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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. We aim to resolve issues as quickly and fairly as possible, avoiding unnecessary conflict while providing the best possible outcome 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 video conferencing 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 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 in Chichester, East Wittering, Selsey or Bognor Regis.

Our family law advice services

Divorce

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

High net worth divorce

Divorce can be especially complex for high net worth couples. These divorces often involve a range of assets requiring solicitors with specialist expertise to handle the case.

Our high net worth divorce solicitors can assist you with safeguarding your interests during every stage of the divorce process. Whether it's the preparation and submission of a divorce application, navigating settlements that involve national and international assets or making arrangements for your children, our outstanding service aims to simplify the high net worth divorce process for you.

Military divorce

While all divorces are stressful, military divorce can present unique challenges that do not typically occur in civilian divorces. Issues such as military pensions, arrangements for children and service accommodation all require guidance from a specialist solicitor.

Utilising Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods such as mediation and arbitration our military divorce solicitors can help you reach an amicable decision on these matters and hopefully avoid the time and costs involved with going to court. However, if your case does require court proceedings then we have the necessary expertise to represent you and your best interests.

Divorce pensions

Your pension is an asset in the same way as your house or savings and in many cases, it will be taken into account when a divorce settlement is agreed. Our divorce pensions solicitors can advise you on the best way to handle your pension during divorce. We can establish whether it is in your best interests to advocate for keeping your pension or divide it in favour of other assets. It is important that your pension is handled in line with your future interests.

Financial settlements following divorce

For many couples reaching a financial settlement is an important part of the divorce process. The divorce financial settlement is where the division of assets and other ongoing financial agreements are decided and then recorded as a legally binding order. Having a financial settlement is crucial in helping both parties to move forward from their divorce.

In some cases, a divorce financial settlement can be reached without court intervention, which helps save time and costs. This process utilises methods such as mediation, negotiation and financial disclosure to come to an agreement about the division of assets. If a financial settlement cannot be reached using dispute resolution methods, then our financial settlement solicitors have the necessary expertise to represent you in court.

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 well-being 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 child law solicitors can assist with child law matters including child residence and contact, financial provision for children, parental responsibility and adoption.

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

Child Arrangements Orders

In cases of divorce or separation involving children, prioritising their best interests is crucial. A Child Arrangements Order can help you come to an agreement about important issues such as contact arrangements, where your children will stay, how long they will stay with each parent and for how long.

If reaching an agreement with your former partner using negotiation or mediation proves challenging, our solicitors can offer expert guidance on applying to the court for a Child Arrangements Order.

Child Maintenance

If you are in the process of separating or have already ended your relationship, it is essential to establish arrangements to support your children. Whether it's covering daily essentials like clothing and food or contributing to expenses like school trips and social activities, the costs of raising a child can be significant. Many parents understandably worry about managing finances as a single-income household.

Thankfully, parents are legally obligated to contribute to the financial well-being of their children, even if they don't live with them most of the time. Child maintenance, also known as child support, ensures that your children receive the necessary support for a happy and secure life.

Our child maintenance solicitors in West Sussex offer a compassionate, child-focused service to assist you in resolving various family law matters. Whether you are the paying or receiving parent, we provide friendly and practical advice to help you reach a fair agreement that benefits everyone involved.

Grandparents' Rights

Grandparents frequently share a deep connection with their grandchildren, and losing contact with them can be a challenging and distressing experience. Despite the absence of automatic rights for grandparents to see their grandchildren, there are various options available to address this situation.

Our grandparents’ rights solicitors can offer guidance on navigating issues concerning your grandchildren. It is possible to seek the court's intervention by requesting an order that grants you visitation rights. If the court determines that such contact is in the best interests of the child, it may be approved.

Civil Partnership Dissolution

Sometimes civil partnerships break down and you may choose to seek a dissolution. With appropriate guidance, it's possible to resolve matters amicably, even when children and substantial assets are part of the equation. Our civil partnership solicitors are available to assist you in legally ending your relationship and moving forward with your life.

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 and the application of a pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreement during divorce.

Cohabitation

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 cohabitation solicitors can assist with matters including cohabitation agreements, property ownership for unmarried couples, separation for unmarried couples and financial provision for children of unmarried couples on separation.

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

Separation Agreements

In the event of a separation between you and your partner or spouse, it is possible to establish a separation agreement outlining the division of assets and liabilities. This can provide clarity on future arrangements and minimise potential disagreements.

Our separation agreements solicitors are ready to offer guidance on the content of a separation agreement and can engage in negotiations with your spouse or partner's legal representative to reach fair and acceptable terms for your separation. Our solicitors, specialising in separation agreements, can assist you with various aspects of this family law matter.

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 involve very emotionally charged situations in a courtroom, the reality is that most family law issues can now be 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 on the details of their divorce. It can be of particular benefit when 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.

SMR Solicitors is a member of Resolution, an organisation of family lawyers who follow a Code of Practice designed to resolve family law matters in a non-confrontational manner.

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