As many of you will have noticed the Christmas cards, wrapping paper and presents are creeping their way into the shops and supermarkets. Most of you would consider the beginning of October far too early to consider Christmas, and in terms of presents and ordering the Turkey for the Christmas dinner I would agree.

Resolving the split of the matrimonial finances or the arrangements for the children are two of the more challenging aspects of a divorce or separation. For most individuals, the thought of attending court and the costs associated with contested hearings is extremely daunting; particularly at such a difficult and emotional time in their lives. The majority of the individuals that we meet with have a pre-conceived assumption that unless they have already reached an agreement regarding the split of the assets or the arrangements for the children, then an application to court is inevitable.

In the last two years, there was an increase from 87 to 216 of children aged 10 or under being referred to the NHS because they were unhappy with their biological gender.

When is a concluded agreement capable of being enforced? (A brief look at the Xydhias case)

On divorce, parties are able to agree a financial settlement (provided it complies with certain criteria e.g. that it is fair, reasonable, reached without one party being under duress, and within the law).

In a series of blogs about the process of getting a financial remedy through the courts in the context of divorce or dissolution, we take a look at each stage in turn.

The last in the series is Final Hearing