Sultan Lloyd Family & Immigration Solicitors Blog & News

Welcome to Sultan Lloyd Solicitors’ latest news section. This section provides you with the latest news and developments in the field of Immigration Law, Family Law and Human Rights and Asylum Law. Also, you can download our newsletter bulletin from the sub-menu on the right hand side of this page. It keeps you up to date with the latest legal news and developments throughout the UK.

A Complete Guide to UK Spouse Visas

Love conquers all; except the UK visa system. Every year, many couples endure forced separation because one party cannot obtain a UK Spouse visa. During her time in as Home Secretary, Theresa May towed a hard line on family members who wished to j...

My Wife Won’t Let Me See My Children!

When a couple divorce, emotions can run rampant. Even if both parties vow to be as ‘amicable as possible’ and ‘get on for the sake of the children’, anger, frustration and bitterness can spill over. Some women use the children of th...

Sultan Lloyd Offers Advice to EU Citizens in the Light of Brexit

EU citizens residing in the UK are worried. They are right to be so. The referendum result is an emotional upheaval. But politics is one thing and law another. At Sultan Lloyd we understand the fears making good people turn to law. Hard working fa...

Everything You Need To Know About Permanent Residence Cards and Registration Certificates

Regardless of the outcome of the EU Referendum vote, the debate had at times been vicious. According to Professor Michael Dougan, the University of Liverpool Law Lecturer and EU expert, whose speech heavily criticised the information being given t...

Administrative Removal and Deportation – The Essentials

Part One – Introduction What would you do if you were told you must leave your home, family, friends and community to return to a country where you had no ties and no prospects?  As we approach the second half of 2016, t...

Divorce is Devastating For A Mother’s Financial Future

There is a common misconception that a woman is the one to profit when a marriage falls apart.  That they take everything, from the house, to their husband’s present and future earnings, and anything else that is not nailed down, leaving their ...

VACANCY FOR LEVEL 2 IMMIGRATION SUPERVISOR SOLICITOR/CASE-WORKER

Sultan Lloyd Solicitors are seeking a specialist, ambitious Immigration Solicitor /Caseworker to be part of our Asylum and private immigration department at our Birmingham office. Your will be managing a busy caseload covering th...

The First Three Steps You Should Take To Protect Yourself In A Divorce

If you have decided to end your marriage, either independently or in joint agreement with your spouse, there are a number of steps you need to take immediately to protect your best interests. Although it is important to keep relations as am...

R (on the application of MM (Lebanon)) (AP) v Secretary of State for the Home Department– A Summary of the Case So Far

The Supreme Court decision in MM and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department is expected to be released in the next few months.  One of the most important immigration cases in years, the case will decide the fate of many so-called ‘...

Spousal Maintenance – The Essentials

The term spousal maintenance conjures up images of super-rich celebrities or entrepreneurs being forced to hand over thousands of pounds per week to support their wife’s shopping addiction. However, in real life the law of spousal mainten...

Judicial Review 101

Since 6th April 2015, migrants no longer have a right to appeal under the Points Based System (PBS) except on human rights’ grounds or by relying on the Refugee Convention.  The only means an applicant can challenge a Home Office decision is vi...

The Right of Dependents to Work in the UK

Last month we reported on the Government’s planned reforms of the Tier 2 Skilled Worker visa, which include an increase in the minim...

The First Three Steps You Should Take To Protect Yourself in a Divorce

If you have decided to end your marriage, either independently or in joint agreement with your spouse, there are a number of steps you need to take immediately to protect your best interests. Although it is important to keep relations as am...

The First Three Steps You Should Take To Protect Yourself in a Divorce

If you have decided to end your marriage, either independently or in joint agreement with your spouse, there are a number of steps you need to take immediately to protect your best interests. Although it is important to keep relations as am...

How a Brexit Could Affect EU Nationals Living in the UK

As the date for the referendum on whether or not Britain should remain in the EU edges ever closer, the Home Office is experiencing a flood of enquiries from worried EU nationals residing in the UK.  Will they be thrown out of the country if Brit...

Why the Rich Divorce Differently

Before Easter, Asos co-founder Nick Robertson, the 298th richest man in the world, found himself £70 million poorer after a High Court Judge awarded his wife £70million, a third of his fortune.  In making the award, Mr Justice Holman reiterat...

