- Boston
01205 351114 - Bourne
01778 218001 - Grantham
01476 591550 - Horncastle
01507 522456 - Lincoln
01522 541181 - London
02078 715755 - Newark
01636 673731 - Sleaford
01529 411500 - Spalding
01775 725664 - Stamford
01780 764145
Family Law Solicitors in Lincoln
At Chattertons, we understand that facing family legal issues can feel daunting. Be assured, when you work with our family law solicitors in Lincoln, you’ll receive a sensitive and practical service that prioritises your best interests.
Our friendly team will provide full support every step of the way, ensuring that you can always get in touch with us regarding your case when you need to.
Our family lawyers will always seek to find pathways that resolve matters outside of court. We have good knowledge of alternative dispute resolution methods, including mediation, which is typically more affordable and faster than litigation, and we can refer you to suitable specialists.
At Chattertons, our family law expertise includes:
- Divorce and separation
- Child law
- Civil partnerships
- Cohabitation
- Domestic violence
- Financial settlements
- Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
- Grandparents’ rights
- Change of name deeds
- Independent advice from Chatterton’s wealth management team
Contact our family law solicitors in Lincoln
For help with any area of family law in Lincoln and across Lincolnshire, you can contact our Lincoln office by calling 01522 519134, or by filling in our simple online enquiry form.
Our family law services in Lincoln
Divorce and separation
When a relationship breaks down, our divorce and separation solicitors can provide you with the practical and empathetic support you’ll need.
If you are planning on getting divorced, we can guide you through the process from start to finish, as well as offering help with related matters, including making arrangements for your finances, and children if you have them.
For couples who would like to separate, yet would not like to get divorced, we can provide guidance on separation matters, assisting you to make financial arrangements, and draft separation agreements where appropriate.
At Chattertons we appreciate that these situations can be emotional and difficult, and will do everything in our means to guide you through the process with minimal stress.
Financial settlements
If you get divorced, or dissolve your civil partnership, you will need to reach a financial settlement with your partner. Unless you do so, you will be vulnerable to future financial claims.
Our divorce and financial settlement solicitors in Lincoln can support you to reach a voluntary settlement. Should you and your former spouse reach an agreement, we will draft a binding Consent Order to protect your terms.
If an agreement cannot be reached, then we can support you to apply for a Financial Order through court proceedings, helping you to ensure a fair division of your assets. Throughout the process we will provide you with all the advice that you need and make sure your priorities and interests are protected.
Child law
Legal matters involving your children can be complex and stressful, which is why we always remain sensitive and practical, ensuring to prioritise your best interests and those of your children.
Our expert child law solicitors can support you to organise child arrangements with your ex-partner, establishing where your children will live following a divorce or dissolution, as well as arrangements for child contact between the children and both of their parents.
We can help you make these arrangements with your ex and, if necessary, assist you in obtaining a Child Arrangements Order through the Court system.
If you and your ex-partner are facing disagreements about specific issues related to your children’s upbringing, we can offer assistance here. Our team can support you to resolve disputes you are facing through out of court methods, or seek a decision through a Specific Issue Order, if necessary.
Civil partnership dissolution
We act for civil partners who would like to dissolve their civil partnership, assisting you through the legal process, minimising stress as far as possible.
Whilst we appreciate that these circumstances can be overwhelming, our civil partnership solicitors can provide practical and empathetic legal advice to guide you through the process. Our family solicitors in Lincoln can assist with all aspects of civil partnership dissolution, including:
- Applying for a civil partnership dissolution, and moving through the necessary processes, such as receiving a Conditional Order, and later a Final Order
- The division of your finances
- Arrangements for children, including key decisions on their upbringing
- Spousal maintenance advice
- Child maintenance agreements
- Negotiating payments between former partners
Cohabitation
Cohabiting with a partner without getting married is a popular choice for many couples, however, many cohabiting couples may be largely unaware of their legal position.
Whilst some may assume that cohabitees are afforded some of the same rights that married couples have, this is not the case. Due to this, financial and property rights can often be confusing and contentious when an unmarried couple separates.
At Chattertons, we can assist cohabitating couple’s to understand and protect their legal rights in many ways, including:
- Making a cohabitation agreement
- Arranging parental responsibility
- How cohabitation effects your Wills
- Buying joint property
If you would like more information about how we can help, please get in touch with our cohabitation solicitors in Lincoln.
Domestic violence
Our team appreciate that facing domestic violence is incredibly frightening for individuals and their loved ones, and that seeking help can be difficult. Be assured, if you get in touch with us, we can take immediate action to protect you and any children you may have.
Where necessary, we can help you to access a court injunction. This could be a non-molestation order, which aims to prevent someone from approaching you, being violent or harassing, intimidating or threatening you. Alternatively, it could be an occupation order, which deals with the occupation of your home and can allow the court to exclude someone from the property.
