Vikram Kumar

The easing of lockdown may have been the catalyst for the announcement by billionaire Bill Gates and his wife that they were heading for divorce and separate lives, with data from Google showing a surge in searches for divorce guidance as restrictions were relaxed. But while Bill and Melinda reportedly reached a financial settlement agreement before making their news public, with Gates transferring shares worth $2.4 billion to his estranged wife, this clear-cut route may be closed to those who are less well off. That’s because financial hardships, the potential…

Do you need a cohabitation agreement if you live with your partner, or considering moving in together? There is, of course, no legal requirement to have a cohabitation agreement to live with a partner, but it can be a useful tool to protect your finances and establish practical arrangements. In this article, we look at why you might want to get a cohabitation agreement and what such an agreement can do for you. What is a cohabitation agreement? A cohabitation agreement is basically an outline of an open and honest…

Under a child maintenance arrangement, child support is usually paid by the parent who does not have day-to-day care of the child or does not usually live with the child. In cases of non-payment of child maintenance, the receiving parent could launch a civil legal claim. However, this option is expensive and still leaves the issue of ensuring the paying parent complies with the judgment. Instead, where possible, you, as the receiving parent, can approach the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), which has wide-ranging powers of enforcement. What measures can the…