Guides, case notes and news on family law in Malta.https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/en-gbhttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/grandparents-contact-with-grandchildren-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/grandparents-contact-with-grandchildren-in-malta/Malta’s family court refused grandparents contact with their grandchildren, finding their approach was about control, not respect for the parents’ boundaries.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/compensation-for-a-surrendered-licence-can-be-separate-property/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/compensation-for-a-surrendered-licence-can-be-separate-property/Malta’s Court of Appeal treated compensation for a surrendered bus and licence as separate property, but repaid only the part shown to have benefited the family.Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/children-of-unmarried-parents-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/children-of-unmarried-parents-in-malta/Unmarried parents in Malta: how parentage, parenting arrangements, child maintenance and the Family Court work when a child’s parents were never married.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/cryptocurrency-in-a-maltese-separation-or-divorce/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/cryptocurrency-in-a-maltese-separation-or-divorce/How cryptocurrency is treated in a separation or divorce in Malta: ownership, disclosure under the 2026 reform, records, protecting assets and settlement terms.Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/domestic-violence-in-malta-getting-help-and-your-legal-options/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/domestic-violence-in-malta-getting-help-and-your-legal-options/How to recognise domestic violence in Malta, where to find help, and how protection orders, your home, children and separation are dealt with under Maltese law.Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/financial-disclosure-checklist-for-a-maltese-separation/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/financial-disclosure-checklist-for-a-maltese-separation/What financial disclosure involves in a Maltese separation, what must be filed at the start, and an illustrative checklist of documents to gather for your lawyer.Sun, 11 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/separation-or-nullity-why-the-distinction-matters/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/separation-or-nullity-why-the-distinction-matters/A Maltese court dismissed a separation and divorce claim after finding an earlier marriage made the later one void. Why the remedy sought matters.Fri, 09 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/family-mediation-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/family-mediation-in-malta/How court mediation works before a separation or divorce in Malta, what happens in sessions, and whether what you agree is binding.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/the-family-court-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/the-family-court-in-malta/Which cases the new Family Court in Malta hears, why separation and divorce start with mediation, and how urgent matters about children are handled.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-the-2026-family-court-reform-changes/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-the-2026-family-court-reform-changes/A plain-language guide to what changed in 2026: the new Family Court, longer mediation, sworn disclosure at the start, faster urgent decisions and time limits.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/when-joint-custody-no-longer-serves-the-child/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/when-joint-custody-no-longer-serves-the-child/A Maltese court gave a mother sole care, custody and parental authority while keeping the father’s contact. What it decided on therapy costs and arrears.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/whose-surname-should-a-child-carry/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/whose-surname-should-a-child-carry/A Maltese court ordered a child to carry both parents’ surnames when they disagreed. What the judgment decided and what it does not decide.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-affects-the-cost-of-a-divorce-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-affects-the-cost-of-a-divorce-in-malta/No honest figure can be given in the abstract. This guide explains what makes a divorce or separation in Malta take longer and cost more.Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/care-custody-and-access-what-the-words-mean/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/care-custody-and-access-what-the-words-mean/What parental authority, care and custody and access mean in Malta, how courts decide them and what happens when an order is not followed.Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/how-child-maintenance-is-decided-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/how-child-maintenance-is-decided-in-malta/Malta has no fixed formula or calculator for maintenance. What the court looks at, how long it lasts and how it is enforced.Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/cohabitation-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/cohabitation-in-malta/What the Cohabitation Act gives couples who live together, what a public deed adds, and what rights you have if you have no deed.Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/divorce-or-separation-which-route-fits/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/divorce-or-separation-which-route-fits/Separation ends the shared married life but not the marriage. Divorce ends the marriage. How the two differ in Malta and how they connect.Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-happens-at-a-first-meeting-with-a-family-lawyer/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/what-happens-at-a-first-meeting-with-a-family-lawyer/What to expect at a first meeting about separation or divorce in Malta: the questions we ask, the routes explained and what to bring.Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/your-rights-in-the-matrimonial-home/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/your-rights-in-the-matrimonial-home/What counts as the matrimonial home in Malta, what you can and cannot do with it, and what the court can order on separation.Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/moving-abroad-with-your-children-from-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/moving-abroad-with-your-children-from-malta/What Maltese law says about taking children to live abroad when parents are separated, and why moving without agreement carries serious risks.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/is-a-foreign-divorce-valid-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/is-a-foreign-divorce-valid-in-malta/When Malta recognises a divorce granted in another country, how EU decisions are treated, and why it matters before you remarry.Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/ending-the-community-of-acquests-before-separation-judgment/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/ending-the-community-of-acquests-before-separation-judgment/Malta’s Court of Appeal confirmed the community of acquests can end during a separation case without erasing claims over assets already acquired.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/the-order-of-deductions-when-dividing-the-matrimonial-home/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/the-order-of-deductions-when-dividing-the-matrimonial-home/Malta’s Court of Appeal corrected how a spouse’s credit was deducted from a matrimonial home’s value before the property was divided.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/divorcing-in-malta-as-a-foreigner/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/divorcing-in-malta-as-a-foreigner/You do not have to be Maltese to divorce in Malta. What matters is domicile and residence, and the EU rules if another EU country is involved.Fri, 24 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/overseas-bank-accounts-in-a-maltese-separation-case/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/overseas-bank-accounts-in-a-maltese-separation-case/Malta’s Court of Appeal ordered a husband to produce statements for his own accounts, including accounts abroad. What the ruling covers.Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/assigning-the-matrimonial-home-valuation-and-settlement/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/assigning-the-matrimonial-home-valuation-and-settlement/Malta’s Court of Appeal kept a wife’s assignment of the matrimonial home but required a current expert valuation and a proper settlement with the husband.Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-divorce-application-and-a-pending-separation-action/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-divorce-application-and-a-pending-separation-action/Malta’s Court of Appeal dismissed a separate divorce action while a separation case was pending, applying the connection rule in article 66F.Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-spouse-does-not-have-to-endure-repeated-violence/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-spouse-does-not-have-to-endure-repeated-violence/Malta’s Court of Appeal confirmed that one proven act of violence can justify personal separation. A spouse need not wait for it to be repeated.Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-relationship-and-plans-for-building-works-do-not-prove-joint-ownership/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/a-relationship-and-plans-for-building-works-do-not-prove-joint-ownership/Malta’s Court of Appeal rejected a former partner’s claim that a property was bought on behalf of both of them, finding the evidence did not support it.Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/separate-property-and-reimbursement-claims-between-spouses/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/separate-property-and-reimbursement-claims-between-spouses/Malta’s Court of Appeal held that a wife’s claim to be repaid for payments made for her husband stayed in the family case, despite separate property.Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/shared-care-and-child-maintenance-in-malta/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/shared-care-and-child-maintenance-in-malta/Malta’s Court of Appeal increased a father’s contact and found no monthly maintenance was due between parents sharing care. What it decided.Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/when-the-matrimonial-home-belongs-to-one-spouse/https://thefamilylawpractice.mt/articles/when-the-matrimonial-home-belongs-to-one-spouse/Malta’s Court of Appeal gave a wife temporary exclusive occupation of a home her husband owned. Ownership and occupation answer different questions.Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT