News & Guides

Women in Business recognised in The Northern Asian Powerlist 2022

Can I Change My Child’s Name?

Can I Change My Child’s Name? Many families choose to change their child’s surname for lots of different reasons. Find out what you need to do below. This is general guidance. Call our team to find out your options. [article updated 26 April 2023] Overview The process to change your child’s name is pretty straightforward by deed poll or statutory declaration. Complications can arise depending on the child’s age and agreed parental responsibility. Under 16 Years Old Only family members with parental responsibility can change their child’s name. Everyone with parental responsibility will need to agree to the change. For Official Documents – such as passports or driving licenses, you will need to complete a Deed poll. You can choose to complete the forms yourself or ask our team to take care of the paperwork on your behalf. Statutory declaration – one of the easiest ways is to complete a formal statement of intention to change your child’s name. This is signed under oath in the presence of a solicitor. Many organisations will accept the Declaration as proof of name change. It is not valid for official documents. Children aged 16 or 17 Years Old Children who are aged at least […]

Child bride to city champion – Episode 6 of Family Matters

In this episode, divorce lawyer Sarah talks to Inayah Sher about her divorce journey: from child bride to city champion.   This is the remarkable story of Inayah Sher. *Please be aware that this episode explores: forced marriage, child marriage, domestic abuse and suicide.*…don’t surrender your rights to someone that’s controlling you because someone who continuously tells you that you shouldn’t do this and you shouldn’t do that, they’re just insecure. Born and raised in Bradford, Inayah was married at five years old, sent to Pakistan at fourteen years old, released from two years’ house arrest at sixteen years old and became a mother at eighteen years old. After raising her daughter, Inayah made the decision to leave her husband at thirty-six years old. Finding humanity in strangers, Inayah returned to education, learned to drive a car, started a business, remarried, became a grandmother and led a city-wide campaign, Bradford4Better. She talks openly about the challenges she faced along the way and shares her advice for other women. This is the remarkable story of Inayah Sher.

I’ve been served with a non-molestation order, what can I do?

If you’re served with a non-molestation order, providing an undertaking does not mean that you admit to the allegations. You can give the undertaking to the court on the basis that you do not agree with the allegations.

Do grandparents have a right to see grandchildren after a divorce?

Do grandparents have a right to see grandchildren after a divorce? For many families, grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren. Whether that’s living in an intergenerational home, sharing stories, school pickups, or celebrating special occasions together.  So news of a separation or divorce may leave you feeling worried about whether your contact with your grandchild will be affected. Here’s what you need to know. As a grandparent, you do not have an automatic legal right to see your grandchild if a parent stops you seeing them. But there may be a few steps you can take.  If you’re not sure of your options, call our team today.  What You Can Do You can try to get help in seeing your grandchild through: an informal, family-based arrangement with both parents. independent mediation. if this does not work you can ask the court for permission to apply for a court order. You apply for permission on the same form as the court order application. We explain more about each option below. Informal Agreement It’s always easier and better for everyone if you can reach an agreement yourselves. Depending on the situation or level of conflict, the first thing you should […]

Divorce Lawyer Sarah launches new podcast Family Matters

23 years ago, divorce lawyer Sarah helped her first client Fozia.  23 years later, Fozia joins Sarah as the first guest on her new podcast, Family Matters. They talk about that moment when you know it’s over, dealing with “lok kya kehange” and much more.

SKB Law trainee qualifies as a solicitor

SKB Law celebrates qualification of solicitor This week we’re celebrating the qualification of our solicitor, Anisa Aziz, through our trainee solicitor programme. Anisa joined the firm as a trainee solicitor in 2019. She obtained her LLB (Hons) Law Degree from the University of Leeds.  During her training, Anisa gained experience in all areas of family law, establishing her expertise in financial assets.   While enjoying some amazing cupcakes, Anisa said: “it’s been such a pleasure to complete the trainee solicitor programme with SKB Law.  I’m fortunate enough to have been exposed to such a high standard of work from the very start of my career, particularly under Sarah’s supervision. The level of trust and responsibility allowed me to gain more of an insight into the field, increased my level of competency and boosted my confidence.” The firm’s founder Sarah Khan-Bashir MBE praised Anisa’s hard work, saying “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Anisa into a permanent position as a fully-qualified solicitor.  Over the last year, the legal sector has gone through unprecedented changes in response to the pandemic. Anisa’s leaned into the changes with her characteristic warmth and energy, whilst also welcoming and supporting new team members. I’m proud of everything she’s […]

What happens to my pension when I get divorced?