Child Abduction - Prevention and Recovery of International Children

Under UK law, if one parent moves a child across an international border without the consent of the other parent or despite a court order forbidding the removal of the child from the UK, they are abducting the child. I thought I would start...

Government Announces Changes to Skilled Worker Visa

The Government has recently given details of planned reforms to the skilled worker visa that it says will protect job opportunities for UK residents and reduce UK businesses’ reliance on foreign workers. According to the Government, the r...

Britain Needs Talent – Applying for the Tier One (Exceptional Talent) Visa

When you read the media reports on the UK Conservative Government’s policy regarding immigration, it is not unreasonable to suppose that Britain does not want any more migrants entering the country, no matter what they have to offer in terms of ...

Changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain Policy – Will I be affected?

From 6th April 2016, non-EU migrants earning less than £35,000 may be forced to leave. The new policy comes into force next month and applies to all overseas workers who have been in the UK for five years on a Tier 2 visa. Immigrants to th...

Five Top Tips For Obtaining An Entrepreneur Visa

Despite the gloomy, global economic outlook for 2016, the UK markets are predicted to perform well. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research expects the economy to grow by 2.3 percent this year, unchanged from its previous forecast w...

Parental Responsibility - The Essential Facts Fathers Need to Know

For some time, the Family Court in the UK has been considered ‘wife-friendly’ when it comes to handling divorces.  So much so that in 2011, legal firms started whispering about the divorce ‘race’, where high-net-worth couples who ...

Report into Impact of Family Migration Thresholds

The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has recently published the results of an investigation into how the minimum income requirements for 

Divorce Month: Why Do Divorces Increase in January?

A study has found that the number of divorce enquiries made in January is 27% higher than the average number seen in the UK throughout the rest of the year. Indeed, many media outlets call the first working day in January “D-day” due t...

UK Losing Skilled International Students and Skilled Workers to Other Countries

A new report has shown that the UK is losing out on a huge number of skilled students and skilled workers to more “immigration friendly” nations, which in turn, is damaging the UK economy. According to the study, one of the main reasons...

Protecting your business assets during divorce

Successful business owners will more often than not have sacrificed a great deal in terms of their personal lives, time and money to build up their empire. The prospect of losing a sizeable portion of their fortune as a result of divorce proceedin...

Fraud and Financial Proceedings within Divorce

In the news last week there was a judgment which was described as a “landmark” whereby two women, namely Alison Sharland and Varsha Gohil were told by the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court, that they could seek larger 

Who should pay the bills if we separate?

When one household splits in two there are always going to be financial implications in that there will be two sets of bills and two sets of mortgages or rent which all need to be paid from the same amount of income that previously serviced just o...

Getting UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visas Just Got Harder!

Entering the United Kingdom under a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa – for businessmen from outwith the EU looking for investment opportunities whether starting or buying a UK business – has become more difficult. At it stands, approximatel...

Is it adultery if we’ve already separated?

Many people believe that once they have separated from their spouse they are within their rights to do whatever they like in terms of their personal lives. However, even after you have separated you are still legally married until such time as the...

Can I make a claim against property located abroad in divorce proceedings?

When a couple’s finances come to be divided as part of divorce proceedings then each party must disclose to the other details of all the property, land and buildings that they have an interest in. This includes property, land and buildings locat...

What can I do about revenge porn?

In a world where technology is moving at a faster pace than ever before, we have a legal system that is struggling to keep up with the quite recent phenomenon of what is widely referred to as revenge porn. The most common complaints come from one ...

Passing on British citizenship to children: can it be done?

A common concern for British citizens who live abroad and have a family is whether they will be able to pass on their citizenship to their children who are born outside of the UK. The UK government recently produced detailed guidance aimed at answ...

Can the Court order that I should be tested for drugs or alcohol?

It is quite common these days to come across cases where one party is not allowing the other to spend time with their child(ren) because of allegations of drug and/or alcohol misuse. From speaking to colleagues and local professionals and based up...

Another hit for “infidelity websites”

In March this year I wrote about a religious group in France who were taking legal action against a website known as Gleeden, claiming that the site’s main aim of promoting infidelity was contrary to one of France’s civil codes which compels c...

