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Family Law

FT Law  offer expert advice on all family law matters, including: 
 

Divorce

Separation

Pre-nuptial agreements

Post-nuptial agreements

Civil partnerships

Domestic violence/injunction

Financial settlements on divorce / separation

Maintenance CSA

Child abduction

Parental responsibility

Adoption

Contact matters/residence (child arrangement orders)

Child Support Agency (CSA) and child maintenance issues

Co-habitation rights

Injunctions

Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Prenuptial Agreements

Dealing With The Issues Before They Arise

Prior to marriage, couples can make a prenuptial agreement setting out the division of assets in the event of a subsequent divorce. This allows couples a degree of self-regulation over their own financial affairs without the need to involve the state in a long, protracted and expensive court case. A prenuptial agreement is particularly appropriate when there is an inequality of wealth going into the marriage. However, any prenuptial agreement must be deemed to be fair, if the parties expect a court to enforce their private financial arrangements.

 

Postnuptial Agreements

Agreements Taken Out During The Marriage

Similar to pre-nuptials, postnuptial agreements put provisions in place to deal with the difficulties of dividing money and property in the event of a marriage breakdown. The only difference being a postnuptial agreement is made during the marriage rather than before it.

 

Whilst they may seem unromantic, they are really just part of any family’s prudent financial planning. Postnuptial agreements may also be considered in mediation where there has been a temporary breakdown in the relationship between the parties, and one or other wishes to establish a degree of certainty as to the financial outcome of any permanent breakdown.

Domestic Violence

Domestic abuse does not just have to be physical – it can be in the form of harassment or intimidation.  At FT Law, we are experienced in providing information and assistance on these matters.

 

We are very experienced with domestic abuse cases and provide expert, reassuring and friendly legal advice, whatever your circumstances.

 

Confidential Advice

We provide support in total confidence and will offer advice as to the legal remedies available, so you can make an educated decision about the next steps to take. Initial letters can be sent or if needed, further action can be taken.

 

Court Orders

We can apply for court orders to protect you from domestic abuse and harassment from your family, spouse or former partner. These can be in the form of different types of injunctions to prevent or allow something to take place.

 

A non-molestation order can be made to prevent further violence, or harassment taking place – this can be made with or without an occupation order, which defines who may or may not remain in a home, and who will be responsible for the cost of that home.

Children 
Matters

We always encourage early agreement for arrangements to be made for your children after separation. This will avoid distress to the children and their caregivers. We ensure that all our client’s concerns are fully and properly addressed from the outset and throughout your case.

 

We are strong supporters of the Family Mediation process, which can assist parents greatly in resolving comprehensive future arrangements for the children. We strongly discourage extensive correspondence with the other parent or their Solicitor over children issues, especially when the dispute has become entrenched. Unfortunately, sometimes, despite best efforts and skilled negotiation, it will be necessary to make an application to the Family Court to resolve the dispute. Where appropriate, applications can be made on an urgent or emergency basis.

 

The general principle behind the Court’s approach to resolving these disputes is to identify and decide upon what is in the child(ren)’s best interests

 

The main orders which can be made by a court are:

 

Child Arrangement Orders – orders stating with whom a child should live; how often and how the child can see their parent, to include term time, school holidays, special days (eg Birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc)

 

Prohibited Steps Orders - orders preventing a step being taken, eg, removing the child from the jurisdiction of England and Wales

 

Specific Issue Orders – orders determining a specific issue in relation to the child, eg what name the child should be known by; which school the child should attend, deposit of child’s passport, etc

 

Parental Responsibility Orders - Parental Responsibility (PR) pertains to the rights, duties, obligations, authorities associated with responsible parenting of children.

 

Mothers automatically have PR for their children, as do fathers who are /were married to the mother. Fathers who are named on their child’s birth certificate also, automatically have PR. Otherwise a father (or other caregiver) can acquire PR, either by formal agreement with the mother or by making an application to the court for a Parental Responsibility Order. Others strongly connected with caregiving of the child(ren), eg Step parents, Grandparents, can acquire PR for the child(ren). Everyone with PR for the child has an obligation to consult with the other PR holders and often permission of the other PR holder is required for certain steps, eg Name Changes, holidays outside the jurisdiction, permanent relocation outside the jurisdiction, etc

Divorce & Separation

Married, unmarried or in a civil partnership; we can help you if you’re separating and considering divorce.

 

The combination of emotion, administrative burden and financial uncertainty during divorce can be overwhelming.

Our job is to lessen the stress by giving you realistic, specialist family law advice resulting in a divorce settlement that’s fair for you and your family.

 

When you’re divorcing or separating you have to deal with your emotions, your finances and a host of other concerns. We know that can be overwhelming, so our job is to reduce your stress by giving you realistic, down-to-earth advice.

 

  • We can help you file a joint or sole application of divorce or civil partnership dissolution that is accurate on jurisdiction, grounds for divorce, claims for financial help and costs claims.

  • We help with tricky situations, for example, when the other person will not sign the divorce papers.

  • We can assist in pre-April 2022 divorces.

  • We can help both of you using our Single Solicitor Service if the case is suitable

  • If you are not married, we can advise you on the legal impact of separation for you.

 

We are compassionate people who understand that, regardless of the value of your assets, you don’t want to waste half of your settlement on legal fees. So we always work towards your best outcome – both legally and financially.

 

Your first meeting with us costs only £120.

And that price is fixed no matter how long it takes for you to tell us your situation. We’ll tell you where you stand legally, what might happen next, and how much it is all likely to cost.

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