Victoria Poole

Each year both national and local domestic abuse charities, police forces and counsels run campaigns warning of the sadly predictable rise in instances of domestic abuse during the Christmas break. News outlets report on fears of this increased occurrence...

For those of us who are old enough, we will remember watching the movie Gaslight as a child with our parents/grandparents, the movie was a psychological thriller about a young woman whose husband slowly manipulates her into believing that she was...

More than the holiday blues: domestic abuse & children Although the summer holidays seem a dim and distant memory, at this time of year we often see an increase in domestic abuse that has been fuelled by money worries, excessive...

… and we’re not talking the banana kind! Hot on the heels of the shock end to Kevin Costner and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s respective 18-year marriages, Sofia Vergara (Modern Family, America’s Got Talent)...

As we cautiously look forward to a Christmas spent with loved ones this year, we’re coping with the current Plan A measures and waiting with baited breath for rumoured Plan B or C restrictions to be imposed. And despite it being a magical time of year...

Life’s ups and downs Working in the legal sector means we really do see people through the good times and the bad. And this last 18-months has been an eye-opener! Thanks to the global pandemic, weddings...

What the statistics say The current pandemic has a lot to answer for. Earlier this year, divorce rates were noted to be soaring in China and the US following the coronavirus outbreak, and since the UK lockdown began in March this year, at...

Restrictions fight illness but fuel domestic abuse The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to take drastic measures in an effort to fight the disease and minimise the spread of infection. Lockdowns, self-isolation and social distancing have resulted...

Sweetness or Sadness? Love it or loathe it, Valentine’s day came and went this year as it always does – with the usual commercial assault of hearts and flowers, hugs and kisses, cupid, chocolates and cuddly bears! What came a surprise though,...

Ruins not Romance Love it or hate it, there’s no avoiding it… Christmas is here again! And yes, some of us might be all tinsel and baubles, glowing with excitement to share it with a cherished partner. But for others, the ongoing build-up...

A row over curtains Earlier this year, a businessman and his interior designer ex-wife ran up £1million in lawyers’ bills over property and furnishings alone in their divorce case – with a judge needing to step in and rule on who...

It’s over, but what happens next? As most of us can testify, the breakdown of any relationship is a painful experience for the couple and their children, and it’s frequently an emotional and exhausting process. Couples can struggle to agree...

Magical mayhem! It the same story every year. As we hurtle towards Christmas and the craziness ramps up, the adrenalin is pumping and the stress levels start soaring. The tree, the decorating, the presents, the wrapping, the delivering, the turkey, the...

Football Fever As World Cup fever grips the country, many of us look forward to supporting the England squad throughout the tournament – enjoying the hot weather with barbeques and cold beers, eagerly awaiting each game whilst...

The Royal Wedding - the knot was tied but was a prenup signed? It was arguably the wedding of the year: a British Prince and an American actress, a real-life fairytale. And although this is Meghan Markle’s second...

It’s that time of year again, the John Lewis ad has melted the nation’s hearts and the festive season is firmly underway. But for some parents, it’s not all yuletide greetings and HoHoHo! For those who are separated or divorced, amicably...

In Celebrity Cohabitation News... …and only days after she talked of marriage and baby No.2 being on the cards in the future. OK, it’s a fair cop, it’s fake news - we made it up to get your attention (but for good reason, keep reading). ...

Soulmate found! Whether you were an obsessed fan or not, you can’t have missed hearing about this summer’s TV hit and arguably everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure, ITV2’s reality-show Love Island ....

You’d imagine not, in this day and age, but some would argue that discrimination does still exist for certain couples in the UK. Marriage Equality Not long ago, it was widely recognised that marriage discriminated against same sex couples ...

Mediation is a commonly misunderstood word in the legal world. The biggest misconception being that mediation can help you mend your relationship, a bit like counselling. The simple answer is, it cannot. It’s not a method for reconciliation but one...

As we fast approach February 14th, Spring is on the horizon and love is in the air. Along with Christmas and New Year, Valentine’s Day is considered one of the most romantic times to pop the question and, according to the Chillisauce Marriage...

…financial stress, marital strain & domestic abuse. As wonderful as Christmas is for the vast majority, existing marital problems combined with financial stress and playing happy families together can put some relationships under extreme...

… how can summer stress can push a relationship over the edge? As the sun sets on summertime, September is fast becoming the top month to divorce. Over recent years divorce lawyers and relationship counsellors have noted a surge in...

The BBC has recently reported on the new domestic violence law that could see perpetrators jailed for up to 5 years . Effective from December 2015, the legislation targets ‘coercive and controlling’ behaviour: The Crown Prosecution Service...

Magic or Misery? For many children, Christmas is the most magical time of the year. And, as a parent, there’s nothing more wonderful than soaking up their joy and excitement during the build-up, on the day itself and throughout the festive break. ...

Along with bats being blind, Vikings having had horns on their helmets and you never being more than 6ft away from a rat, the ‘common law marriage’ could arguably be one of the biggest urban myths around. Real or no real? Despite living in an...

What is a Forced Marriage? A forced marriage is “a marriage that takes place without the full and free consent of both parties”. It is not the same as an arranged marriage where the families take the lead in selecting a marriage partner but the...

The schemes set up to deal with child maintenance for separated parents have been previously referred to as the Child Support Agency (CSA) and the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) with the Child Maintenance Options (CMO) scheme that was...

The rules surrounding Domestic Violence and Abuse have recently changed to allow people to request the police to check their partner’s previous history of Domestic Violence or violent acts. This is known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme or...

2014 is now upon us and you may have been aware of many articles and headings in the media about “Blue Monday” and “Divorce Monday” and that this is supposed to be the most depressing week of the new year. This is because the next few...

It has recently been reported in several legal journals the difficulties that victims of Domestic Violence are experiencing in accessing Legal Aid to assist with funding their cases at Court, despite the fact it should still be available: ...