Sital Somaiya

Sole or Joint Divorce Application: Which Is Right?

Should you apply for divorce on your own or jointly with your spouse? How each works, what happens if one of you stops cooperating, and how to choose.

Proprietary Estoppel: When a Partner Promised You the House

Your partner promised you a share of the home and you relied on it. How proprietary estoppel works, what you must prove and what courts award.

Jones v Kernott Explained: The Essex Case on Shares

How the Supreme Court split an Essex home 90/10 between an unmarried couple in Jones v Kernott, and what it means if you co-own a home and separate.

Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common: Which Are You?

Joint tenants or tenants in common? What each means when you separate or die, how to check yours, and how to change it by severing a joint tenancy.

Final Order Divorce: When to Apply (and When Not To)

The final order ends your marriage. When to apply, why to wait for a financial order first, and what changes for your will, pension and home.

Divorce Timeline UK: How Long Does a Divorce Take?

A no-fault divorce takes at least 26 weeks. The week-by-week timeline, why most take longer, how finances fit in, and what you can do to avoid delays.

Declaration of Trust: Protecting Unequal Shares

A declaration of trust records who owns what share of a home. What to include, when it is binding, how it handles deposits, and when to sign one.

Common Intention Constructive Trusts Explained

Living in a home in your partner’s name? How a common intention constructive trust gives you a share, the two-stage test, and the evidence courts look for.

Beneficial Interest in Property: Unmarried Couples

Not on the deeds but paid towards the home? How a beneficial interest arises, how to prove it, and how to protect your share before you separate.

Acknowledgement of Service: Divorce Respondents

Received divorce papers? What the acknowledgement of service is, the 14-day deadline, whether you can dispute, and how to protect your position.

Not on the Deeds? Unmarried Partners and the Home

Separating, unmarried, and the house is in your partner's name? How courts decide who owns what, which evidence matters, and what to do before you move out.

Cohabiting Couples' Legal Rights in 2026

Living together but not married? What the law in England and Wales gives you if you separate or your partner dies, and three steps that protect you now.