Our Services

Family Law Solicitors

Experiencing issues in your family life can be extremely difficult, particularly when those problems require legal assistance. Rest assured, our expert team of family law solicitors are dedicated to providing sympathetic and constructive legal support during challenging times.

When clients contact us, they are often feeling concerned about the future and unsure of their options. Our specialist team can help clients across all areas of their family lives, offering expert support, smooth processes and practical solutions.

Our family law team includes members of the Family Accreditation scheme and Resolution, and all team members undertake professional development on a continuing basis. We are a Lexcel Accredited Law firm in England & Wales and are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

At Laker Legal, we advise and assist clients with a full range of family law related matters, including:

  • Divorce proceedings
  • Civil partnership dissolution
  • Financial settlements
  • Children law
  • Cohabitation agreements
  • Pre-nuptial agreements
  • Mediation
  • Domestic violence
  • Separation agreements

Contact our Family Law Solicitors

If you require family law advice in Maidstone, get in touch with our family law solicitors. We also have offices in Lancaster, Bath, Maidstone, Kings Hill, Preston and York.

You can simply complete our online contact form or request a call back. Our dedicated team will start by gauging the specifics of your situation to determine your needs and allow us to provide bespoke legal support.

Our Family Law Expertise

Divorce

Getting divorced is often an emotionally challenging time, and many people feel confused about their legal rights and their choices. Our specialist solicitors can offer assistance at every stage of the legal process.

We can provide family law divorce advice to ensure that you understand the effects of your / your spouse’s decision and know what to expect both now and in the future. Laker Legal Solicitors have plenty of experience in supporting clients to swiftly move through the divorce proceedings whilst strongly protecting their interests.

Civil Partnership dissolution

If you’ve entered into a civil partnership and that relationship has broken down, our family law solicitors can assist you in legally dissolving your partnership quickly and with minimal stress. Our lawyers can guide you throughout the application stages and support you in making legally binding financial and childcare arrangements with your ex-partner.

If you have any questions about civil partnership dissolution, contact our family law practice and a member of our team will be happy to talk through the particulars of your case.

Financial settlements

If you are getting divorced or ending your civil partnership, you’ll need to negotiate your finances with your ex-spouse. Our expert lawyers at Laker Legal can support you in reaching a financial settlement and protecting your assets during a divorce. We have ample experience assisting couples in dividing their assets fairly.

Our solicitors are able to assist separating couples in negotiating their finances amicably using mediation processes. If we are unable to support you in agreeing on your financial arrangements, your family law solicitor can guide you through the necessary court proceedings.

Children law

Whether you are getting divorced, separating, or dissolving a civil partnership, if you have children, you’ll need to consider their living arrangements. To organise these matters, you’ll need the assistance of a family law specialist.

Our solicitors at Laker Legal can support couples in negotiating and obtaining a child arrangement order to determine where their children will live and how much time they will spend with each parent.

Our children law expertise also covers:

  • Child arrangements and child arrangement orders
  • Prohibited steps orders
  • Specific issue orders
  • Urgent applications due to welfare concerns for the child or children
  • Special guardianship

Our services cover private children law, yet we do not cover public children law as we are not a legal aid firm and only take on privately funded matters.

Cohabitation agreements

Unmarried couples will often find that their finances become intertwined, particularly if they move in together, and yet these individuals do not have the same rights as married couples.

If you’re planning to cohabit with your partner and you’d like to protect your finances, our local family law solicitors can help you to draw up a cohabitation agreement. Such agreements are used to determine the assets that each partner has a claim over.

Cohabitation agreements can cover bank accounts and savings, property, bills and personal belongings.

To speak to a family law solicitor in Lancaster about your cohabitation agreement, get in touch. Alternatively, you can contact one of our offices in Preston, Bath, Maidstone or Kings Hill.

Pre-nuptial agreements

If you are preparing to get married, drafting a pre-nuptial agreement allows you to establish how you’d like your finances to be divided if you should end up getting divorced in the future. Our expert lawyers can help you to establish the assets that you want to protect and draft a document to reflect your interests.

Mediation

With the help of family mediation, our solicitors can aid you with various family law related matters, including reaching a financial settlement with an ex-partner or negotiating child living arrangements. Our expert solicitors can support you throughout your family mediation sessions, helping you to prepare, understand your legal standing, and ensure the best outcome possible.

At Laker Legal Solicitors, we are able to provide family law advice online, communicating via video conferencing tools, or if you prefer, we can support you in person.

Our legal team includes Richard Hirst who is an accredited mediator, Richard can be instructed directly by you and your spouse or ex-spouse as an impartial mediator.

Domestic violence

If you are experiencing domestic violence in your relationship, it’s vital that you seek immediate help. We appreciate that clients come to us feeling vulnerable and scared and pride ourselves on offering empathetic and pragmatic support to see you through these traumatic times.

