, “early entry into marriage or cohabitation, especially prior to age 23, is the critical risk factor,” she said. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on marriage or cohabitation, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Children and domestic abuse
A new study from the national charity CAADA has found that two thirds of children exposed to domestic abuse had experienced direct child abuse, in addition to witnessing the abuse of a parent. Despite this, only half (54%) of the children exposed to domestic abuse were known to Children’s Social Care. In a sample of 877 children receiving support from four specialist domestic abuse services, the charity found a clear link between domestic abuse between adults and direct harm to children. Around 62% of children in the research had experienced direct abuse, for example emotional abuse, physical abuse and / or neglect, in addition to witnessing the abuse of a parent. In addition, 28% experienced direct physical abuse. In the majority of incidences, the child abuse was perpetrated by the same person responsible for abusing the adult victim: usually the child’s father or mother’s male partner. The research, outlined in a new policy report entitled ‘In plain sight: effective help for children exposed to domestic abuse’, also found that: Children are suffering multiple physical and mental health consequences as a result of witnessing domestic abuse: 52% of the children had behavioural problems, 39% had difficulties adjusting to school and 60% felt responsible for what was happening at home. A quarter of the children displayed abusive behaviour: this usually occurred once their exposure to adult domestic abuse had stopped. This behaviour was frequently directed towards their mother, sibling or friend, and rarely towards the main perpetrator of domestic abuse. Although only half the children were previously known to children’s social care, 80% of the children were known to at least one public agency. They were therefore ‘in plain sight’ and able to be identified. Children’s health and wellbeing outcomes significantly improved after support from specialist children’s domestic abuse services, and abusive behaviour also dropped from 25% to 7%. Children were less likely to experience direct harm if the parental domestic abuse had ended. CAADA estimates that 130,000 children are at high risk of serious harm or death from domestic abuse. Hundreds of thousands more are exposed to domestic abuse at lower risk levels. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on issues involving domestic violence, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Pensions and divorce
The Pensions Advisory Service (PAS) has launched a new guide to help people think through the issues they need to consider around pensions when going through a divorce, separation or dissolution process. Recent statistics from the Office of National Statistics highlight many marriages now fail to work out. The figures show that in England and Wales in 2012: There were 13 divorces an hour. Women were granted 65% of all divorces. 9,703 men and 6,026 women aged over 60 got divorced. The average age at divorce was 45 for men and 42 for women. 9% of couples divorcing had both been divorced before. 48% of couples divorcing had at least one child aged under 16 living with the family. It is expected that 42% of marriages will end in divorce. These statistics reflect the experience of the PAS helpline and the responses it received in to its recent Women & Pensions survey. The effect of divorce, separation and dissolution on pensions is becoming a key issue to factor in when thinking about retirement income. The PAS says that is clear from the calls it receives that divorce and separating can be an extremely stressful and upsetting time. For many of the callers, sorting out the finances of a divorce or separation is also very challenging, and highlights how important it is that pensions are appropriately factored into all divorce decisions. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Mental health issues increase risk of domestic violence
Women with a severe mental health-related disability are nearly four times more likely to have been a victim of intimate partner violence than those without a disability, according to a new study by Women’s College Hospital. The study, published in the journal BioMed Central Public Health, is the first Canadian population-based study to examine the prevalence of intimate partner violence among women with activity limitations – or disability – with a specific focus on those due to mental health-related problems. “Our study suggests that women whose daily activities were limited by a psychological, emotional or mental health condition may be especially vulnerable to being victimised,” said Janice Du Mont, the study’s lead author. “What’s more, we found that the more severe the mental health related disability, the higher the prevalence of intimate partner violence.” Research shows women with a mental illness are at an increased risk ofviolence compared to women in the general population. Intimate partner violence, which includes physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse by a partner, is often recurrent and linked to negative physical and psychological consequences. “For women with a mental health-related disability, the consequences of experiencing discrimination can be devastating,” said Du Mont. “It may lead to social isolation and put these women at greater risk for harmful or abusive relationships, discouraging them from seeking help from their abusive relationship and their mental health problems.” Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on issues involving domestic violence, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Cohabitation not divorce to blame for family breakdown, says think tank
Pro-marriage think tank, the Marriage Foundation, has published details of its response to the Department of Work and Pensions’ Family Stability Review. The DWP Review has been set up to assess measures to support family stability and make recommendations on how this can be best achieved in the future. In its response, the Foundation claims that the main cause of family breakdown is not the failure of marriages but the failure of cohabiting relationships. According to Harry Benson from the Marriage Foundation, cohabitation has become much more socially acceptable and there is much less social pressure to marry. However, the Foundation believes that cohabiting relationships are relatively unstable compared to married ones and contribute more to the level of family breakdown. “The contribution of unmarried couples to family breakdown relies on the popularity of cohabitation,” says the Marriage Foundation. “The result of ever more couples living as unmarried cohabitees has been the continued rise in lone parent family formation, again evidenced by a further doubling of lone parent households between 1980 and today.” Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
How do couples make their love last?
Over 5,000 people have revealed how they are keeping their relationships happy and healthy, as part of a major two-year study into modern couples funded by the Economic & Social Research Council. The ‘Enduring Love?’ study, conducted by social scientists at The Open University, found that simple acts of kindness are one of the most important things that keep people together. The in-depth survey revealed wide differences in men and women in middle age; with women over 55 scoring lowest on relationship satisfaction and men three times more likely than women to mention sexual intimacy as something which makes them feel appreciated. Other findings from the survey include: Parenthood shapes relationship quality more than any other factor Mothers are happiest in their life than any other group Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual couples, especially younger people, remain afraid to hold hands in public for fear of reprisal. However they are generally happier about their relationship quality and are more likely to act spontaneously Money issues are one of the most difficult aspects of modern relationships, but stressors such as being out of work do appear to pull couples together Couples cherish affection and cuddles as much as sexual intimacy though sex remains an important part of the relationship Ruth Sutherland, Chief Executive of Relate said: “We welcome this insightful and important research into what makes love last. What this study shows us is that couples need to keep investing in their relationships. “It’s reassuring to know, especially in these tough economic times, that it’s the small gestures of appreciation and affection, rather than the big romantic displays that really make the difference. The report shows the importance of creating a culture where seeking help to strengthen our relationships is seen as the norm.” Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on divorce or separation, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
Half a million silent on domestic abuse
As the service pioneers a new scheme that has identified a shocking number of hidden victims of domestic abuse in England and Wales, Citizens Advice finds that some victims are failing to gain access to legal aid because they are being let down by the system. Over the period of a year Citizens Advice Bureaux saw over 21,000 reports of domestic violence – a rise of 16% from the previous year. The charity regularly sees over 13,000 people seeking help with domestic violence issues each year. Domestic violence still often operates below the radar and is chronically under-reported. With 0.8% of Citizens Advice Bureaux clients disclosing domestic abuse, the Citizens Advice service took action and piloted a new radical programme in bureaux across the country to give victims a safe space to disclose this hidden violence by asking a few routine questions when clients sought help with debt and housing issues. The ASK project piloted by Citizens Advice found that in fact 27% of clients had experienced domestic violence – 3% higher than the national average reported for women. With the intention to roll the ASK scheme out across all bureaux, the same increase in reports of domestic violence nationally could uncover over half a million (540,000) victims, the vast majority of whom would otherwise have stayed silent. Contact our Family Lawyers in Glasgow If you would like to find out more about our specialist family law services, including advice on issues involving domestic violence, call us today on 0141 811 0228 or fill out our online enquiry form.
