Post Separation/Divorce Quicksand

It is worth remembering that it is very important in quite a few situations to keep your eye on the implementation of the terms of settlement post separation or divorce.  Many people are so glad to put this unhappy period of their lives behind them that they...

Circuit Court President Statement regarding cases announced January 2021

                                             Circuit Court – Cork Circuit                             Statement of the President of the Circuit Court                                                       January 2021 “I, Patricia Ryan, President of the...

Access during the Covid-19 Restrictions

Access during Lockdown Covid-19 has a major impact on the lives of separated parents around the country. If tensions are frayed between parents, Covid has made tensions even more frayed. During the lockdown restrictions, there is an increase in the breaches of Access...

Holiday Wishes

Anne O’Neill Solicitors would like to wish to all our clients, colleagues and professionals a happy, peaceful and jolly holidays. We know this year has been tough and we hope everyone can enjoy the holidays as much as we will. Updates as to office hours etc will be...

Parental Alienation

There is no doubt that children can become alienated from a parent post-divorce or separation and that this happens regularly.  The reasons, however, are often a lot more complicated than the explanation most frequently given ie that one parent is...

Qualities of family lawyer

When you think of a lawyer what springs to mind?  Someone aggressive?  Someone who would argue over “two flies going up a wall”?  Someone with bags of money and a lifestyle to go with it?  Someone capable of great charm when needed but without much...

Parental Alienation

Parental Alienation is a hot topic.  Many believe it does not exist.  Some seek statutory provisions which would effectively make it a criminal offence.  There are also differences of opinion as to how this behaviour should be addressed and by...

Spousal Support/Maintenance/Alimony.

One of the most controversial areas of family law is the issue of whether or not post-separation/divorce an ex-spouse who had been dependent or semi dependent should continue to be financially supported and if so to what extent, for a number of years or indefinitely,...

Holidays Wishes

Anne O’Neill Solicitors would like to wish to all clients, colleague and professionals a happy, peaceful and jolly holidays. Happy Christmas everyone   

Conflict and Children

An article appeared in the Irish Examiner recently (29th November 2018) in the section entitled Life/Style, by Richard Hogan who is a practising psychotherapist, in which he wrote “recent research illuminates that separation doesn’t generally impact the child...

3rd Divorce Phase – Co-Parenting

One of the key aims of Alternative Dispute Resolution which I have touched on in the two previous phases is successful co-parenting.  Co-parenting is what happens post separation or post-divorce when parenting has to be organised between two separate homes and...

Second Phase of Divorce – Legal

Law tends to be fairly cut and dried and generally speaking, does not mix well with emotion.  People can get emotional about the law and its significance and more particularly about decisions of the courts but the law itself is dry.   The majority of people consult...

THE SIX STAGES OF DIVORCE: Stage 1

Divorce is not a quick process even when you live in parts of the world where the paper divorce, i.e., divorce order, is obtained quickly.   Divorce/Separation is a long drawn out, complicated, process involving every member of a family, the immediate and extended, in...

Tax Implications of Separation and Divorce

It is remarkable how similar many of the tax provisions we have in Ireland relating to marriage, separation, and divorce to those in other jurisdictions.  This struck me when I came across an article on Hogan Injury website recently.  I am attaching the article here...

Protection for abused spouses and partners.

Have you been told not to sign things without reading them?  Have you signed documents without reading them despite this advice?  Were any of those documents legal documents or forms or documents with a Harp on top or the name of a well-known establishment or Bank...

I’ve made my bed and now I must lie on it..

Many people still feel that parents should stay together for the sake of their children putting them first and their own needs second.  A growing body of research, however, indicates that the opposite may well be true.  A recent study conducted by the University of...

Grandparents – the force that binds

Grandparents can be the glue that binds families together or they can be a divisive and destructive force.  No where does this apply more poignantly than where there is breakdown or strife in their children’s matrimonial or family relationship.  In my experience when...

Homelessness and Relationship breakdown

I am all in favour of long term strategies to get to the root of a social problem.  On the other hand, when I see an immediate and pressing need, it seems to me that I have to respond to what is in front of me albeit not a long term or satisfactory response.  This...

CHRISTMAS ACCESS

We associate Christmas for the most part with families and most especially children. Being a parent in a recent divorce or separation can be particularly challenging at this time of the year. Children look forward to Christmas for months in advance and depriving them...

Dogs and new tricks

I was listening to the radio this morning when I heard the cliché uttered as a statement of fact “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. As clichés go this one drives me nuts. First of all, we are not dogs and secondly, if we went through life without being able to...

Gary Linnekar, DIY Divorce and Mathematical Equations.

It would appear that Gary Lineker and his wife are divorcing because he does not want a family and she does. He feels that he is too old at 55 and with 4 children already whereas she is 36. You would have to wonder if they discussed this before marriage? This is...

Sabotaged by feelings – Family Law?

Family Law, despite its prevalence in the lives of ordinary folk, is still a relatively new independent practice area or study of law, particularly, here in Ireland.  For many years, family law just came in under litigation, which makes sense when you consider we had...

The “Equality Referendum”.

My polling card arrived yesterday for what is now universally called the “equality referendum”.  For those of you from elsewhere or living here under a rock i.e., the referendum on the rights of gay people to marry.  I know that I am almost definitely going to vote...