Family
Our family law service covers three main areas of work
Marital - Financial - Child law
It also includes domestic violence, guardianship, child abuse and neglect.
There is a dedicated specialist team waiting for you at Spires Legal to manage your case.
We pride ourselves on our sensitive and sympathetic approach and with delivering a client tailored service.
We deal with all aspects of family law including co-ownership of property. We can help in following areas:
- divorce
- domestic violence protection
- financial assets division of married and unmarried couples
- child arrangement proceedings.
Divorce
Divorce, or the solution, is a process to end marriage or civil partnership through a court procedure. It usually happens without the need to attend the court and typically takes 6 to 8 months to complete the process.
We will be support you throughout the entire process.
There are some situations where you may need to attend court if the divorce is being defended. We are also experienced in this process and can represent you if necessary.
Financial Assets Proceedings
We are here to help you to reach an agreement with your ex-partner, or assist you in full financial assets division proceedings in respect of your matrimonial estate, when necessary.
Our aim is to reduce your costs to a minimum by attempting an amicable solution. Once we have reached mutual agreement, we will draft a consent order.
If your partner won't agree to settle the financial matters out of court, we can issue court proceedings on your behalf to reflect your views on your right, and your share, in all family resources.
The most common solutions are:
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lump sum payments
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transfer of title or sale of the property
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pension sharing order
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spousal maintenance and
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periodical payments orders.
We will brief you of costs in a clear and timely manner providing estimates of fees in advance of any work.
Child Arrangement Proceedings
When couples separate, children are often at the centre of the struggle. The most important decisions to be taken are who the children will live with and how often the other party who will visit them.
This is often an inflammatory point and heightens the stress after divorce or separation. We are here to assist you every step on the way in those extremely difficult and emotionally loaded proceedings. We are on your side and put ourselves in your shoes to deliver a very personal and client focused service.
We explore all options with you and stay open to resolving the issue, either by agreement or through court proceedings. We have extensive experience dealing with these issues and other issues relating to the children. These may include:
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Establishing who the children live with and how often they see the other party
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A passport being issued without the consent of the other party
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Preventing the partner from removing the children from your car, or UK jurisdiction
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Deciding on the allocation of holiday, festive time, schooling, name changes etc.
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Applications dealing with guardianship and parental matters
Our aim is to reduce the cost to a minimum by reaching an amicable out of court solution through a consent order. If the full court proceedings are necessary, we will always give you our estimate of the fees and not commence any work until you agree and provide instructions.
Domestic Violence
Domestic abuse is not always physical abuse but may be a combination of harassment, threats, bullying and verbal abuse from someone who once was close to you.
We are here to help you with both: non-molestation and occupation order applications.
We can advise on a way forward. This may be with police involvement, warning letters to the abuser, applications for injunction (also called non molestation order and occupation order), defending or making one, or considering undertakings.
Unfortunately, our services cannot be funded by Legal Aid, but we offer affordable hourly rates, and some services can be offered on a fixed fee basis, providing you with certainty.
We know that life can be complicated.
At Spires Legal, we’re here to support you, every step of the way.