What happens to my pension when I get divorced? (updated 8 October 2021) The end of your relationship may affect your pension. If you’re planning a divorce or separation, here’s what you need to know about protecting or dividing your pension.   Should you include your pension in a financial settlement? What to do with a pension pot is one of the most complex areas of financial planning in divorce. Research by the Pensions Policy Institute in July 2020 found 71% of divorce settlements did not take pensions into account – despite the fact a pension can be one of the biggest assets after a family home.   Divorce can have a massive impact on your finances and sometimes leave one party worse off. So as a general rule, advisors will recommend you factor pension assets into any financial settlement discussions.   What happens to my pension when I get divorced? When a marriage or civil partnership ends, courts deal with the pension arrangements in one of 3 ways. You also have the option of asking the courts to approve an informal agreement.   1) Offsetting – the value of a pension is offset against other assets Offsetting involves one party keeping […]

Increase in Family Court Fees

Increase in Family Court Fees An increase in certain court fees for family court services came into force on 30 September 2021.  The Government stated the income generated will go towards the running costs of HM Courts & Tribunals Service. The key changes impact divorce applications, children’s orders and financial orders.  A full list of the changes is available here.  We’ve also shared a list of common services is below. If you have any questions about your family application, remember to contact our office on 01274 727373. Which Fees Are Increasing? A full list of the Family Court fees increases can be found here.  Here’s a list of the key changes for family law applications: Divorce Petition: the fee for filing a petition for a divorce, nullity or civil partnership dissolution will increase from £550 to £593; Children’s Matters: any new applications under the Children Act 1989 to request permission to issue proceedings or for an order or directions to be made concerning the child(ren) e.g. Child Arrangements Order, Prohibited Steps Order, Specific Issue Order or Special guardianship order will increase from £215 to £232; Financial Orders: an application for a financial remedy order will increase from £255 to £275; Consent Orders: […]

What happens to mahr if you divorce?

What happens to mahr after divorce? We’re often asked what is haq mehr after a divorce.  This article explains more about mahr and divorce. A landmark judgment could change UK law on the position of mahr or ‘bride-price’ payments.  Until now, the UK courts have dealt only with cases involving written mahr contracts. The case in question is the first involving an alleged oral contract to be heard in the UK courts.  If the court rules in the wife’s favour, the case will enable women to demand their mahr in full as is required by sharia law. This article is not intended to replace legal advice or religious counsel.  If you have a question, please contact our team to find out your options. Follow our #MyNikah by SKB Law series for more articles on the Nikah Nama, Gold, Prenuptials and more.  What is Mahr and the intention behind it? Mahr is one of the most important parts of the Islamic marriage contract. It is a gift from the groom to the bride. It is intended to provide financial security for the wife in certain situations e.g. death of her spouse or divorce. The amount of the Mahr is not legally specified. A […]

Sarah makes her podcast debut on Divorced Muslim Dad

Sarah makes her podcast debut on Divorced Muslim Dad Like many people, we’ve thought about starting a podcast for a while. With a little encouragement and support from Imran Azam (aka Divorced Muslim Dad), we’re excited to share Sarah’s debut on his podcast!  If you’ve not heard of Imran before, check out his podcast Divorced Muslim Dad. Listen to his latest episode, ‘Will your lawyer talk to God?’ with Sarah here. Here’s an outline of the episode. Will your lawyer talk to God? ?‍⚖️?‍⚖️ In this episode I speak with Sarah Khan Bashir, a Muslim lawyer based in the UK. Sarah runs SKB Law; a specialist Family Law firm providing services to the Muslim and South East Asian community. Its a fascinating meandering conversation where we shoot the breeze about: – Whether you really need to get lawyers involved when splitting up – Why Muslims are getting divorced these days – Intra-family marriage dynamics – What ‘Vata Sata’ is (?!) – Navigating the grey area between therapy and legal advice – Balancing commercial goals vs providing a community service Sarah was super to speak with and I hope you get something from our discussion. *** Follow Us Contact Imran here: divorcedmuslimdad@gmail.com and […]

Divorce, Separation and Your Gold Jewellery. Three Steps You Can Take To Protect Your Assets.

When a couple divorces, their assets such as property, money or jewellery are divided during the financial settlement. Your gold jewellery could become part of the ‘matrimonial pot’.  There are a few simple steps you can take to protect your assets and avoid disputes.