We can assist with a wide range of family related issues, including:

• • Divorce and civil partnership dissolution
  • Finances upon separation
  • Arrangements for children
  • Prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements
  • Cohabitation agreements (where you live with a partner but are not married or in a civil partnership)
  • Domestic abuse
  • Care proceedings
  • Adoption

Get in touch with our family lawyers in Gloucester for advice by giving us a call or filling in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

The right approach for you

We are members of Resolution, an organisation of family law specialists who commit their practise to helping families find positive solutions to even the most complex of situations. In most cases, our clients don’t set foot in a courtroom; we are able to help them find creative, long-term solutions voluntarily with the other party.

We are also members of the Law Society Family Law and Children Law accreditation schemes for our independently recognised expertise in this area.

Our family law services

Divorce and civil partnership dissolution

Deciding to separate may be one of the toughest decisions of your life. After years or even decades together, the idea of untangling your lives can be daunting. We are here to make the process as smooth and straightforward as possible. We can handle all legal aspects of the divorce or civil partnership dissolution on your behalf, including:

• Making the divorce or dissolution application
• Helping you sort out fair financial arrangements, such as:
  • What will happen to the family home
  • How bills and debts will be paid
  • How savings and pensions should be split
  • Whether child maintenance or spousal maintenance is required
  • Complex matters involving businesses, high value assets and international assets
• Helping you sort out arrangements for children, such as:
  • Where the children will live
  • How much time the children should spend with each parent and other relatives such as grandparents
  • Key questions about their upbringing, such as where they should go to school or whether they should change their last name
• Representing you during any contested divorce or dissolution proceedings, such as disagreements over finances

Prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements

The role of marriage has changed over the decades. Nowadays, divorce and civil partnership dissolution is completely acceptable; couples tend to get married later in life; it is more common for both parties to work and earn a good income; it is also common for people to remarry while having children and financial arrangements from previous relationships. Therefore, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements are becoming widely accepted by the courts as legal documents that can protect someone’s financial interests during divorce or dissolution.

A prenup or postnup sets out exactly who owns what and how finances should be divided if the party ever splits up. We can help you decide whether a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement is right for you and draft a strong legal document on your behalf that fully represents your best interests.

Cohabitation agreements

Cohabitating couples make up one of the most common types of household nowadays, but still do not have as many legal rights as married couples or civil partners. This means that if you break up, you have no automatic right to claim any of your partner’s money or property, even if you have been together for years.

A cohabitation agreement can protect your financial interests. It is a legal document that sets out who owns what in your relationship and how finances should be split if you ever break up. So long as you and your partner both receive legal advice, it is likely that the agreement will hold up in court.

We understand that entering into a legal contract with your partner isn’t the most romantic of propositions. However, a cohabitation agreement could guarantee your future financial security. We can help you negotiate a fair agreement in a friendly environment so there is little risk of any issues arising out of the process.

Domestic abuse

No one has the right to make you feel unsafe in your own home, not even your partner or relative. If you and/or your children are facing domestic abuse from someone close to you –  whether it be physical, emotional, verbal, financial, sexual, or any other kind of abuse – we are here to help.

We can help you access a range of legal protections that will stop the abuser from approaching you, contacting you, or entering your home (even if you previously lived together). Our advice is 100% confidential and we will never pressure you to take action you do not want. We can also provide advice about accessing legal aid to pay for some or all of your fees.

Care proceedings

Social Services or Local Authority involvement in your family can be incredibly distressing. We can assist you through the entire process, from the beginning of the pre-proceedings process to care proceedings in court. We can also help you access legal aid to help pay for some or all of your fees.

Adoption

There is nothing more exciting than welcoming a new addition to the family. Adoption can be a long process but it is so worth it. We are here to make the adoption process as smooth as possible. We will take all possible steps to achieve the final Adoption Order as swiftly as possible, ensuring that all legal issues are neatly resolved so you can get on with family life with peace of mind.

Our flexible family law fees

Every individual deserves access to high quality legal advice. We can offer a range of flexible payment options, including fixed fees (wherever possible) and hourly rates on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. We can also provide advice about accessing family legal aid for help paying your fees where you are eligible. We will discuss the options at your initial consultation with us so that we can agree a way forward.

Am I eligible for legal aid?

For some types of family law cases, you may be able to get legal aid to help pay for some or all of your costs for getting legal advice and going to court. You can be automatically entitled to legal aid where Social Services/Local Authority have started pre-proceedings or have applied for a Care Order or Supervision Order and you are the mother or father with parental responsibility for the child.

You may also be eligible for legal aid in cases involving domestic violence or mediation or where you meet certain qualifying criteria. We can talk you through these criteria and provide advice on your suitability for legal aid at our first meeting.

Contact our family law solicitors in Gloucester

Get in touch with our family lawyers in Gloucester for advice by giving us a call or filling in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.