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Family Law Solicitors

Whether you’re going through the end of a marriage or a relationship separation, considering a commitment to your partner, or facing family challenges, GSB is here to assist you with all matters relating to family law. Our expertise covers a range of issues, including divorce proceedings, child arrangements, cohabitation issues, and prenuptial agreements.

It’s natural to have concerns about the future, especially regarding the financial well-being of your children and your home. You may be contemplating steps to formalise the end of a troubled relationship, or you may have received a divorce petition from your spouse. Regardless of your circumstances, seeking advice from an experienced family solicitor can be invaluable in resolving your challenges promptly and effectively.

Child Arrangements

Domestic Violence

Financial Settlements

Prenuptial Agreements

Cohabitation Agreements

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Reach out today for compassionate guidance on child care law.

What is Family Law?

Put simply, family law is a specialised legal field that encompasses a variety of issues related to family and domestic relationships.

Family law proceedings often involve emotionally charged situations, and the primary goal is to resolve conflicts and disputes while ensuring the well-being and best interests of all family members, especially children. Solicitors specialising in family law help clients navigate these complex legal processes, offering guidance and representation to reach fair and equitable resolutions.

A Team of Family Law Solicitors You Can Trust

At GSB, we can advise you on a range of personal and family issues, including:

Relationship breakdown (married or unmarried couples)
Divorce and civil partnership dissolution
Separation
Financial settlements
Property disputes
Maintenance/child maintenance
Domestic abuse (including injunctions where you are threatened with, or are the victim of domestic violence)
Pension provision
Disputes concerning children
Child care law
Prenuptial agreements
Cohabitation agreements
Grandparents’ rights in relation to grandchildren

We will explain everything in a way that is clear and easy to understand and we will explain the costs and timescales involved at the outset so that you know exactly what to expect.

FAQs

What is a child arrangements order?

A Child Arrangements Order is an order from the Court which details the arrangements for a child, including where the child will live and how they will spend time with each parent.

They are commonly known as residence or contact orders or even custody and access.

Can I change my child’s school or name?

A decision such as changing a child’s school or name should be made alongside anyone with parental responsibility for the child.

If you obtain their consent, it is a good idea to get it in writing.

If the other person with parental responsibility does not agree with your decision, then you are unable to make the change. You would need to apply to the Court for permission. The Court would then decide whether it was in your child’s best interest for the change to take place.

Who has parental responsibility for a child?

A child’s mother always has parental responsibility from birth.

A child’s father can obtain parental responsibility by any of the following:

By being married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth
By being named on the child’s birth certificate
By entering into a parental responsibility agreement
By obtaining a parental responsibility order or by having a ‘live with’ child arrangements order

I want to take my child on holiday, do I need permission?

This very much depends on who has parental responsibility for the child and whether there are any court orders in place.

Any person that has a child arrangements order in place that says a child lives with them can take the abroad for up to 28 days at a time.

If there no court order in place, then the consent of every person with parental responsibility is needed before taking the child out of the country.

If consent is refused, then you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. You can ask the Court for permission to take them on holiday. The Court will determine if the holiday is in the child’s best interests.

My ex-partner is not sticking to the child arrangements order, what can I do about it?

If your ex-partner is not making the child/ren available for contact during times set out in the child arrangements order, then you may need to apply to Court for enforcement proceedings. If the Court determine that the order has been breached without reasonable excuse, they have the power to put sanctions in place to the person breaching the order.

These sanctions can include, fines, unpaid work to even committal to prison for contempt of Court. If it deems it appropriate the Court may consider varying the terms of the child arrangements order or even transferring residence of a child entirely.

If you have a child arrangements order and your ex-partner is not turning up for contact with the children as set out in the order repeatedly then you may need to consider the impact this is having on the child and whether it is appropriate to apply to vary the current order. You should speak to a solicitor for advice.

My ex-partner has not returned my child from contact, what should I do?

The first step would be to try and contact your ex-partner in a non-confrontational manner to ask for them to be returned. You could ask a family member of friend to make contact if you do not feel comfortable doing so.

If this is not successful it is a good advice to speak to a solicitor as soon as possible.

You may need to apply to Court for a Court Arrangements Order seeking the return of the child.

If you think your child may be in immediate danger you may need to call the police. If you have a child arrangements order in place, the police may assist in returning your child to you. If you do not have a court order and the children are not in immediate danger the police will not have the power to return your child to you. They may well do a welfare check to ensure your child is safe.

Is legal aid available?

Legal aid can be available in certain circumstances. You need to have been subject to domestic abuse or be at risk of suffering domestic abuse or children that are in need of protection.

It will be subject to an assessment of your income. It is available for people that are in receipt of certain benefits or that are on a low income and have minimal capital (savings or assets).

We can assess whether you are eligible for legal aid and if not, we can discuss your options with you. Please contact us to undertake a legal aid assessment.