Domestic Relations and Divorce
Our seasoned family and divorce attorneys in London combine extensive legal knowledge with empathy and compassion. For customers in London, we provide a comprehensive variety of divorce and family legal services. We understand that no two families are alike, and that family difficulties are often delicate and may be emotionally and physically draining for everyone involved.
Our guidance is tailored, discreet, and entirely focused on you, assisting you in reaching the best decision for you and your family. We’ve assisted several families and developed a reputation for offering superior family law services.
Whether you’re at the start or end of a relationship, concerned about child custody, or looking to sort out your finances following a relationship breakdown, we offer practical, insightful family law and divorce law advice to help you achieve your goals with the least amount of stress and uncertainty possible.
We listen closely to your requirements and take the time to understand your goals in order to provide simple, jargon-free guidance. Whatever your circumstances, you benefit from candid, straight-talking legal counsel that prioritises your interests.
A broad variety of family law and divorce-related services
Among our divorce and family law services are the following:
Divorce
Our divorce specialists can manage your divorce from start to finish, including property transfers and will changes. Our family and divorce law team provides straightforward, expert legal counsel to provide your peace of mind.
Divorce is a pretty simple process. While court proceedings are required to seek the divorce, if the divorce is uncontested, the actual divorce may be completed in as little as four to five months without the need for a hearing.
There is just one basis for divorce, which is the belief that your marriage has irretrievably broken down. This must be shown in one of five ways:
- Adultery
- Unreasonable conduct
- Two-year desertion
- Separation for two years with the agreement that a divorce will occur at the conclusion of the two years
- After five years of separation, regardless of whether a divorce is agreed upon
Children
Separation of parents may be painful for children. Although the Court is not automatically engaged in child custody arrangements after a divorce, it is critical that parents agree on such arrangements and the amount of time a kid should spend with each parent. Even if the parents are divorcing, they will remain parents and each will play a critical part in their child’s development.
If an agreement cannot be reached, a formal application to the Court as part of the divorce process may be made for a Judge to determine what is in the child’s best interests. This should never be used as a last resort.
Agreements governing prenuptial and cohabitation
Before things go wrong, determining who is entitled to what greatly lessens the stress of a marital split, while securing both parties’ financial prospects. The courts are increasingly accepting that it is considerably preferable for a couple to take control of their financial and personal situations before to marrying or going into a new relationship. Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements, as well as Cohabitation Agreements, are therefore given more weight.
Agreements Pre- and Post-Nuptial
The Family Court is increasingly more willing to respect pre-marital agreements. As long as these agreements are entered into honestly and provide protections for both parties, they are now generally recognised as enforceable in the event of a later divorce. This has seen significant alteration in recent years.
Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not exclusively reserved for the wealthy and famous. Individuals are increasingly inheriting riches and marrying later in life — even having a second or third marriage. Frequently, a couple marrying will not have the same amount of assets and may want to “ring fence” previously held funds or investments in order to minimise the potential of those assets being split in the event of a divorce. The Pre-Nuptial Agreement will detail the financial settlement that the couple agrees on in the event of a future divorce.
Pre-Nuptial Agreements may be an emotionally charged issue. However, they are growing increasingly prevalent and have become a part of many people’s wedding preparation “to do list.” Parents who have given money or property to their children in the expectation that they would engage into a Pre-Nuptial Agreement to protect that money or property if the marriage does not work out may also apply pressure. Parents do not always trust their children to make sound relationship choices!
As long as the Pre-Nuptial Agreement is fundamentally fair at the time it is signed, both parties receive legal advice with complete financial disclosures, and the Agreement is not signed too close to the wedding, it is likely (but not guaranteed) that the Pre-Nuptial Agreement will be upheld subsequently. Legislation is being developed to provide a legal framework for Pre-Nuptial Agreements, but in the meanwhile, it is critical to get early legal counsel.
Post-Nuptial Contracts
A Post-Nuptial Agreement is similar to a Pre-Nuptial Agreement in that it is entered into after marriage. Courts have historically been more willing to uphold such an arrangement. Again, protections must be in place, and they may also be an emotionally charged matter. Post-Nuptial Agreements may be utilised to protect assets, particularly enterprises that could be jeopardised in the event of a divorce. As with Pre-Nuptial Agreements, they might spell down the financial arrangements the couple agree on in the event of a future divorce.
Cohabitation Contracts
The most pervasive fallacy in English law is that by cohabiting, you automatically obtain the rights of a “common law husband or wife.” This is totally incorrect, yet many individuals find this after one of the pair dies or the relationship dissolves.
Cohabitation Agreements are written contracts that outline a couple’s separate rights and obligations when cohabiting but not marrying. This is especially true when property is purchased and regard must be given to the couple’s separate ownership interests in the property. Nobody anticipates their relationship or marriage ending, but it does. For many individuals, seeking legal counsel and putting into a Cohabitation Agreement is critical — just in case!
Children and Arrangements for Contact
Whether you are married or not, if you are concerned about child custody arrangements, our family law experts can provide you with the guidance and assistance you need.
Partnership in Civil Action
Whether you’re considering entering into a civil partnership or want to dissolve one, our family law specialists have the knowledge and skills to assist you.
Parental Obligation
If you believe your concerns regarding your children’s welfare are being neglected or that you are being excluded from key decisions, we can assist you in resolving the situation.
You can depend on friendly, expert family and divorce legal guidance.
To find out how our range of family and divorce law services could help ease your peace of mind, simply call us or fill out our online enquiry form and one of our team will be in touch promptly.