Family and Succession Law in England and Wales 6th Edición by Rebecca Probert, Maebh Harding ISBN 9403505145 9789403505145

§1. GENERAL BACKGROUND OF THE COUNTRY (DEMOGRAPHIC DATA)

I. Introduction

II. Demography

§2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF FAMILY AND SUCCESSION LAW

I. Family Law

II. Succession Law

§3. SOURCES OF FAMILY AND SUCCESSION LAW

I. Constitution

II. Legislation

A. Family Law

B. Succession Law

III. Treaties

IV. Jurisprudence (Case Law)

§4. THE COURTS ADMINISTERING FAMILY AND SUCCESSION LAW

I. The Supreme Court

II. The Court of Appeal

III. The High Court

IV. The County Court

V. The Single Family Court

VI. Is the Matter Appropriate for Judicial Resolution?

Part I. Persons

Chapter 1. The Status of a Person

§1. DEFINITION OF A PERSON

§2. CAPACITY

I. Minors

A. Statute

B. Common Law

Chapter 2. Registration of Civil Status

§1. REGISTRATION

I. Births

II. Gender

III. Adoption and Parental Orders Register

IV. Marriages and Civil Partnerships

V. Deaths

§2. REGISTERS AND CERTIFICATES

Chapter 3. Personality Rights

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. MINORS’ CONTRACTS

I. Valid Contracts

II. Contracts That Will Be Valid until Repudiated

III. The Legal Effects of Minors’ Contracts

§3. MINORS’ RESPONSIBILITY FOR TORTS

§4. MINORS AND PROPERTY

§5. MINORS’ RESPONSIBILITY FOR CRIMES

Chapter 4. Names

§1. COMPOSITION OF NAMES

§2. SURNAME

I. Acquisition of Surname

II. Change of Surname

§3. FORENAME

Chapter 5. Nationality

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. ACQUISITION BY BIRTH

§3. ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP DURING CHILDHOOD

§4. ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP AS AN ADULT

Chapter 6. Domicile and Habitual Residence

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. DOMICILE

§3. HABITUAL RESIDENCE

§4. DOMICILE OR HABITUAL RESIDENCE?

Chapter 7. Mental Incapacity

§1. BASIC PRINCIPLES

I. The Assumption of Capacity

II. Determining When a Person Lacks Capacity

III. Making Decisions on Behalf of a Person Who Lacks Capacity

IV. Decisions That May Not Be Made on Behalf of a Person Who Lacks Capacity

Part II. Family Law

Chapter 1. Marriage

§1. THE NATURE OF MARRIAGE

§2. THE CAPACITY TO MARRY

I. Age

II. Marital Status

III. Consanguinity and Affinity

§3. FORMALITIES OF MARRIAGE

I. Preliminaries

A. Parental Consent

B. Publicizing the Intention to Marry

II. Celebration

A. The Place of Celebration

B. The Celebrant

C. The Content of the Ceremony

D. When Is a Couple Married?

III. Registration

IV. Presumption in Favour of Marriage

§4. EFFECTS OF MARRIAGE

I. Common Law Concepts

A. The Doctrine of Unity

B. The Concept of Consortium

C. Keeping Confidences

D. Contracts for Day-to-Day Living

E. Presumption of Advancement

II. Statutory Provisions: Express Rights and Responsibilities

A. Mutual Support

B. Occupation of the Matrimonial Home

C. Evidence

D. Actions in Tort

E. Criminal Law

F. Taxation

G. Rights on Death

III. Statutory Provisions: Implied Rights and Responsibilities

A. Sexual Intercourse

B. Living Together

C. No Other Marriage

IV. Areas in Which Marriage Has No Effect

A. Name

B. Citizenship

C. Ownership of Assets

V. Engaged Couples

§5. VOIDABLE, VOID AND NON-EXISTENT MARRIAGES

I. Voidable Marriages

A. Inability to Consummate

B. Wilful Refusal to Consummate

C. Lack of Consent

D. Mental Disorder

E. Venereal Disease

F. Pregnancy by Another

G. Gender Reassignment

II. Bars to an Application Where a Marriage Is Voidable

III. Void Marriages

IV. Non-existent Marriages

V. Consequences of Void and Voidable Marriages

Chapter 2. Civil Partnership

§1. THE NATURE OF A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

§2. THE CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

§3. FORMALITIES FOR ENTERING INTO A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

