Family Law Solicitors

We appreciate that divorce can be an emotional time, and that arranging the practical and legal elements can be confusing and overwhelming.

With substantial experience supporting divorcing couples and with varied and complex circumstances, our team is perfectly positioned to assist you. Our divorce solicitors can guide you through every stage of the application process, from completing the initial application forms, to applying for a Conditional Order, and later a Final Order, to legally end the marriage.

When you work with our family solicitors in Chester, you can feel confident that you’ll receive a bespoke family law service that considers your individual needs.

Reaching a financial settlement is one of the most important parts of a divorce process, and you may well be concerned about protecting your finances during this time. Rest assured, you can rely on our team to support you and answer all of your questions.

Our expert team at Cullimore Dutton can often help clients reach voluntary financial settlements outside of Court using alternative dispute resolution techniques such as negotiation or mediation.

Where reaching an agreement out of Court is not an option, we can assist you to divide your assets and obtain a Final Order through court proceedings.

When it comes to divorce and finance matters, we always focus on providing more personalisation, support, and transparency.

For more information, please contact our expert solicitors at Cullimore Dutton.

For high net worth couples, we are able to provide specialist support to negotiate complex financial arrangements.

We can assist you in valuing and identifying assets as required, including properties, companies, investments, and offshore accounts. Once you and your ex-spouse have disclosed all of your assets, we can assist you to negotiate a financial settlement, whilst safeguarding your interests.

If you suspect that your ex-spouse may be attempting to hide assets, we can provide robust legal support to resolve matters.

To learn more about how we can help with high net worth divorce, please contact our team at Cullimore Dutton today.

If you are going through a divorce and you have children, you may be worried about the impact on them and confused about your legal rights.

You will need to negotiate your child’s living arrangements with your ex-spouse, deciding who they will live with moving forward, whether with one parent or both, and general arrangements for child contact.

Our sensitive and experienced team can ensure that you understand your position and can assist you in negotiating child arrangements matters with your ex-spouse, for instance, through alternative dispute resolution methods.

If you and your partner cannot reach an agreement out of court, we can help you obtain a Child Arrangements Order through court proceedings.

As well as supporting you with child arrangement matters, our specialist family law team can also provide assistance with various other child law matters, including:

• Prohibited Steps Orders: If one parent wishes to prevent the other from making a decision about their child’s upbringing, they can obtain a Prohibited Steps Order, for instance, to prevent the other parent from relocating the child
• Specific Issue Orders: If parents are unable to agree on a certain aspect of raising their child, for example, matters of religion, a Specific Issue Order can be obtained to gain a decision on the matter

If you and your partner are struggling to agree on key aspects of your child’s upbringing, and believe that you may require legal intervention, please contact us.

Cohabiting partners are not afforded the same rights as married couples, and therefore, arranging financial matters and living arrangements can become incredibly complex if a cohabitating couple’s relationship comes to an end.

At Cullimore Dutton, we can help you to draft a cohabitation agreement, helping you to protect your interests, should you split up with your cohabitating partner.

Cohabitation agreements vary according to the needs and wishes of the couple, but typically cover how each will contribute to bills and the mortgage, as well as both parties entitlements to property and assets, and how these should be divided if the couple were to split up.

If you and your partner would like to separate, yet you do not wish to end your marriage or civil partnership legally, we can assist you to arrange the necessary financial practicalities by drafting a bespoke separation agreement.

Separation agreements cover various areas, according to the separating couple’s needs, for instance:

• Establishing who will continue living in the shared property
• Establishing who will pay what share of the rent, mortgage, and bills
• Establishing arrangements for debts and other liabilities

If you would like more information about separation agreements, please do not hesitate to contact our family law team.

Prenuptial agreements are legal agreements entered into by a couple when they are preparing to get married. The agreement is used to establish financial responsibilities and property entitlement and outline how assets would be divided should the couple get divorced later.

Postnuptial agreements are used to serve the same purpose, the difference being that these are entered into once a couple are already married.

Our family law specialists have helped many couples draft prenuptial and postnuptial agreements to align with their needs, offering tailor-fit guidance along the way.

If you are preparing to end your civil partnership, you are bound to be going through a difficult time, and as such, the practical matters may be challenging to navigate.

Our team have extensive experience supporting clients through civil partnership dissolution. We will always remain sensitive, answer your questions in simple terms, and help you arrange the key matters, including reaching a financial settlement and making arrangements for any children.

Family law refers to a legal area that includes various family matters that may require legal intervention and support. These areas include divorce, civil partnership dissolution, child law matters, postnuptial and prenuptial agreements, cohabitation, and more.

How much a family law solicitor costs in the UK depends on the type of legal issue that you require support with and your chosen solicitor.

At Cullimore Dutton, we will ensure that our fees are made clear from the beginning so that you know where you stand throughout the entire process.

A family law solicitor supports clients with various family law matters including, divorce proceedings, civil partnership dissolution, financial settlements, drafting prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, handling child law matters, and more.

Even if you agree, legal advice can be important. For example, in divorce, a financial agreement is not necessarily final unless it is properly recorded and approved by the court where appropriate. A solicitor can help make sure the agreement is clear, workable and reduces the risk of future uncertainty.

It is sensible to take advice as soon as you feel unsure about your legal position or the practical steps ahead. You do not need to wait until there is a dispute. Early advice can help you understand your options, avoid assumptions and decide what conversations or documents may be needed.

It helps to have a broad outline of your circumstances, including key dates, details of any children, property information, income, pensions, savings, debts and any agreements or correspondence already in place. If you do not have everything to hand, do not worry. We can start with what you know and guide you from there.

In many private children cases, you must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, known as a MIAM, before applying to court, unless an exemption applies. This meeting helps assess whether mediation may be suitable. We can explain how this works and whether an exemption may be relevant in your circumstances.