Family Law
Family Law
Our team of experienced, friendly, and professional solicitors with a track record of handling complex family law cases. With blended families becoming more common, preserving wealth is firmly on the family agenda. From relationships ending, new relationships starting to stepchildren and how assets should be divided or protected, our family law solicitors understand it could be difficult, stressful, and overwhelming, leading to emotional pressure for those in this position.
We have expertise in dealing with divorce, children custody, domestic abuse and injunctions, Childcare arrangements, domestic violence, financial remedy, prenuptial agreements, post-nuptial agreements.
Divorce is never easy, but it’s easier when you have the right team by your side. We work hard to make family law easier to understand and know that each case is unique – each one needs tailored support and to be handled with care. We guide our clients through the divorce process with empathy and care, reassuring that they have the right team of experts by their side. We pick up the conversations that our clients cannot face and, with our extensive experience in divorce, advising them regarding any difficult decisions which they need to make along the way.
A civil partnership gives gay and lesbian couples the same legal rights as their married heterosexual counterparts – and so requires formal legal proceedings when the relationship breaks down, to end the legal agreement between the couple. To do this, one of the parties must file a petition with the court, requesting civil partnership dissolution. This is a process very similar to the divorce process.
To get a dissolution, you must have been in a civil partnership for more than one year. One person needs to start the ball rolling. They are known as the petitioner. This person is responsible for proving that the civil partnership has irretrievably broken down. The Petitioner is required to complete a petition, which will contain details including the date you entered the civil partnership, the last address where you lived together as a couple, and whether there are any children in the family.
It then follows the same process as a divorce, typically taking between three and five months to complete.
Our experts are confident in taking charge of legal matters of separation, divorce, and dissolution, which could leave one in an emotional situation. With our support, clients navigate through this process and move forward in life with renewed strength.
Your financial future becomes unpredictable due to a family dispute, followed by a relationship breakdown. We are here to provide you legal advice about what is fair and practically achievable. We have extensive experience in negotiating financial settlements in cases of divorce and separation. However, if you have a high net-worth, it is likely that your divorce settlement case can go on for long.
If you still have an amicable relationship with your partner, it may be possible to agree to a financial settlement. Having reached an agreement with regards to any property and finances we can draw up a Consent Order which details the agreement you have made. Both parties sign this agreement and then it is sent to the Court to be sealed.
Once the Consent Order has been signed by the judge it forms a legally binding document and no further financial claims can be brought by either party. We can advise on the terms of the consent order for you for a fixed fee.
It is however very important to consider the following:
• Is the proposed settlement fair?
• Does it consider the needs of any children and who will be looking after the children?
• Does the settlement consider all assets held by both parties, including property, pensions, shares, business interests, savings, and investments?
• Have you, or should you, obtain proper valuations for significant assets before agreeing the division between you?
Having come to a mutually agreed settlement it is important to have an agreement drawn up to reflect your decision. This is done in the form of a Consent Order which once approved and sealed by the Court is a legally binding document. If it is a clean break order, this means that no further financial claims can be made by either party.
Without a consent order dealing with financial claims, it would be possible for your spouse or ex-spouse to make a claim in the future. So, for example, if you won the lottery or received an inheritance your ex-partner may claim a share.
Despite the best intentions of both parties, sometimes it is not possible to reach an amicable agreement over who gets what. One option is for you and your spouse to see a mediator. A mediator is an independent and impartial professional. They do not give advice but instead facilitate discussions between the parties.
If you are unable to come to an agreement with your husband/wife, either through negotiations or mediation, you will need a court hearing to help decide the issue. This will inevitably lead to a significant rise in how much the process will cost you both, therefore, you should make every effort to agree to a settlement before this stage. We can advise you on your rights and what is reasonable. If you need to go to Court, we can also help you through the Court proceedings.
Separation or a maintenance agreement can be drafted in the circumstances where the parties do not yet wish to divorce but want to record their financial separation. The agreement specify that the parties wish to live apart and include all issues such as any future divorce and how this would be commenced as well as children, property, and maintenance.
The Courts have several powers available to deal with issues concerning contact, where the child should live and how the parents exercise their responsibility. These proceedings could be emotional and bitterly contested involving matters such as parents maintaining contact.
Our team has vast experience and understanding of the process for matters involving children and childcare arrangements.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements can be of great value if you and your spouse separate in the future. Our team of experts can not only draft pre-and post-nuptial agreements but also offer you a practical guidance on its implications.
Offering a certain level of protection, a prenuptial agreement sets out the ownership of money, assets, property and states what will happen to them in the event of a breakdown of the relationship.
The only difference between a prenuptial and a postnuptial agreement is that a prenuptial agreement takes effect before the marriage and a postnuptial afterwards.
Otherwise, they are similar, offering a certain level of protection about what will happen to the family assets in the event of a breakdown of the marriage.
Abuse takes many forms: physical, emotional, financial, sexual, and mental. We believe that all victim of domestic abuse should get the support they need to feel safe and move on from its impact.
Domestic abuse is a crime, coercive and controlling behaviour was criminalised in December 2015, and the police can take protective actions and prosecute abusers.
We can also help by applying to the family courts for non-molestation orders; this is a court order that aims to prevent a partner or former partner from harming you or your children, injunction proceedings can be issued swiftly, depending on the circumstances of your case, to provide you with the protection of the court.
Whatever your family circumstances may be, we are committed to providing honest advice and a legal representation. We always put needs of our clients first and offer a clear strategy to achieve the best results.
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