Family and Matrimonial

Choosing the right divorce solicitor for you

Any divorce, amicable or not, is never a pleasant experience to go though.  If things are acrimonious, or become so during the process, then it can often be a thoroughly emotionally draining experience.  Even more so if there are children involved.  If you find yourself in such a situation, choosing the right divorce solicitor to…

Divorce and Coercive Control – Divorcing an abusive partner

Close-up side view of a lonely woman sitting at home with sad look

As awareness of term coercive control continues to grow, its impact is being recognised more and more frequently in divorce proceedings. Solicitor Tegan Pownall discusses coercive control and its impact on divorce. So, what is coercive control? Coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviour used to dominate and control a person, that causes the victim…

Case Study: Landmark ruling on High Net Worth Divorce: Standish v Standish

Supreme Court of the United Kingdom located in Parliament Square in Westminster, London, England. It is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil and criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

A recent high profile divorce case in the news, Standish v Standish, has resulted in a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court clarifying what should be classified as ‘matrimonial’ and ‘non-matrimonial’ assets.  This is something that can be controversial in many divorces, not just those concerning multimillionaires! Background to Standish V Standish This case centred…

Penderlaw’s triple win at Cornwall Law Society Awards

Cornwall Law Society Awards 2025 Penderlaw Team

We’re absolutely thrilled that both Tegan Pownall and Alice Vage won awards at this year’s Cornwall Law Society Awards! Cornwall Law Society’s prestigious annual awards ceremony took place on Friday, 13th June at Truro Cathedral. The ceremony is a glamourous black-tie occasion, bringing together lawyers from all over the county and a chance to celebrate…

Helping your kids to buy a house

With the average house price now at almost £380k, the dream of buying a first home feels ever more out of reach for Generation Z.  As a result, many young people are understandably turning to their parents to help them out.  If you are a parent considering helping your kids to buy a house, there…

Separation without Divorce – What you need to know

The prospect of divorce is never an enticing one, and many separated couples may wonder whether they really need to take the final, decisive and potentially costly step to legally end their marriage.  Rachel Macwilliam, Family Law Solicitor at Penderlaw Solicitors, explores the topic of separation without divorce. Choosing separation rather than divorce Separation, conscious…

How to avoid a divorce like Brangelina

Once the golden couple of Hollywood, it was reported recently by the BBC that after 8 years of wrangling, Brad and Angelina are finally divorced. Whilst most of us have less complicated lives (not to mention fewer kids and less stuff to fight over!) it is still sad when we see couples making their divorces…

The January Divorce Phenomenon

It is a truth universally acknowledged that sadly January is the busiest month of the year for family lawyers and is sometimes described as the January divorce phenomenon. The festive period, which comes with the pressures of spending increased time with loved ones can often prove too much for a relationship to bear and those…

Wills and Divorce – What you need to know.

Our team often get asked about the impact of divorce on existing legal arrangements such as Wills. Rachel Macwilliam, Solicitor in our family law team, explores the topic of Wills and Divorce. Should I wait until after my divorce to update my Will? When you’ve made the momentous decision to get divorced, making a new…