Anna Patsalides
Associate - Solicitor
Family Law
About
I am an associate solicitor in our St Albans office, specialising in family law.
I have extensive experience advising clients with a range of private family law matters including divorce, financial claims that arise on divorce, separation and child arrangements such as relocation, including within the UK and internationally. I also have prior experience in children’s care proceedings, civil litigation and private client work which means I have a good understanding of overlapping issues.
I am mindful of the emotional impact family matters can have on my clients and I provide a professional and approachable service to clients. I also adopt a non-confrontational and conciliatory service where possible. I am a passionate, tenacious solicitor who combines these qualities with a calm and measured approach.
Interests
In my spare time I act as a governor for a special needs school in Hertfordshire. I am a vice chair of the committee and chair of the Finance & Resources committee. I’m able to draw on my professional and personal skills to help the school on a voluntary basis.
I feel privileged to be act as a governor for the school and to be able to give something back to the local community.
I also enjoy travelling and socialising with family and friends in my spare time.
Experience
- All stages of divorce including contested proceedings;
- Financial settlement upon separation and divorce;
- Advice and applications to vary financial orders, including variation or termination of spousal maintenance orders;
- Assisting clients in applying for non-molestation and occupation orders (and defending applications);
- Child arrangement issues, including intractable contact disputes and disputes in relation to important decisions in children’s lives following relationship breakdown;
- Child relocation cases, including acting for parents seeking to relocate both domestically and internationally
- Assisted senior members of the team with highly complex and sensitive children proceedings.
The Impact of No Fault Divorce
On the 6 April 2022 Family Law saw one of the biggest shake ups for decades. This was the introduction of “No Fault Divorce”. Under the previous law in order to obtain a divorce you had to demonstrate that the marriage had irretrievably broken down and in order to do so you had to confirm…
Some welcome news for victims of domestic abuse
For many victims of domestic abuse the thought of having to give evidence in court can be very harrowing indeed. This coupled with the fact that the very person who subjected them to the abuse can cross examine them on their evidence can be enough to deter victims from coming forward. From 21 July 2022…
What impact does divorce have on children and are court proceedings really viewed as a last resort?
Sir Andrew McFarlane, who is the President of the Family Division and a leading Judge was recently interviewed by Paddy O’Connell on BBC4’s Broadcasting House. Sir Andrew gave his view on the impact divorce can have on children, particularly where parents are unable to discuss and make arrangements for the ongoing care of the children…
New no-fault divorce rules could increase the time to end relationships
There is just under a month to go until the Government’s Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 will come into force on 6 April 2022. It will finally end the need to apportion blame to one of the parties involved and is designed to reduce animosity through its new no-fault approach. Under the current rules,…
‘A Very British Scandal’: How can you avoid a bitter divorce battle?
In our previous article we looked at the background to the explosive 1963 divorce case fought between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, recently bought back to the fore by the BBC mini-series ‘A Very British Scandal’. In this, our second blog on the matter, we delve a little deeper into the battle itself. The tactics,…
What does Margaret, Duchess of Argyll’s story teach us about British divorce? A legal review of ‘A Very British Scandal’
Whilst the now-infamous Argyll V Argyll divorce case took place nearly 60 years ago, the issues that arose from the 1963 court battle are still relevant by modern-day standard, which is exactly why the historical matter recently became the subject of a juicy, three-part BBC drama adaptation entitled ‘A Very British Scandal’. But what made this…
An early Christmas present for Princess Haya
I was hoping to produce an article full of festive cheer, to get everyone in the Christmas spirit but then the news broke of the High Court’s decision in Princess Haya’s divorce; and, well the best I could do was to link the settlement to an early Christmas present. Of course I say this in…
Eastenders Tiffany Butcher signs divorce papers following her split from Keegan Baker
For those of us who enjoy soap operas (myself included), you will have recently witnessed Tiffany’s departure from Eastenders following her separation from her husband Keegan, earlier this week. Fans were left reeling as Tiffany’s brother Liam, removed Tiffany’s letter to Keegan (professing her love for him) which accompanied her signed divorce papers asking him…
Why it is so important to seek advice early on when a relationship breaks down
Taylor Walton solicitors are based in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire with a dedicated team of specialist family solicitors who are able to provide advice in relation to all aspects of family matters including relationship breakdowns. When a relationship breaks down, parties can sometimes struggle to obtain early advice and prefer not to get lawyers involved for…
Pensions on divorce – inequality between men and women and some eye opening statistics
Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research (MICRA), has recently published a report in respect to pension sharing on divorce. The report concludes that pension sharing on divorce could have a substantial impact on women’s finances on retirement. One of the most shocking statistics shows that for those aged between 65-69, median pension wealth for men is…