Thursday April 28, 2011 at 10:00am
Students, bless them, have been in the news more than normal over the last few months over tuition fees. Universities will be able to charge up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees to balance a cut in funding announced in the Government spending review last year. The maximum had previously been capped at £3,290. This will inevitably further impoverish the lowly student and do nothing to dispel the caricature of the dishevelled under-graduate in second hand clothes, paying for a loaf of b....
Tuesday April 26, 2011 at 10:00am
Fever has gripped the nation, nay the world. This is not in a bad way, à la swine fever or bird flu, but more a gush of patriotism as the Royal Wedding finally arrives. It seems like it has been coming forever but it was only last November when it was announced. At the time I covered the potential for a diamond-encrusted prenuptial agreement in my previous blog about the Royal Wedding. It’s good that the nation has something positive to celebrate. Whether you are a Royalist or not, ....
Thursday April 21, 2011 at 10:00am
Easter is great. Lambs, eggs and chocolate. First holiday of the year – or at least it is for those of us who work. The Easter break for the children is their second break from the classroom. Two weeks – or maybe a little more this time – away from school books and lessons. It is a chance to catch up with family members. It is also an opportunity to highlight a technicality in family law which means hundreds, maybe thousands of children across the country are left without anyon....
Tuesday April 19, 2011 at 10:00am
RSPCA launched a campaign last week called PetRetreat. It’s a fostering service for pets effectively. A network of fosterers can look after a person’s cats, dogs or whatever, so that they can escape domestic violence. Once they are settled in a new life, they can claim back their pet.
The move came because some victims of domestic violence feel trapped in their situation because they don’t want to leave – leaving the animals behind. Because they have nowhere to take the....
Thursday April 14, 2011 at 10:00am
The bumper Easter holiday bonanza is almost upon us. Easter plus royal wedding equals fewer days at work (hurrah!), so more time to enjoy with your extended family (…). Perhaps not cheers from all quarters on that one. In fact, not everyone is cheering the extra day off either. Small businesses are complaining it will cost them a fortune. One Warwickshire entrepreneur I spoke to, thought the Royal Wedding would cost him about £40,000 in payments to staff for an extra day off and in ....
Tuesday April 12, 2011 at 10:00am
When families are split apart by divorce – or simply relationship breakdown for unmarried couples – there is no question that younger children suffer more than anyone else. No matter how hard it is on the grown-ups involved, the children’s world will never be the same. Everything they have known will be blown apart.
When this happens, and assuming a “normal” situation whether there are two supportive parents and no specific reason that one should be excluded fro....
Thursday April 7, 2011 at 10:00am
I have to admit to feeling a certain warmth when I heard the news the other day that grandparents might finally get some rights to see their grandchildren if their own children get a divorce or separation. This is a topic we have touched upon many times before and one where we are often called upon to provide advice. Grandparents can play a very important role in the life of young children. Increasingly in this day and age, this can be as a carer while parents are at work, but also in terms of t....
Tuesday April 5, 2011 at 10:00am
I was genuinely delighted to see Ed Miliband and long term partner Justine Thornton announce that they are (finally) getting married. There is either something in the spring air at the moment or Brits are just getting a little over-excited about another Royal wedding as I seem to have been informed of a sudden flood of engagements. By the way, by Royal wedding I meant William and Kate. I am not suggesting Ed’s is in the same league. I did though see a link to some rather disturbing “....