What constitutes a marriage?
Looking at family finances and family court financial orders on the breakdown of relationships.
A recent case, HM Attorney General v Akhter & Ors [2020] EWCA Civ 122, has thrown into question what constitutes a marriage or indeed a non-marriage.
The Court of Appeal held that the family court had no power to grant a decree of nullity in relation to a marriage ceremony which took place in a restaurant in London, and which was supposed to have been followed by a civil wedding ceremony.
The case is significant, as this means that on the breakdown of the relationship, such couples would not be able to seek financial orders from the family court to deal with the family finances.
Read the full HM Attorney General v Akhter & Ors [2020] EWCA Civ 122