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At Druitts Divorce Solicitors Bournemouth, our specialist family law solicitor will listen to you and discuss your divorce proceedings and legal separation options clearly and concisely.
Getting divorced or dissolving a civil partnership can be an emotional, worrying and difficult time. At the time you may be bombarded by well meaning (but often misguided) advice from friends and family. It is important to ascertain the true position as to your rights and responsibilities as soon as possible, and you need someone on your side who will be there for you.
Our family and divorce solicitor will support you through the divorce proceedings or legal separation process, and give you advice that you can trust about the things that matter most - your children, your home and your financial security.
As your family and divorce solicitor will listen to you and discuss your divorce proceedings and legal separation options with you. We will let you know where you stand, tell you what your rights are and help you to understand what your ex-partner's rights are as well. We will also try to make the divorce proceedings as simple and as stress-free as possible.
If you have been living together but were not married, our divorce solicitor can also help you understand your rights on a legal separation.
Where children are involved in the divorce the law puts the welfare of the children before anything else. Our divorce team will help you wherever possible to reach agreement with your ex-partner for your children's sake. This might be about where the children live, how much contact they have with you both, how they will be provided for, and how decisions will be taken in future about things such as holidays and schools. It is also important to consider the guardianship of your children in your will.
Whatever your circumstances, our divorce solicitor has the knowledge and experience to make sure that the decisions you make are in the best interests of your children now and in the future.
If you would like to speak to our family department about divorce proceedings or legal separation please contact them to arrange a free half hour initial consultation on 01202 551 863.
Why Choose Druitts to help with your Divorce?
We feel our clients are best placed to recommend us; comments include:
"I have had recourse to use lots of solicitors during my life and you have been the best by a mile! Thank you for your advice."
"I was listened to and knew I was being taken care of, I was given great advice."
"I felt very reassured as a result of a professional manner of staff and Solicitor. She was very approachable in explanation of legal terms and understanding of written correspondence. Quick, efficient turnaround."
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of having a solicitor assist you with your application will depend on the amount of time spent on the matter. There are some disbursements which are fixed, for example Court Fees.
Financial issues and disputes about child arrangements following separation are dealt with separately from the divorce proceedings, and the costs associated with this will depend on the complexity of the dispute. If you and your spouse have matrimonial property, it is essential that you seek legal assistance in relation to financial matters, and that you do so before instigating divorce proceedings.
We offer a free 30-minute initial meeting to discuss your options and to provide an approximate cost. There will be always a cost attached to divorce, but you should remember that good advice at the outset saves money, time, and stress. It can also prevent costly mistakes.
Disbursements are payments made to third parties, such as court fees and experts reports if needed. They are not retained by the solicitor or part of the cost of their work.
All contributions to the marriage, including bringing up children, are considered, and in most cases, contributions will be considered equal. When examining the split of all assets, the starting point is an equal division. A court can depart from equality depending on the circumstances, with a primary focus on provision for children and housing needs. This is where using an expert solicitor is helpful to ensure you receive a fair settlement.
All assets held by each party form part of the overall matrimonial pot for division. This still depends on many factors, such as the length of the marriage and whether there are dependent children. Courts try to keep Inheritances separate unless inherited assets need to be considered in order to meet the needs of both parties.
If you and your ex-partner have children, you are both expected to pay towards their costs after you separate. The level of child maintenance the non-resident parent must pay is set out by the Child Maintenance Service, who have a set calculation, depending on income, the number of children, and the amount of time the non-resident parent spends with them.
Pensions are classed as marital assets, which means they are subject to division, regardless of who contributed to them. Your spouse can make a claim for a pension sharing order with respect to your pension provision if it is greater than theirs. The percentage of that share will depend on a number of different factors, including the amount of the overall pension pot and the length of the marriage A pension share is only enforceable by means of a court order made within a divorce.
Unfortunately, you cannot usually make a claim for costs from the other side. There are some exceptional circumstances, primarily the conduct of the other side if that is something the court believes is sufficient to consider, or in cases where the other side has breach and order. This is however, rare.
You can force your partner to leave the house through an injunction if you have the grounds to do so, namely in cases of domestic abuse. Your solicitor will advise you as to the best way forward, and who to entitled to remain in the family home has many variables.
Mortgage payments are what are known as a joint and severable liability, as are most household bills. This means that even if you pay half the debt the mortgage company will still come after both mortgagees for any outstanding debt.
Within divorce proceedings you can potentially apply for a maintenance order to cover outgoings.
It is harder with unmarried couples, and this can lead to financial hardship. However, your solicitor will provide possible options to resolve these issues.
Unmarried couples do not share the same rights as married couples. Your partner is not automatically entitled to a share of a property held in your sole name. If you are unmarried and sharing a house you should seek legal advice as to circumstances in which a potential claim against your property could be made by your partner on separation, and how to protect against that.
We are not registered to provide any legal aid services; you can find if you and your legal work is eligible using https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid.
Clare Cherry
Solicitor LLB
Clare specialises in family law, having practised exclusively in this area since qualifying as a solicitor in 1991.
Clare Specialises In:
We are always happy to discuss your requirements over the phone, feel free to contact us to see how we can be of help today!