Divorce costs set to increase

The Ministry of Justice has recently announced that it plans to increase the Court fee payable when a Petition is sent to Court. The fee is presently £410.00 but is set to increase to £550.00 later this year. No fixed date has yet been proposed ...

When does child maintenance stop?

If you have a family based arrangement (i.e. you have reached an agreement with your ex-partner concerning child maintenance) then the child maintenance payments continue in line with that agreement. One parent might have agreed for example that t...

Who should pay for the divorce?

One thing that many people are worried about when faced with the prospect of divorce proceedings is the legal costs that can be incurred both in terms of Solicitors fees and the Court costs. Currently the Family Courts charge a fee of £410.00 to ...

CAFCASS who do they help?

CAFCASS is the shortened name for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Services. Parents come into contact with a CAFCASS officer if they have been unable to resolve their disputes regarding children and an application has been made ...

Can I take my Child on holiday abroad if I have Parental Responsibilty?

Many families are making plans for the duration of the summer holidays as schools in England and Wales shall shortly be breaking up for their summer holidays. If you have recently separated from your spouse/partner then you may wish to make...

Can I Divorce in the UK if I live abroad?

The simple answer to this is that if you have a sufficient connection to this country then probably “yes”. It is important to note that Scotland has different laws to those of England and Wales and this blog only relates to the latter two....

Is there such thing as a no blame divorce?

Many family lawyers are keen to emphasise that they try to deal with divorce cases in a constructive and amicable manner which not only helps to reduce the hostility between the parties but it can also reduce the resulting legal costs. However, th...

When it’s more than an affair of the heart

When one person discovers that their spouse has done the dirty on them they are usually heartbroken. Often, by the time they reach the Solicitor’s office a little of the emotion will have subsided and they will be moving towards the stage of fee...

I’ll have the bed – you can take the sofa

When a marriage comes to an end the average couple are going to find it difficult to divide income that has supported one household into enough income to support two. Particularly during the recession, there was a rise in the number of separated s...

Can your child really be taken into care simply because you are a smoker?

It was widely reported in a number of newspapers this week that a 2 year old boy had been taken into care because his parents smoked too much. The story made the front page of certain newspapers and a good deal of the reporting focused on the test...

When is it too soon to date again?

When a married couple separate they usually both want to move on with their lives and often this involves either or both of them finding new partners. It is not uncommon for me to meet with a new client who has come in to enquire about divorce pro...

Who gets the dog?

Pets can be one of a family’s most treasured possessions. People form bonds with them that can sometimes be akin to the bond one might have with another family member meaning that when two people separate, deciding what will happen to any pets c...

How Divorce can affect your pension

When Parties divorce all of the matrimonial assets are considered so that there may be equality and fairness in the final distribution of assets, whether the split is 50/50 or even 30/70 as can be the case. Pensions are considered a matrimo...

The cost of child maintenance

Bringing up children is an expensive business even where the parents are together and have one another to financially rely upon. When parents separate, they are usually left trying to run two separate households from income that once only had to s...

Recent changes to how pensions are dealt with on divorce

Often when couples divorce, they think about what will happen to the house or who will receive what from any savings or realisable investments and pensions are overlooked. However, in many cases that I have dealt with the pension of one or both of...

The reason why only getting a divorce is not enough

This month a man who was divorced from his wife 30 years ago has just found out that she might now make a claim against the fortune that he has amassed since their separation. Kathleen Wyatt and Dale Vince met in 1981 and were married the s...

Should it be illegal to promote adultery?

Some people might be aware that there are a number of websites out there that actively promote infidelity. One of the first sites to be set up, Ashley Madison which was founded by Noel Biderman over 10 years ago has the strap line “Life is Short...

What type of contact can a Court Order, if my child lives in a different country?

When parents separated it has been known for a parent with the main care of the child to move to another area of the Country for example from Leeds to London or even to another Country i.e Spain. This often leaves the child and the other parent be...

Hiding Assets in Divorce Proceedings

In the majority of cases that I deal with, financial matters are resolved by agreement. However, in cases where the assets are substantial what started as a relatively amicable divorce can quickly turn sour when it comes to negotiations about how ...

Life After Death – What if I don’t want my children to live with my ex-partner?

