Family Solicitors Suffolk – The majority of babies born by 2016 will be out of wedlock

‘BBC news reports today that in just three years’ time the majority of children will be born to unmarried parents. Marriage may have its advantages and disadvantages but in the world of relationship breakdown it is the married couples who have the widest range of legal rights. Unmarried couples are not entitled to maintenance for themselves and, with child support levels being governed by the rates applied by the Child Support Agency, this can leave a hole in the finances of an unmarried, separated parent with responsibility for the care of a child.  For this reason alone couples embarking on parenthood should think very carefully, in advance,  about what might happen if they separate, particularly bearing in mind the strain that children can place on a relationship.’