Our expert solicitors can act quickly, applying to the Court to gain your immediate protection. For more information, please get in touch with our local family law solicitors.

Frequently asked questions

What is family law?

Family law deals with matters related to the family, including divorce, civil partnership dissolution, child arrangements, cohabitation agreements, and domestic violence and abuse. Family solicitors can also support clients with pre or post marital agreements, separation, and mediation processes.

What do family law solicitors do?

Family solicitors support clients with a range of legal advice on family law. They often assist clients who are looking to divorce or separate, offering legal guidance to reach financial settlements and negotiate living arrangements for their children.

Family lawyers explain to clients their legal rights and advise them on the best solutions for their circumstances. Often, family law specialists support couples in submitting divorce or dissolution applications or in drafting legally binding documents related to cohabitation.

Why would you need a family law solicitor?

Family law advice is useful for individuals with a range of different issues and needs. If you are getting divorced or looking to dissolve your civil partnership, you will require the services of a family law solicitor. Family lawyers also cover private children law, which includes many different matters such as child arrangement orders, specific issue orders and prohibited steps orders.

You might also consult a family solicitor if you are planning to cohabit with a partner and would like to ensure that your legal rights are protected. In this case, a solicitor could help you to draft a cohabitation agreement.

How much is a family law solicitor?

The cost of hiring a family law solicitor will depend on which legal services you require and the complexity of your case.

Our family lawyers at Laker Legal will start by assessing the specifics of your situation so that we can provide you with a clear estimate of your legal fees from the very beginning.

Contact our Family Law Solicitors

If you require support with your family law related matters, get in touch for a free initial, no obligation advice with our family law solicitors in today.

Or simply complete our online contact form, or request a call back. Our solicitors can offer family law advice online via video conferencing, by phone, or at one of our offices.

Testimonials

What our clients say...

Thank you for all your help and support over the last 12 months. You and the team at Laker Legal have been fantastic.
Sarah was lovely and really supportive yesterday.

Ms. W of Leyland

I am very pleased with Laker Legal firm, my Solicitor John Hirst, was extremely helpful throughout the drawing of my prenuptial agreement. A very professional and knowledgeable approach yet warm,and friendly enough to feel comfortable with in a situation that can be quite uncanny to discuss or uneasy as per say. Thankyou again!

Mrs V – London

I can highly recommend John Hirst at Laker Legal solicitors in Lancaster. He was superb from start to finish dealing with a very complex child arrangements case for me. A really decent guy and an excellent family law solicitor who genuinely cares about his clients. John was fully up to speed with my case at all times and we got the outcome we wanted.

Mr B, Kendal

A big ‘thank you’ Richard from Steve and myself. Your time and attention you gave to both of us was remarkable. I’ve had dealings with many solicitors over the years, but have never received this level of service as you gave.

Mrs R – West Malling, Kent

Thank you so much Richard, you have been so kind and patient with me when I have been at about the lowest point of my life after losing my wife, I can never thank you enough. I will also let my family know my wishes that Laker Legal Solicitors deal with my estate when that time comes.

Mr Y, Addington, Kent.

Best conveyancing experience ever. After two supposedly good law firms failed to even do the basics post instruction, for nearly 8 weeks, Jess at Laker Legal took on the difficult challenge of overseeing my purchase and completion in record time. Always proactive, very knowledgeable of her subject and extremely good communicator. I never had to chase the firm for anything. They always answered my calls efficiently. I can't praise them enough. What a wonderful experience.

I recommend Jess and would be very happy to use her again in the future.

Mrs A, Lancaster.

Jessica Blacow from Laker Legal Solicitors Lancaster pulled out every stop truly amazing lady / firm nothing was to much trouble I honestly felt like they was my friends not just a firm that wanted your money but a solicitor firm that cared with compassion I will use Laker Legal Solicitors Lancaster for all my needs in the future.

Mr T, Lancaster

I used the services of Jess and the team at Laker Legal as a first time buyer looking for properties to buy, near and around Bath.

Jess was fantastic, in her communication during the process as well as her knowledge and ability during the conveyancing process. She helped me make informed decisions and ultimately find and purchase a wonderful home near Bath. Jess is adept at spotting potential issues during a purchase that I believe others may not.

She clearly excels at her craft and you will be in safe hands should you use her services too.

Bath.

A devastating event brought us to call on Laker Legal. We were put in touch with Mr John Hirst, and from the first moment we spoke to him we knew everything was going to be ok. Mr John Hirst, was always on the end of the Phone or Email, Kept in touch with us 100% of the time, and the support we received took so much pain off our family. All i can say is Thank you so much for everything you did for us.

Ms P - Maidstone

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