Lord Justice Munby calls for reform

There is an interesting, and perhaps significant, interview with Lord Justice Munby (left) in The Times today, in which he discusses the reform of family law. Significant because Lord Justice Munby has, of course, been Chairman of the Law Commission, since the 1st August.

Lord Justice Munby discusses two areas for reform. Firstly, he explains why cohabiting couples need new legal rights to protect them from injustice if they separate, and secondly he calls for a review of the ancillary relief rules governing division of assets on divorce. On the latter he has, most interestingly, dared to question the 'holy grail' that there should be one set of rules for all, irrespective of the value of their assets, suggesting that it may be advantageous having different rules for the wealthy. As I have said here many times before, I think that a review of the ancillary relief rules is long overdue and that some clearer guidance is required. However, having one set of rules for the rich and one for everyone else would, I suspect, be somewhat controversial.