D&A Solicitors | BLOG

   Next week (26th – 30th January) is Family Mediation Week in the UK. With the courts under pressure and new rules encouraging "Non-Court Dispute Resolution" (NCDR), we explain what this means for you and highlight the free events you can attend online. Introduction If you are currently navigating a separation or divorce, you might feel like you are standing at the edge of a maze. The path ahead seems complicated, expensive, and stressful. You may assume that the only way to resolve issues about your children or your finances is to "go to court." However, the landscape of family law in England and Wales has shifted dramatically. The courts, the government, and legal professionals are all sending a unified message: Court should be the last resort, not the first step. Next week, from Monday 26th January to Friday 30th January 2026 , the Family Mediation Council (FMC) is hosting Family Mediation Week . It is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the better, kinder...

  As family courts face record backlogs, the traditional route of litigating your divorce is becoming slower and more expensive than ever. Here is why mediation is not just an alternative, but increasingly the primary solution for modern families. Introduction: The "Divorce Day" Reality Check January is often dubbed "Divorce Month" in the legal calendar. After the pressure of the festive season, many couples come to the difficult realization that their marriage has reached its end. If you are reading this, you might be standing at that crossroads right now. The decision to separate is heartbreaking enough, but for many, the anxiety about what comes next is paralyzing. We have all seen the movies: the aggressive courtroom showdowns, the barristers delivering withering cross-examinations, and the judge banging a gavel. It is a terrifying image that suggests divorce must be a war where for one person to win, the other must lose. But in 2026, this narrative is outdated...

  As we step into 2026, many of us are setting resolutions to move home. But before you start packing boxes, you need to understand the legal backbone of your purchase. Here is D&A Solicitors’ ultimate guide to mastering the conveyancing process. Introduction: The Invisible Foundation of Your New Home For many people, the start of a New Year brings a desire for change. It might be the year you finally buy your first flat, upgrade to the "forever home" with a garden, or downsize to something more manageable. The excitement of property hunting is undeniable—scrolling through listings, viewing properties, and imagining where your furniture will go. However, once your offer is accepted, the excitement often gives way to a new, slightly more daunting phase: Conveyancing . If you have never bought a house before—or even if you haven't done it for a few years—conveyancing can feel like a black box. You feed money and signatures into one end, and eventually, keys come out the...

 A startling new report reveals the devastating scale of economic abuse in the UK. At D&A Solicitors, we see the reality behind these statistics in Birmingham every day. It’s time to shine a light on financial control and its lasting impact on the youngest members of our society. Introduction When we think of domestic abuse, the images that immediately spring to mind are often physical: bruises, broken bones, and terrified calls to the police. For decades, this was the prevailing societal narrative—if you couldn't see the injury, it wasn't "real" abuse. Fortunately, our understanding has evolved. We now recognise coercive control and emotional abuse as deeply damaging. Yet, there is one insidious form of abuse that remains largely hidden behind closed doors, bank statements, and empty cupboards: economic abuse. A shocking new analysis published this week by the charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), based on Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, has laid bar...

   As the dust settles on the Chancellor's Autumn Budget, many in Birmingham and across the UK are calculating the impact on their wallets. But for couples currently navigating separation or divorce, the tax landscape has just shifted significantly. Here is D&A Solicitors’ in-depth guide to what the changes mean for your family finances. Introduction Few events grip the nation's attention quite like a new government's first major Budget. We all watched, waited, and wondered how the Chancellor's "difficult decisions" would impact our monthly outgoings, our savings, and our future plans. Now that the headlines have faded and the detailed analysis has begun, it has become clear that this Budget contains significant implications for anyone going through a relationship breakdown. Divorce and separation are rarely just about the emotional ending of a partnership; they are also one of the most complex financial transactions a person will ever undertake. You are d...