§4. EFFECTS OF A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

§5. VOID, VOIDABLE AND NON-EXISTENT CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

Chapter 3. Terminating a Marriage or Civil Partnership

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. FACTS JUSTIFYING A DIVORCE

I. Adultery

II. ‘Unreasonable Behaviour’

III. Desertion

IV. Living Apart for Two Years Plus Respondent’s Consent

V. Living Apart for Five Years

§3. PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING A DIVORCE

I. Jurisdiction

II. Bar on Applications in the First Year of Marriage

III. Undefended Divorces

IV. Defended Divorces

V. Decree Nisi and Decree Absolute

§4. JUDICIAL SEPARATION

§5. DISSOLUTION OF A CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

§6. LEGAL EFFECTS OF DIVORCE, DISSOLUTION, AND SEPARATION ORDERS

Chapter 4. Cohabitation Without Marriage

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. OPTIONS FOR PRIVATE ORDERING

§3. EXISTING RIGHTS

I. Equal Treatment

II. Lesser Rights

III. No Rights

§4. PROPOSALS FOR REFORM

Chapter 5. Establishing Parenthood and the Status of the Child

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. WHO IS THE CHILD’S LEGAL PARENT?

I. Parenthood at Common Law

II. Parenthood under the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 2008

§3. HOW MAY PARENTHOOD BE DETERMINED?

I. The Availability of Bodily Samples

II. The Value of Other Evidence

§4. THE STATUS OF THE CHILD

I. Child Born within Valid or Voidable Marriage

II. Child Born within Marriage Believed to Be Valid

III. Subsequent Marriage of Parents

IV. Adopted Children and Children Subject to Parental Orders

Chapter 6. Parental Responsibility

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. ACQUIRING PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

I. Registration

II. Private Ordering

A. Parental Responsibility Agreement

B. Appointment of a Guardian

C. Delegation

III. Court Orders

A. Orders Transferring Legal Parenthood

B. Appointment of a Guardian

C. Special Guardianship Orders

D. Parental Responsibility Order

E. Child Arrangement Orders

F. Care Orders

G. Emergency Protection Orders

§3. EXERCISING PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

I. The Content of Parental Responsibility

II. Limitations on Who May Exercise Particular Rights

III. Limitations on How Rights May Be Exercised

IV. Sharing Parental Responsibility

§4. ENDING PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Chapter 7. Adoption and Its Alternatives

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. ADOPTION

I. Who May Be Adopted?

II. Who May Adopt?

III. The Necessity of Consent

A. Whose Consent Is Required?

B. When Can Consent Be Given?

C. When May Consent Be Dispensed With?

IV. Should an Adoption Order Be Made?

V. What Are the Legal Implications of Adoption?

§3. SPECIAL GUARDIANSHIP

I. Who May Be a Special Guardian?

II. What Are the Legal Implications of an Order?

III. When Will a Special Guardianship Order Be Made?

Chapter 8. Child Arrangements Orders

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. THE COURT’S JURISDICTION TO MAKE AN ORDER

