Family Law Solicitors London

The term ‘Family Law’ refers to a wide range of areas of law affecting families and and family relationships. A family lawyer is a trained legal professional who practises in the area of Family Law. Family law solicitors are offer legal advice, support and guidance to families across a range of areas. Some of the legal areas within the family law discipline include divorce, child arrangements, financial settlements, family mediation and civil partnership dissolution.

It’s important to seek advice from experienced family law solicitors who can guide you through the process. Our expert family law solicitors in London have considerable experience in representing clients across a broad range of areas and helping them achieve the best possible outcome. We understand the importance of providing you with realistic and practical advice.

The specialist family law solicitors at Josiah-Lake Gardiner are widely regarded in the field and are on hand when you need us most. Get in touch with our family law solicitors in London today for a no-obligation discussion about your current situation.

A divorce legally brings a marriage to an end and leaves the couple free to re-marry should they so wish. In England and Wales there is only one ground for divorce and that is – that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. The fact of such irretrievable breakdown must be evidenced by one (or more) of five supporting facts, the first three of which are the ‘fault facts’:

a. Adultery *
b. Unreasonable behaviour
c. Desertion for 2 years
d. Separation for 2 years with the consent of the other spouse to the divorce
e. Separation for 5 years

* not applicable in the case of same sex marriages, the definition of adultery under English Law involving penetrative sex between a man and a woman.

For further information on how our compassionate divorce solicitors in London can help your situation, please click here.

When a relationship breaks down, the key issues to be decided in connection with any children are with whom they will primarily live and how much time (if any) they will spend with the other parent.

A child arrangements order means an order directing with whom a child is to live (a child arrangements ‘lives with’ order) and with whom a child is to spend time or otherwise have contact (a child arrangements ‘spends time with’ order). Thus, whilst a ‘lives with’ order confirms with whom a child is to live, a ‘spends time with’ order deals with whom the child is to see or otherwise have contact. Such order could be either direct (face to face contact whether on a visiting or staying basis) or indirect (by telephone, email, text, Skype, FaceTime etc).

Other child arrangement orders that may be sought include the obtaining of parental responsibility for a child by an unmarried father, a specific issue order or a prohibited steps order.

Our London family law solicitors regularly assist clients with matters concerning children. To learn more about how our expert child law solicitors can help you, please click the link below.

A financial settlement is a legally binding agreement that sets out the division of assets between the separating couple, any ongoing financial maintenance by one to the other, and the severing of their financial relationship when their marriage ends.

Depending on the nature of the assets and how reasonable each spouse is willing to be, sorting out the division of their property, savings, pensions and amount of any maintenance can be a daunting task. This is particularly true when you do not know where to start or remain unsure as to what each partner would be entitled.

At Josiah-Lake Gardiner, our family law solicitors in London can provide you with clear legal advice and guidance to obtain the financial settlement that’s right for you. Whether you’re looking to protect your assets or gain your fair share, we are best placed to help. Our family law solicitors always aim to resolve matters in an amicable way, with court proceedings being the last possible outcome. However, if you have to go to court, you have confidence in knowing our family law solicitors will be by your side every step of the way.

Legally, a dissolution order brings a civil partnership to an end and leaves the couple free to re-marry or enter into a new civil partnership. As the law currently stands, only same sex couples can register as civil partners of each other, but the legal status of civil partners is akin to that of married partners.

As with divorce, in England and Wales, there is only one ground for the dissolution of a civil partnership and that is – that the civil partnership has broken down irretrievably. The fact of such irretrievable breakdown must be evidenced by one (or more) of four supporting facts set out of the Civil Partnership Act 2004:

a. Unreasonable behaviour
b. Desertion for 2 years
c. Separation for 2 years with the consent of the other partner
d. Separation for 5 years

Our family law solicitors in London regularly advise clients on issues surrounding LGBT and civil partnership dissolution. If you’re looking for expert legal advice to dissolve a civil partnership, simply call our London office or complete the online enquiry form today. Alternatively, you can click here to read more about how our civil partnership dissolution solicitors can help your current situation.

A prenuptial agreement is a financial arrangement drawn up before a marriage that sets out how assets are regulated in the event the marriage breaks down. Common items included within a prenuptial agreement are property, savings and pensions.

When creating a prenuptial agreement, both partners must make arrangements with different family law solicitors. This ensures each partner is aware of what they are signing and helps to avoid any arguments that one party unwillingly signed the prenuptial agreement.

It is often said that prenups are evidence of incompatibility or of a lack of a trust by the party wishing to enter into one. However, this is far from the truth. If marrying or entering into a civil partnership for a second time or later in life, you may have acquired wealth and assets which you would want to protect or preserve for children. It could well make sense to enter into a prenuptial agreement to protect what is being brought into the relationship.

If you would like some initial legal advice around prenuptial agreements, contact our family law solicitors in London today.

Josiah-Lake Gardiner’s family law solicitors are backed with considerable experience in acting for high net worth individuals to safeguard their wealth after divorce.

It is common for one partner to have amassed significant wealth through business interests, real estate, pensions and trusts, in more than one jurisdiction. There are equally as many cases where the family wealth has largely been built up during the marriage. For wealthy couples getting divorced or dissolving a civil partnership, the nature and extent of their wealth can add a layer of complexity. Therefore, it is vital that advice is sought from experienced family law solicitors.

