Family Law Solicitors

Family life does not always go as planned. When challenges present themselves, it is important to know where to turn for support. At Chattertons, our expert family law solicitors advise on all family law issues, from prenuptial agreements to arrangements for children.

We always aim to resolve matters constructively, finding out-of-court solutions wherever possible. Our team includes an expert collaborative lawyer and members of Resolution, the law group committed to dealing with disputes with minimal conflict. We have a strong track record of success in resolving matters without the need for litigation.

We are recommended in legal directory, the Legal 500, where we are ranked as a Tier 3 firm within the East Midlands. The directory notes that we offer ‘good strength in depth’, covering all aspects of private family law. Our team leaders have an exceptional level of expertise, including in dealing with complex financial remedies for executives and business owners.

Our expertise in dealing with family law

We offer a full range of family law services, including:

• Cohabitation disputes and cohabitation agreements
• Pre and post-nuptial agreements
• Divorce and separation
• Civil partnerships and dissolution
• Arrangements for children
• Financial settlements
• Divorce and business assets
• Independent financial advice from Chattertons’ Wealth Management team

Speak to our family law solicitors

For expert family law advice, you can contact our local family solicitors in Boston, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, London, Newark, Sleaford, Spalding or Stamford.

To ask a question or request a call back at a time that suits you, please use our simple enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you promptly.

Our family law services

Cohabitation disputes and cohabitation agreements

With many couples choosing to live together without marrying, cohabitation agreements are becoming increasingly popular. They give you and your partner the opportunity to discuss difficult matters openly and decide how you want to handle issues while you are together and in the event that you separate.

We can draft a cohabitation agreement on your behalf that deals with issues such as payment of bills, liability for debts and what will happen to a shared home if you are no longer together.

As a cohabitee, you will have far fewer rights than someone who is married. If your relationship has ended, we can discuss whether you are entitled to a share of a property and also assist in putting arrangements for children in place.

Pre and post-nuptial agreements

Prenuptial agreements are a good way of ensuring that you and your future spouse have a level of financial certainty for the future. You can decide how you want matters dealt with during your marriage and in case it ends.

Examples of provisions include what will happen to business interests, assets owned before the marriage and inherited money, should you divorce.

A similar agreement can be made if you are already married, and this is known as a post-nuptial agreement.

Pre and post-nuptial agreements can be particularly beneficial if one of you is in a stronger financial position than the other or one of you has children from a previous relationship and you wish to protect assets to provide for them for the future.

Divorce and separation

Facing a divorce or separation can be daunting. At Chattertons, we understand how difficult this time might be and we will ensure that you have the support and guidance you need.

We will discuss your situation with you in depth, explaining the process to you and going through the related matters that will need to be handled at the same time, such as obtaining a financial settlement and making arrangements for children.

Civil partnerships and dissolution

For those facing the ending of a civil partnership, we offer a similar service, advising on the issues to be dealt with alongside civil partnership dissolution and ensuring you understand the procedure involved.

Arrangements for children

If you have a family, making arrangements for children following the breakdown of a relationship can be hard. We specialise in helping clients resolve matters out of court and with minimal conflict.

We can negotiate on your behalf to try and put the best possible arrangements in place. Where necessary, we can advise you on the mediation process, which you will usually need to consider if an agreement cannot be reached by negotiation.

As a last result, we can ask the court to decide on child arrangements if a solution cannot be found in any other way.

Financial settlements

If you are going through a divorce or civil partnership dissolution, you will need a financial order to stop your former partner from making a claim against you in the future.

We can negotiate to try and reach an agreement without the need for litigation. We will establish what you want to achieve from a settlement and work to try and secure this on your behalf. Where necessary, we can support you through alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or provide representation in arbitration or the collaborative law process.

We have many years of experience in handling financial matters on divorce, including complex and high-value claims and divorces involving family businesses, farming families and overseas interests. Our financial settlement solicitors can advise you on what you might expect to receive and take the action needed to ensure you have financial security for the future.

Divorce and business assets

We have particular expertise in dealing with divorces involving business assets, whether this is a joint business or one established or run by only one of you. We know how important it is to find the right solution, both to avoid damage and disruption to the enterprise and to provide fairly for each party to the marriage.

