Family Law Solicitors

Separating from your partner or going through a divorce can be a difficult and overwhelming time. The stress associated with family breakups involving divorce and disputes over children can be avoided as much as possible with a sensitive and considered approach.

Our family law solicitors in West Sussex can support you during this difficult time. Our focus is to enable you to resolve issues as quickly and fairly as possible, avoiding unnecessary conflict while getting you what you need for your future.

Our family law expertise includes:

Our family law solicitors are committed to offering a modern, accessible and highly personal service. As such, we are happy to speak via phone, email and videoconferencing where suitable, as well as face-to-face.

We have a broad client base in West Sussex advising on all aspects of family law and have a particular expertise in advising mature, high earning individuals with complex financial circumstances.

At SMR Solicitors, we offer a free 20-minute consultation with one of our family law experts to discuss your situation.

We want our pricing to be fair and transparent, so we will give a realistic estimate of costs at the outset, including both our fees and all third-party costs, such as court fees.

Speak to our family law solicitors in West Sussex

To discuss your requirements and find out how we can help, please get in touch to speak to one of our family law specialists.

BOGNOR REGIS CHICHESTER EAST WITTERING SELSEY

Our family law advice services

Divorce & separation

The end of a relationship can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life, with both the emotional and practical fallout to deal with. Getting expert legal advice can enable you to navigate this challenging time, removing much of the burden from you while also helping to ensure you get the best possible outcome for you and your loved ones.

Our family lawyers can assist with all aspects of divorce including:

Divorce proceedings
Financial settlements arising from divorce
Child arrangements on divorce
Civil partnership dissolution
Separation agreements

We have particular expertise with the more complex aspects of financial matters arising from divorce and separation, as well as child law issues, so are able to offer expert advice for these sensitive and important matters.

Child law

Legal decisions and disputes involving children tend to be very emotionally charged with various factors that need to be considered. However, it is essential that the wellbeing of the child or children is kept uppermost in everyone’s minds at all times.

Our family law team has particular expertise in a wide range of child law matters, including specialist areas relating to adoption and child care proceedings that many law firms do not cover. We can thus offer the highest level of expertise for even the most complex child law matters.

Our family law solicitors in West Sussex can assist with child law matters including:

Child residence & contact
Financial provision for children
Parental responsibility
Adoption

Find out more about how we can help with child arrangements orders, child maintenance and grandparents' rights.

Pre-nuptial agreements & post-nuptial agreements

It is increasingly common for couples to make a pre-nuptial agreement (or ‘pre-nup’) before they marry, setting out how their finances would be divided in the event of divorce. This can give both parties peace of mind over their future financial security. For couples who are already married, there is an equivalent called a post-nuptial agreement (or ‘post-nup’).

Our family law team have particular expertise with helping couples to get fair, legally robust pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements in place. We can ensure all necessary issues are covered, so you can have full confidence that an agreement matches your interests.

Our family lawyers can assist with matters including:

Drafting pre-nups and post-nups
Reviewing a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement you have been asked to sign
Advising on whether a new agreement is needed where your circumstances have changed,
The application of a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement during divorce

Cohabitation & unmarried couples

English law offers limited protection for cohabiting and unmarried couples, which is a fact many people are not aware of until it is too late. This can make things much more challenging, especially when it comes to your rights arising from property ownership and separating finances when a relationship ends.

Our family law team is highly experienced in advising cohabiting and unmarried couples at a range of points in their lives, including when first moving in together, buying property together, having children and during separation. We can ensure every potential issue is considered and accounted for, so your future and that of any children you have stays protected.

Our West Sussex family lawyers can assist with matters including:

Cohabitation agreements
Property ownership for unmarried couples
Separation for unmarried couples
Financial provision for children of unmarried couples on separation

See how we can help you with civil partnership dissolution and separation agreements here.

Our approach to family law

We recognise that most people want to avoid conflict wherever possible, particularly when it comes to their family. While many people have the impression that divorce and other family law matters necessarily involve very emotionally charged situations in a courtroom, the reality is that most family law issues can now resolved amicably outside of court proceedings with the right support.

At SMR Solicitors, we believe in removing unnecessary conflict from family law. As such, we have a strong focus on reaching amicable agreements between the people involved wherever possible.

That said, where court proceedings are needed, we are able to robustly support our clients, making sure their cases are the strongest they can be and that they have the best possible representation for any hearings that take place.

Family mediation and alternative dispute resolution

Many divorces and financial issues arising from divorce can be dealt with through a process known as mediation. This involves the separating couple sitting down with a trained mediator who acts as a neutral third party to help them agree the details of their divorce. It can be of particular benefit where there are children involved and there is a need to move forward as co-parents.

The advantages of mediation for divorce and separation include that it is generally faster, less costly and less stressful for everyone. It also allows you to keep the details of your situation private, unlike with court proceedings, which normally happen in public.

Other alternative dispute resolution options for family law matters include private negotiation, collaborative law and arbitration, any of which may potentially be appropriate depending on your circumstances.

Our family law solicitors’ fees

At SMR Solicitors, we offer a free 20-minute consultation with one of our family law experts to discuss your situation.

We want our pricing to be fair and transparent, so we will give a realistic estimate of costs at the outset, including both our fees and all third-party costs, such as court fees.

Speak to our family law solicitors in West Sussex

To discuss your requirements and find out how we can help, please get in touch to speak to one of our family law specialists in Chichester, East Wittering, Selsey or Bognor Regis.

For further information, speak to one of our experts