Family and Matrimonial

We recognise that family breakdowns are a sensitive area and should you wish to discuss your circumstances please do contact our Family Department who would be pleased to arrange YOUR FREE 15 MINUTE APPOINTMENT.

In this important area we are committed to providing professional sensitive and practical advice to our clients.

We offer a free 15 minute advice consultation to help you consider the options available to you and to decide on what action to take next.
In family cases divorce, finances and children matters are treated separately by the Courts. We will help you through each stage of the proceedings with a calm and sympathetic approach especially in cases where children are involved.

Divorce

The uncontested divorce procedure is a fairly swift and uncomplicated process which we can assist you with at a fixed rate. In most circumstances we agree payment plans with our clients so that they can pay their legal costs by monthly instalments.

During the divorce you must also consider the assets of the parties and the division of these assets. This must be done by making a separate application to the Court known as Financial Remedy. It is our practice to attempt to reach an agreement to deal with the finances and we will work with you to achieve this. If the parties cannot agree then an application to the Court may be necessary in order to resolve matters. We will advise you on the appropriate division and help you negotiate an order to obtain the best financial settlement for your needs.
Other areas are more time consuming and may require a Court application.

We can assist you on the following matters:

Pre-nuptial Agreements

We know that this is not very romantic but pre-nuptial agreements are becoming more popular especially if the parties are coming into the marriage with their own assets. The Court will in some circumstances take into consideration the pre-nup agreement when a relationship ends. We will be happy to discuss this if necessary.

Judicial Separation

In the alternative to a divorce you may wish to apply for a decree of judicial separation. Often clients take this route when religious beliefs forbid divorce. Being judicially separated means that you are still married but that you are not required to live together and rely on each other financially.
The procedure for applying for a judicial separation is very similar to a divorce and as with a divorce the finances between the parties must be dealt with separately.

Cohabitees

If you are not married but have been living with your partner for sometime the break down of that relationship can get complicated when assets are jointly owned by the parties. We can assist you in drafting the appropriate legal documents to ensure that your assets are completely separated so that no further claims can be made against the other after the breakdown.
We will help you with the:

Children

The welfare of the children is the Court’s paramount consideration and after the breakdown of a relationship consideration must be given to the needs of the children. We understand that matters involving the children can be very traumatic for all parties involved especially the children. We have a wealth of experience in dealing with child matters and in helping parties resolve any issues as expeditiously as possible.

Unfortunately matters involving the living and contact arrangements for the children can not always be agreed and assistance is required by the Courts. This can be done by applying for one or more of the following child arrangements orders:

Domestic Violence

In the regrettable circumstances where you have been a victim of domestic violence an emergency order may be required for the protection of yourself and your children.

In order to prevent any future subjection of violence we can obtain the following Court Orders:

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