I. Family Proceedings

II. Persons Entitled to Apply for an Order

III. Seeking Leave to Apply

IV. Restrictions on Making an Order

§3. General Principles Governing the Making of Child Arrangements Orders

I. Orders as to Where and with Whom a Child Should Live

II. Order Relating to Contact with the Child

§4. APPLYING THE WELFARE PRINCIPLE

I. The Presumption of Parental Involvement

II. No Unnecessary Delay

III. No Unnecessary Orders

IV. The Welfare Checklist

A. The Wishes and Feelings of the Child

B. The Child’s Needs

C. The Status Quo

D. The Child’s Characteristics

E. Potential Harm

F. Capability of Potential Carers

§5. CONSEQUENCES OF A CHILD ARRANGEMENTS ORDER

§6. RESTRICTIONS ON REMOVAL OF CHILDREN FROM THE JURISDICTION

I. Restrictions on Removal

II. The Form of Application to the Court

III. Factors Taken into Account in Deciding Whether to Grant Leave

§7. CHILD ARRANGEMENTS ORDER

§8. FOSTER CARE

Chapter 9. Kinship and Affinity

Part III. Matrimonial Property Law

Chapter 1. Rights and Obligations of Spouses

§1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

§2. THE HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES

§3. MAINTENANCE DURING THE MARRIAGE

§4. THE MATRIMONIAL HOME

I. Ownership

II. Occupation

III. Disposition

IV. Protection

A. Bankruptcy

B. Claims by Other Creditors

Chapter 2. Division of Assets on Divorce, Dissolution or Annulment

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. PRIVATE ARRANGEMENTS

I. Prenuptial Agreements

II. Postnuptial Agreements

III. Separation Agreements

IV. Consent Orders

V. Financial Dispute Resolution

§3. ADJUDICATION BY THE COURT

I. The Statutory Factors

A. Resources

B. Needs

C. Standard of Living

D. Age of Parties and the Duration of the Marriage

E. Disability

F. Contributions

G. Conduct

H. Loss of Future Assets

II. The Clean Break

§4. DIVORCE AND BANKRUPTCY

Part IV. Succession Law

Chapter 1. Intestate Succession

§1. THE OPENING OF THE SUCCESSION

I. Death

II. Missing Persons and Absentees

§2. ENTITLEMENT TO SUCCEED

I. Capacity to Succeed

II. Commorientes

III. Unworthiness to Succeed

§3. THE SYSTEM OF DESCENT

I. The Classes of Beneficiaries

A. Surviving Spouse or Civil Partner

B. Descendants

C. Ascendants

D. Collaterals

II. Representation

III. Adoption

§4. BONA VACANTIA

Chapter 2. Testamentary Succession

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. THE CAPACITY TO MAKE A WILL

I. Mental Capacity

II. Undue Influence

§3. FORMALITIES FOR MAKING A WILL

I. Writing, Signatures and Witnesses

II. Joint Wills

III. Alterations

§4. DIFFERENT TYPES OF WILL

I. Privileged Wills

II. Statutory Wills

§5. REVOCATION OF A WILL

I. Destruction

II. Another Will or Codicil

III. Writing Declaring an Intention to Revoke

IV. Marriage

§6. REVIVAL OF A WILL

§7. RESTRICTIONS

I. Contracts to Make a Will

II. Mutual Wills

§8. INTERPRETATION OF A WILL

I. Knowledge and Approval of the Contents of the Will

II. Rectification

III. Construction

§9. LOSING THE RIGHT TO BENEFIT UNDER A WILL

I. Witnesses

II. Divorce, Dissolution or Annulment

III. Forfeiture

IV. Lapse and ademption

Chapter 3. Provision for Family and Dependants

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY

§3. POWERS OF THE COURT TO MAKE ORDERS

§4. THE BASIS FOR THE COURT’S AWARD

Chapter 4. Acts Inter Vivos Related to the Estate

§1. INTRODUCTION

§2. GIFTS

§3. TRUSTS

I. Fixed Trusts

II. Discretionary Trusts

III. Secret Trusts

IV. Purpose Trusts

§4. DONATIO MORTIS CAUSA

§5. JOINT TENANCIES AND TENANCIES IN COMMON

§6. NOMINATIONS

§7. INSURANCE POLICIES

§8. PROPRIETARY ESTOPPEL

Chapter 5. Acquisition and Administration of the Estate

§1. DETERMINING WHO IS TO ADMINISTER THE ESTATE

§2. ACQUISITION OF THE ESTATE

§3. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ESTATE

Selected Bibliography

Index