Our team includes family lawyers who specialise in dealing with businesses in divorce and who will be able to work to secure the result you want, whether this is by negotiation, through mediation or by application to the court.

Independent financial advice via Chattertons’ Wealth Management team

As part of our full-service offering to clients, we have a wealth management team who are able to provide independent financial advice. This is invaluable when putting prenuptial agreements in place or dealing with divorce, dissolution or separation.

We will look at what you want to achieve for the future and ensure that you have the necessary financial structure in place to provide this. We are able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems, finding ways to provide for your family and protect the assets that are important to you, such as pensions, business interests or agricultural holdings.

Offering in-house and independent financial advice alongside expert legal advice sets us apart from most other family law groups. We are able to look at the bigger picture, taking into account your need to provide for your family as well as to plan for the future.

Clients often ask us…

Who will deal with my case?

We have a large team of experienced family lawyers, any one of whom will be able to advise you. You will have a single point of contact, backed up by a team that will also be up to speed on your case.

Individuals within the family law team are members of Resolution - the family lawyers’ association. The combined experience and expertise make our family law team a force to be reckoned with. We can deal with complex and challenging cases. Our family law solicitors also have great relationships with barristers’ chambers and with mediators, so if your case requires the involvement of other experts, we can arrange that.

Is there any point in having a prenuptial agreement?

A prenuptial agreement may not be the most romantic of gestures, but it can be a valuable, practical tool for protecting assets in the event of divorce. These agreements set out the way in which a couple’s assets should be split if the marriage does not last. While they are not legally binding, it is quite common for their terms to be enforced or to at least be influential when it comes to a court deciding who should get what.

We are divorcing. Do I have to go through mediation?

No, mediation is voluntary. However, we usually advise clients to give it a go. A mediator is an independent third party, often able to help a divorcing couple reach agreement on issues around money or children, for example. If mediation is successful, the court will not have to get involved.

What reasons will I have to give in order to obtain a divorce?

The only ground for divorce is that your relationship has irretrievably broken down. IF this is the case and you have been married for a year, you can ask the court for a divorce. You can also make a joint application with your spouse if you want to.

What if my partner and I can’t agree on where our children should live?

In every divorce or separation, the parties are encouraged to prioritise the needs of their children. That is the approach that the court will take if it is asked to step in and decide which parent children should live with and when they should spend time with their other parent.

It is not necessarily the case that a court would decide that the children should live with their mother. The decision will involve a thorough assessment of what would be in the children’s best interests. It is quite often difficult for parents to step back and view this from anything other than their own perspective. That’s entirely understandable. However, it is important to bear in mind that where the parties cannot agree, and if mediation proves unsuccessful, the decision will be placed in the hands of a judge.

Will I get half of my spouse's pension?

Not necessarily. As with other assets of the marriage, a pension is something that could be shared. However, there are other ways of dealing with pensions, and each partner’s individual circumstances - not least his or her own financial position - would be assessed as part of the court’s decision if the parties cannot agree between themselves.

I have been living with my partner in their house and we are now splitting up. We are not married. Will I be entitled to anything?

Cohabitees do not enjoy the same rights as married couples. Although children will be protected largely as if their parents had been married, assets are not usually split on the same basis. In addition, if the family home is in the sole name of one partner, the other will need to prove that they are entitled to a share. This usually requires evidence that they had been promised a share or that they helped to fund the purchase price. This is why we advise all cohabiting couples to enter into a cohabitation agreement that sets out each party’s entitlement in the event that the relationship does not last.

We are grandparents and we are not able to see the grandchildren because their parents are separating. Is there anything we can do?

You may be able to apply to the court for an order entitling you to contact with your grandchildren, although you would need to seek the permission of the court to do so. We can discuss the process with you and advise you on the best way forward.

Contact our family law solicitors

For expert family law advice, you can contact our local family solicitors in Boston, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, London, Newark, Sleaford, Spalding or Stamford.

To ask a question or request a call back at a time that suits you, please use our simple enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you promptly.