In a world of changing family set ups there are now more single parent families than ever before. I have often been approached by a parent who has children living with them and asked where their children would live if that parent passed away. Some...

Unmarried parents – what can I claim to help support my children?

There is a common misconception that if you have lived with someone as an unmarried couple for a certain period of time then you are treated as “common law spouses” and you can therefore make a financial claim against that person post separati...

UK Immigration To Become More ‘Business Friendly”

Home secretary, Theresa May has announced that she plans to will overhaul Britain’s visa system to make the nation more attractive to businesses. The proposed reforms will reduce the number of visa types available to foreign business trav...

50 Shades of Grey... The Reality???

The book 50 Shades of Grey has taken the UK by storm and many individuals find themselves getting hot under the collar for opposing reasons, when discussing the book. Love it or hate it, millions of Women (and Men) have read and/or watched it, and...

Ex- Wife of Millionaire Told by Judge – Go to Work

The ex-wife of a millionaire horse surgeon has been told by an appeal Court judge that she should seek employment rather than rely on “an income for life” at the expense of her former husband. It is anticipated that this decision could ...

"Will I Still Get to Live With You" - Understanding Arrangements for Children After Divorce

Ending a marriage takes on a whole new dimension of grief and guilt when children are involved.  The more informed parents are as to their options around arrangements for their children...

Can I Change My Child’s Surname?

When couples separate, I am often asked whether one parent can change their child’s surname, usually to match their own surname or to match the surname of their new partner. Whilst any person over the age of 18 is entitled to change their own su...

Married Couples Tax Allowance – what is it worth to me?

From 6 April 2015, a tax allowance whereby couples can share part of their annual income tax allowance with be available to some people. Registration has already opened and if successful in their application, married couples could save up to £212...

How to change your child’s name after divorce or separation

After the birth of a baby When a baby is born if the parents are married it is usual for the parents to register the birth of the child and for both of them to be named on the birth certificate. Traditionally in England and...

The Family Home belongs to my Husband can I claim half?

When a marriage breaks down the first question that I am often asked is “Can I get Divorced?” followed by the title of this blog “The family home belongs to my husband can I claim half ...

Substance Misuse – An Automatic Bar to Child Contact?

Recently I have dealt with a number of cases concerning children where one parent has alleged that the other should not get to spend time with their child because the parent concer...

Holidays for Separated Parents

Christmas seems like a distant memory and the weather is cold and grey. At this time of year one thing that a lot of people look forward to is their summer holiday and travel agents are reporting their annual surge in bookings. Recently I t...

Is there an alternative to a Divorce?

In England and Wales, the National Office of Statistics (Marriages in England and Wales (Provisional) 2012 shows that 42% of all marriages end in a divorce, with the average marriage expected to last 32 years. The potential reasons behind the incr...

What Happens When a Divorce is Defended?

When a divorce petition has been issued but the Respondent does not accept that the marriage has broken down irretrievably or does not accept the grounds on which the petition has been issue...

How can I afford to Divorce my Husband, I am financially dependent upon him?

Divorce proceedings can be extremely stressful, especially if you feel that you can no longer continuing to live in an acrimonious relationship, but cannot afford to financially end your marr...

Concern for Separated Parents as Child Contact Centres Close

In almost all cases where parents decide to separate, the main concern for both of them is what will happen in terms of the arrangements for their children. Because of the emotion involved, disputes can become toxic with one parent alleging that t...

How can the law protect me from domestic violence?

Domestic violence can have a devastating effect on victims, however, there are certain provisions in the law to help those who are suffering domestic violence or have a fear of domestic violence reoccurring. Below is an overview of the main...

Can the UK Government Put the Brakes on the Freedom of Movement?

As many immigration law specialists are aware, it can be difficult for their clients to keep up with the often changing legal framework. Unfortunately, the UK’s immigration pol...

Contact with Grandchildren After Separation

Research by a group of family-focused charities has highlighted that 40 percent of grandparents lose contact with their grandchildren as a result of divorce. It is very unfortunate that many grandparents who are very close to their grandchildren a...

Home Alone For The Summer Holidays

With the school Summer holidays nearly upon us, working parents worrying about the ever increasing cost of childcare might think about leaving their children home alone. But is there a set age at which it is legally allowed to leave your c...