What Services Can a Family Law Solicitor Provide?

Family issues such as divorce, separation or child custody disputes can be difficult and stressful for all parties involved, and it can sometimes be hard to know where to turn for advice. While it’s likely that you’ll have extended family and friends who are on your side, there are many situations that call for professional, third party advice. 

A family law solicitor can do just that, offering practical help, advice and services to help you find a workable solution to your issue. These experts are professionally trained to assist their clients with a number of family-related issues, including divorce, financial agreements, child custody, prenuptial agreements, and more. You might be hesitant to call in a lawyer, especially if your issue is somewhat amicable, but in the majority of cases the help of a professional can help to speed up the process and come to a resolution that best suits all parties involved. With this in mind, if you’re experiencing family troubles and would like to know more about how a family law solicitor could help, see below to find out more about some of the common services they provide. 

Family law is a branch of the legal system that offers a lot of variety and family issues that are handled by the judiciary system include divorce, child custody, distribution of assets, adoption and domestic abuse. 

In some cases, family law may also cover areas such as wills, pensions, retirement and validity of trusts. Every family law case is different, and in each instance the solicitor will need to review the outline, discuss the case with all relevant parties and work towards a practical solution that has their client’s best interests at heart (or the children if any are involved). Smaller family law issues are heard in county courts and more serious or complicated cases will be heard in the family division of the High Court. 

As you can see, there are many different scenarios where you may require the help of a family law solicitor and they can provide unrivalled help and support during difficult and stressful times, such as divorce or financial settlements. They can also help couples with a range of other issues, such as cohabitation agreements or prenuptial contracts, so if you’d like to find out more about which issues they can help you with, read on. 

Unfortunately, divorce is one of the most common reasons for people to contact a family lawyer, but they’ll be able to help you navigate the process. You can ask a family lawyer for help during any stage of the divorce proceedings, whether it’s filing for divorce, responding to divorce proceedings, agreeing grounds of divorce, arranging a financial settlement or discussing how to split custody of any children.

A divorce solicitor will act on your behalf during divorce proceedings and work to negotiate the best outcome in terms of division of assets, financial settlements, child custody and child support. They can also communicate with your ex partner on your behalf if you do want to speak to them directly. 

A separation can be more complicated to navigate, as you may not have any legal claim to assets compared to if you were married. However, a family lawyer can still offer legal and financial advice if you and your partner are failing to reach a separation agreement. A solicitor can represent you if you wish to make a claim on a share of the family home or any other assets, and help to draw up a legally binding agreement for both parties. They may also offer mediation to help you and your ex partner come to an amicable agreement. 

Cohabitation agreements

You may not be automatically entitled to a fair 50/50 split of assets if you and your partner aren’t married, but a family law solicitor can help you draw up a cohabitation agreement. This is a legally binding document that ensures you’re entitled to a share of assets should the relationship break down. 

The stress of a divorce or separation can be compounded if there are children involved, and it’s vital to act in the best interests of any children, especially if the break up was far from amicable. Family solicitors will always work with the children’s interests at the forefront of any decision that’s made and they can work with both parents to arrange a custody agreement that works best. This might look like split custody (where each parent looks after the children on a 50/50 basis), sole custody for one parent with visitation rights for the other, or a strict sole custody order if one parent has issues such as substance abuse.

The most common custody arrangement is one in which one parent has sole physical custody, but both parents have equal legal custody in terms of decisions like schooling or medical procedures. Children will live with one parent ‘full time’ but the other will have visitation rights and children may stay for shorter periods of time such as weekends or school holidays. 

These agreements help to safeguard your assets for the future, even after you get married. Opinion is divided when it comes to prenuptial agreements, with some people believing that they are two practical and unromantic. However, the reality is that sometimes relationships do break down, and it can be useful to have something in place that protects the assets you owned before marriage. 

A prenuptial agreement is a document signed by both parties which sets out the division of assets following divorce or a death. It establishes the rights each partner has to property, wealth accumulated before and during the marriage and any other assets such as cars, second homes or possessions. 

If you’ve been experiencing family issues but are reluctant to file for a divorce or separate just yet, family mediation may be able to help. A family law solicitor can arrange and preside over family mediation sessions - these offer a neutral setting where partners can discuss any issues and try to come to a resolution. A solicitor can also offer third party advice or explain what your options are in terms of a divorce settlement, visitation or how to proceed if you’re struggling to come to an agreement. 

No one should have to live with the fear of domestic abuse and it can take many forms, from physical violence to financial or emotional abuse. A professional solicitor can advise you of your options and take immediate action to keep you safe and ensure you have the support you need. Legal measures that can be put in place include things like a non-molestation court order or occupation orders. The latter forces the abusive partner to leave your home, while the former prevents your partner from threatening, harassing or coming near you (either physically or via emails or text messages). 

If you’re in need of a local solicitor to help you with family law issues, get in touch with the experts at Mark Redler & Co Solicitors. Our highly experienced team will be by your side every step of the way to help guide you through and offer impartial advice that has your best interests at heart.

We can help with a wide range of family issues, including divorce, separation, cohabitation agreements, child custody, domestic abuse and collaborative law. We’re also proud to offer an initial free 30 minute consultation to discuss your issues, so give us a call today to find out how we could help you. 

As well as family law, we have expert teams offering services in areas including wills and probate, conveyancing, power of attorney and personal injury claims. For more information about any of our services, visit our website to find out more.