Josiah-Lake Gardiner’s team provide an unrivalled legal service that makes high net worth divorce as easy as possible. With our resources and expertise, our family law solicitors in London offer exceptional legal representation in helping you achieve the best possible result.

International divorce cases are those where either spouse has international connections, whether by birth, living in a particular country, or owning assets overseas.

Unsurprisingly, these international divorce matters can be very complicated, as financial settlements and other consequences of divorce can differ enormously from one country to another. A particular factual situation may produce a very different result if adjudicated outside of the UK and so a lot depends on where the divorce takes place. If your case involves an international element, you should obtain specialist advice from family law solicitors before taking any action.

Josiah-Lake Gardiner’s family solicitors in London are specialists in international divorce cases. We regularly assist clients with matters that involve complicated international jurisdiction and financial aspects. While our family law solicitors are based in London, our expertise stretches across multiple countries. Providing the individual has a genuine connection with England or Wales, Josiah-Lake Gardiner can represent you through your case.

The family home can be a violent and unsafe environment for some families whether married, unmarried, homosexual or heterosexual. Domestic violence can occur in middle class households just as much as in working class ones. It can touch all communities, all races and all ages. Even after a couple separate, domestic violence may still occur.

Everyone has the right to live without fear from physical abuse or harassment. At Josiah-Lake Gardiner, our family law solicitors advise clients on how the law can offer protection through injunction orders and non-molestation orders. We will help to protect your personal safety and always ensure all matters are dealt with in the strictest confidence.

In the UK, there are a growing number of couples choosing to live together without entering a marriage or civil partnership, A cohabitation agreement is one way of securing your future in the event of a relationship break down. This offers a legal framework for unmarried couples who wish to live together but also protect themselves should their relationship break down. A cohabitation agreement can regulate important aspects such as property, assets and children.

Our family law solicitors in London offer practical legal advice to clients who wish to protect their wealth and future. For further advice regarding cohabitation agreements, feel free to call our family solicitors or complete the online enquiry form.

When disputes arise during the breakdown of a marriage or civil partnership, family mediation is one of the effective methods to resolve important aspects including finances, properties and child arrangements.

There are many benefits associated with family mediation. It is generally less stressful as mediation involves open communication between both sides. Mediation is also a cost-effective means of resolving differences between partners and is less taxing than going to court. To add, the speed of proceedings is generally faster when compared to other methods, as it can often be quicker to find a solution that suits all parties.

At Josiah-Lake Gardiner, our highly skilled family law solicitors in London always aim to achieve a prompt settlement using non-confrontational methods, such as family mediation, with court being the last possible resort. We tactfully explore all outcomes for resolving your unique situation and are committed to helping you achieve the best possible result.

To book an no-obligation consultation with our compassionate family law solicitors in London, simply call 020 3709 8975 or complete the online enquiry form.

Family Arbitration is a non-court based way for separating couples to resolve disputes around aspects such as finances and children. Arbitration is a process available to parties who are unable to reach an agreement, but who do not want to enter the more adversarial court process.

Arbitration can be viewed as an effective option for resolving disputes that could and should be considered at all stages of a case. It can be utilised for decisions on discrete points that may be blocking resolution of issues in mediation or are holding up a negotiated agreement through family law solicitors.

If there comes a time where both you and your partner have taken the decision to part ways, there may be natural concerns around finances and whether you can afford going to court. Fortunately, there are a number of alternatives to battling it out in court, one of which is collaborative family law.

The collaborative family law process is a voluntary and largely confidential non-court based way for couples to resolve disputes. It typically involves both partners sitting down alongside their respective family solicitors, with the aim of reaching an amicable agreement face-to-face. The collaborative family law process can be a very cost effective and fast option in helping both sides reaching a solution without unnecessary conflict.

At Josiah-Lake Gardiner, our  family law solicitors in London understand how emotionally charged separation can be. Our expert solicitors will be by your side to help you through the divorce process in the most efficient way. Should you wish to discuss how our family law solicitors can help with your current situation, feel free to call our London office today. Alternatively, you may wish to submit our online enquiry form.

Relationships are hard and not all have a happy ending. A bitter separation can lead to feelings of anger, resentment and shame. It can cloud how you approach new relationships. Also, it can impact how you view or value your continuing relationship with your partner, particularly when you have children together and need to continue to function as parents and ongoing role models for your children.

Our experienced family law solicitors will always endeavour to minimise the emotional distress of relationship breakdown on all members of the family. It may be that you and your partner will, with our help, be able to secure an out of court agreement. However, if you do have to go to court, our expert family law solicitors will be by your side to guide, advise and assist you at every stage of the divorce process, ensuring that your interests are safeguarded and your concerns addressed.

Josiah-Lake Gardiner are recognised as one of the UK’s leading family law solicitors by The Legal 500. Our family law solicitors in London hold an envious reputation and provide unrivalled advice to all our clients throughout the divorce process.

For more information on how our family law solicitors can assist with your situation, call our London office today for a no-obligation discussion.