- Divorce and Family Law
- Personal Injury ("No Win No Fee" CFA Agreements)
- Employment Law
- Civil Litigation & Debt Matters
SolicitorsCommissioners for Oaths
Divorce and Family Law
DIVORCE AND SEPARATION
We can help resolve the problems arising from the breakdown of your marriage. As a specialist family law practice, we use all our experience in obtaining the best result for you. We attempt to make the procedure of divorce as simple, swift and amicable as possible.
Alternatively, if you do not wish to divorce for social or religious reasons, we are able to advise you in relation to judicial separation proceedings while at the same time protecting your financial position within these proceedings.
COHABITATION
We can assist you with problems surrounding the break-up of your relationship with a cohabitation partner.
The law presently treats unmarried partners very differently to those who have married but much can be done to protect your interests, including your financial assets. Our experience in these matters following our involvement in the house of lords case of stack vs. dowden will enable us to assist you in resolving complex financial issues without escalating legal costs.
In order to avoid many of the problems which arise on the break-up of a cohabitation arrangement, we can draft an agreement or trust deed which records your intentions about the distribution of your assets if the relationship ends.
Children
If your marriage or cohabitation arrangement breaks down, we will work with you at achieving the best arrangements for your children, including their financial support.
As far as possible, we enable you to reach agreement with the other parent. However, where agreement cannot be reached we will apply to the court to make, for example, orders relating to :
- The Residence of the child (previously known as "custody")
- Contact arrangements (previously known as "access")
- Prohibited Steps orders for example, to prevent the removal of a child from the jurisdiction of England and Wales
- A specific issue such as the choice of school or changing the child's surname
Pre-nuptial Agreements
For those intending to marry, we can prepare pre-marital agreements (commonly known as ‘pre-nuptial’ agreements) which may protect you from financial loss in the unlikely event of your marriage not lasting.
Financial Settlements
We will help you to agree a financial settlement which is realistic and enables you to retain sufficient assets and income for your future. We would also ensure that you share in the division of accrued pension rights.
Where children are involved, we assist you to agree a reasonable level of maintenance for them - looking after the interests of the children.
Financial matters are conducted in a sensitive, constructive and cost-effective way to ensure that you and your former spouse retain those assets rather than these being absorbed in unnecessary legal costs.
Domestic Violence
We respond quickly in cases of domestic violence which are matters for which time is of the essence in order to protect you.
An application for an injunction is commonly applied to prevent your abuser from harassing or pestering you, or to attempt to contact you in circumstances where you do not wish to have any form of contact with that person. If your circumstances are serious enough, an order can be obtained within 24 hours of instruction in order to protect you or your children.
As well as obtaining a restraining injunction to provide protection for you, we can give legal advice in relation to rights of occupation, and other related legal issues. This may include for example, the right to exclude your spouse or partner from the home to protect you from violence or other extreme behaviour which may cause you to fear for your safety, or that of your children.
Personal Injury Claims
We deal with a broad spectrum of claims including road traffic incidents, industrial injury, accidents in the street (slip and trip) or open spaces (accidents in a local store) and Medical Negligence such as a Hospital Consultant performing a defective operation.
The key features of any of the above claims are:
- Use of protocols
- Conditional Fee Agreements (Insurance Cover)
Conditional fee agreements are commonly known as “no win, no fee” arrangements. Careful advice is given to ensure that all relevant information is provided to clients about the workings of such an arrangement, and that they have no other source of funding for the claim such as their own insurance.
Employment Law
Employment law issues are at the core of any business. We provide expert Counsel and representation across the full spectrum of employment issues listed below. Whether it is a business transaction, or defending or prosecuting a case before a court or employment tribunal, we aim to find a cost-effective solution which suits your needs.
Areas of work include:
- Compromise agreements
- Contracts of employment
- Disciplinary, dismissal and grievance procedures
- Employment tribunal proceedings and unfair dismissals
- Equal pay, discrimination, victimisation and harassment
- Maternity and parental rights
- Pay, benefits and pensions
- Transfer of undertakings (TUPE)
- Working time issues
In view of the fact that costs orders made in Employment matters are limited to certain circumstances, we generally prosecute a claim on what is commonly known as a “Contingency fee” arrangement, which means that we deduct a certain pre-set agreed percentage from the damages awarded to you which is usually 25-33% depending on the complexity of the matter. If you are unsuccessful in your claim, you would only be liable to pay your own Barrister’s fee for representing you at trial but would not be liable for our costs.
Civil Litigation
This area of Law is broad and covers a wide range of legal issues. We offer advice and assistance to cover:
- Contractual matters
- Commercial disputes
- Consumer issues
- Debt matters and enforcement (recovery of a debt in the High Court & County Court) including Bankruptcy and Insolvency
matters
- Freezing Injunctions
Fees
Fee arrangements and retainer agreements are discussed with you at the initial consultation. These are confirmed in writing should you wish to engage our services in compliance with the requirements set by the Solicitors governing body, the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Depending on the type of work and the specific facts of your legal matter, fees may be charged on an hourly or a fixed fee basis.
Fees are based partly on the time expended by the solicitor who has conduct of your case.
Our firm makes every effort to ensure that the fees charged to you are "fair and reasonable."
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