If you need help, please get in touch with our domestic violence solicitors today.
Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
Prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements are agreements between couples that establish the assets and property of both partners and how these would be divided in the event of a divorce.
Prenuptial agreements are entered into before a couple get married, whereas postnuptial agreements are entered into after they are already married. Both agreements serve the same purpose of asset protection. Partners can use these agreements to specify anything that they would not like to be included in a potential divorce settlement later, such as a company.
If you are interested in having an agreement drafted, please get in touch with our expert prenuptial and postnuptial agreement solicitors in Lincoln.
Grandparents’ rights
At times, divorce or disputes can make family dynamics complicated, and in the aftermath of these situations, grandparents may find themselves struggling to see their grandchildren.
Grandparents do not have an automatic legal right to see their grandchildren, and so, they may find themselves requiring legal support, to resolve matters.
If you are a grandparent in need of support, we can help you to regain regular contact with your grandchildren, through alternative dispute resolution, or a court order if necessary.
For more information, please get in touch with our expert family solicitors in Lincoln.
Change of name deeds
If you would like to change your name or your child’s name, we can help you to prepare the document and secure consent from relevant figures with parental responsibility where necessary.
To learn more about how the process works, and gain support today, please get in touch with our expert team.
Independent advice from Chatterton’s wealth management team
Unlike most law firms, we have our own in-house financial services department that offers truly unique and insightful financial advice.
Our financial advice services are complementary to many of our family law services, including for those who are going through a divorce financial settlement.
Our wealth management team can provide support with various other family matters, such as:
- Life cover
- Critical illness cover
- Mortgage term assurance
- Family income benefit
- Whole of life insurance
Frequently asked questions about our family law services
Who will take on my case?
Our Lincoln family law team includes a range of Partners, Solicitors, Legal Executives and other legal professionals who can assist with your case.
When you first instruct us, you will be allocated a solicitor who will take the lead on your case (although other lawyers may work on your case from time to time).
Your personal lawyer will be your first point of contact. So, if you have any concerns or enquiries at any point, all you need to do is get in touch using the direct contact details we provide and your lawyer will respond promptly.
Will I have to go to court?
It ultimately depends on the individual circumstances of your case. However, for the vast majority of matters, we are able to help families come to an arrangement without going to court.
If your case does require going to court, be assured, you will receive strong representation and support every step of the way.
What is mediation?
Mediation is an alternative to going to court. It is a way to resolve family law issues without going through the stress of costly and lengthy legal proceedings. Typically, mediation is used for matters such as divorce financial settlements, or child arrangement matters.
It involves attending a series of meetings with the other party and a qualified mediator. The mediator’s role is not to provide legal advice but to guide your discussions and help defuse any conflict. Any agreement you come to as a result of mediation can later be made legally binding by applying to court for a Consent Order.
Will I have to go through the mediation process?
Anyone seeking to make a court application about children, or a family financial issue must first attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) unless you are exempt. This process is to see whether your case might be suitable for mediation.
You can only be exempt from attending a MIAM in certain circumstances. For example, if there are issues of domestic violence or a mediator has already assessed that your case is not suitable for mediation.
Attending a MIAM does not necessarily mean that you will eventually go through mediation. Although it has an impressive success rate, mediation is not for everyone. We can provide further advice about the benefits of mediation and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.
Do I need a family law solicitor?
Many people choose not to instruct a legal specialist on the assumption that they can resolve their issues between themselves. In some cases, this may be an option, but in others, taking part in emotionally difficult family proceedings without the support of a legal professional can actually cause conflicts to escalate.
The benefits of instructing one of our family team include:
- We have in-depth legal expertise and can help you understand your legal rights and explore all possible options
- Our family lawyers are skilled negotiators, able to help families defuse conflict and find constructive solutions
- If you do come to an out-of-court agreement, we can put your terms into writing, ensuring every possible issue is covered to prevent further disputes
Why choose our family law solicitors in Lincoln?
Our expert family solicitors in Lincoln have a reputation for assisting local families with their legal needs and empowering them to look forward to a secure future. Our clients often stay with us and recommend us to their family and friends.
Your experience with our team will be professional, empathetic and communicative. Family law issues can be intimidating and heavy with emotional implications, and we will take the time to ensure that you feel comfortable and supported throughout the process.
Where necessary, we can ask our accredited Residential Property team to assist with property matters, such as remortgaging a property or transferring ownership following divorce or separation. They are highly experienced and are members of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme, meaning they have strong legal expertise and offer good client service.
Our team includes members of Resolution, a family law group for solicitors committed to dealing with matters constructively and with minimal conflict.
For more information on our services, see our family law solicitors page.
Contact our family law solicitors in Lincoln
For help with any area of family law in Lincoln and across Lincolnshire, you can contact our Lincoln office by calling 01522 519134, or by filling in our simple online enquiry form.