It has been revealed in the news this week that a long running problem with the Court's online form may have led to thousands of financial settlements on divorce being miscalculated.
For the past 20 months, the Form E (the document used in England and Wales in financial proceedings to detail family assets) downloaded from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) website had failed to deduct debts from its automated calculation. As a result of the error, negotiations and subsequent agreements may have been based on the wrong figures.
The problem will largely affect people who were acting in person in the proceedings and who relied on the forms on the MOJ website, as most solicitors use different software when producing the Form E.
Many people may see this as a further pitfall for those trying to represent themselves in proceedings, and who don't have access to comprehensive advice and assistance from a solicitor, who would thoroughly go through all the figures.
This error could lead to many people wishing to reconsider the agreement reached in financial settlement if they feel the outcome would have been different if based on the correct figures.
People are being advised to check their Form Es if they think they were affected by this problem, and if they find the numbers don't stack up and are unhappy with the outcome as a result, then to contact the MOJ.
If you think you may have been affected by this problem and would like further advice about your options, please contact the Family Law team on 01603 693500 or email us directly using the enquiry form.
For more information on the services the Family Law team cover, please click here
