There have now been five family cases before the Supreme Court and not one decision of the Court of Appeal has been upheld.

How does your former spouse’s cohabitation with a new partner affect your ongoing obligation to pay him/her maintenance?

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, marriage rates are at their lowest in England and Wales since they were first calculated in 1862.  The provisional marriage rate for men in 2008 was 21.8 men marrying per 1,000 unmarried men aged 16 and over, compared with 22.4 in 2007 and 31.1 in 1998.  The provisional marriage rate for women in 2008 was 19.6 women marrying per 1,000 unmarried women aged 16 and over, compared with 20.2 in 2007 and 26.6 in 1998.

Although the current tax year runs until 5 April, divorcing couples need to bear in mind that the tax advantages they enjoyed while married run out at the end of the year of separation.

The Government has published Support for All: The Families and Relationships Green Paper which has been produced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.