Janet Baines attends Houses of Parliament to lobby on behalf of Cheshire Resolution

11 December, 2016

Janet Baines, Partner in Storrar Cowdry’s Family Law Department, recently attended the Resolution Lobby Day at the Houses of Parliament.

Janet is a former Chairman of Cheshire Resolution and, as leading divorce lawyer in Chester, has been actively involved in the work of Resolution both at head office and at a more local level. She met with Chester MP Chris Matheson to discuss the key messages being highlighted by Resolution.

The first key message relates to no-fault Divorce. Current divorce law does not support non-confrontational resolutions for separating couples. Resolution is particularly concerned about the impact conflict and confrontation between separating parents has on their children. In a recent survey of family law professionals over 90% agree that no-fault divorce should be available for separating couples.

The second issue for Resolution relates to rights for co-habitants. Co-habiting couples represent nearly 10% of the population the fastest growing family type in the UK. Under current co-habitation law it is possible to live with someone for decades and even have children together, then simply walk away without taking any responsibility for a former partner when the relationship ends. This can have a huge impact on women and children, particularly in cases where a mother has given up or reduced her work to raise a family.

Janet is particularly grateful for the time that Mr Matheson MP spent with her during the Lobby Day. He took the time out of his busy schedule to not only meet with Janet and one of her Family Law colleagues, but also to give a personal tour of the Palace of Westminster.