Specialist Family Law Solicitors covering the Verwood and New Forest area
Divorce and relationship breakdown are tough, really tough – there is no getting away from the fact that breaking up with your spouse or partner is one of the life’s most stressful events. What’s more, the emotional turmoil involved doesn’t make coming to clear decisions easy. And on top of that, sorting out all of the legal issues, is often one of the hardest parts of the process. That’s why having the right divorce solicitors to support and advise you through the process is so important.
FREE Initial Divorce and Family Law Advice – Call Us Now
Our team offer Initial FREE phone advice on any divorce or family law issue and a FREE first 1/2 hour appointment – face-to-face or by video call – with no strings attached.
So there’s no reason for you not to take legal advice on your position – to put your mind at rest, call us now on Fordingbridge 01425 652110 or FREEPHONE 0800 1404544.
We regularly act for clients throughout Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire and further afield– and we are confident that you will find that our divorce team are the right choice for your separation.
Click here to read more about our simple £500 Fixed Fee Divorce Service (NB this is limited to divorce and does not cover children or financial issues)
How do I pick the right divorce solicitor?
Divorce can be a legal minefield and you need an expert to guide you through it. To get the right settlement from your divorce, it is essential that you instruct the right divorce solicitor.
However, everybody, and every divorce, is different – that’s why one family lawyer won’t suit everyone. But here are five simple tips to help you find the right solicitor to represent you.
1.) Instruct an expert. It’s risky putting your trust in a solicitor who dabbles in lots of different areas of law. Family law and divorce is all our specialist team do – so you can rely on us for genuine expertise
2.) Instruct a solicitor who appreciates that the legal issues arising out of family breakdown are not battles to be won – they are problems that need practical solutions
3.) Instruct someone who you feel comfortable talking to. Getting divorced often involves revealing personal information – and you must ensure that your solicitor knows exactly what’s going on and is kept up-to-date . To achieve that, you have to feel comfortable with them
4.) Instruct someone who can listen – listening is a real skill, and should never be taken for granted. And yes, some solicitors do like the sound of their own voice! But every single relationship breakdown and divorce is different, and you need to be confident that your chosen solicitor really understands what you want
5.) Properly check out your solicitor before you instruct them. Have a good look at the firm’s website, and chat to the solicitor first – taking up any offer for free phone advice, or a free first appointment, and making sure you’re confident that their approach to your divorce or family law issue is right for you.
Click here to read more about divorce and family law and how our solicitors can help you.
Our Solicitor’s approach to relationship breakdown
It can prove’ impossible to know from the beginning how your divorce will proceed. Divorces can be relatively straightforward or extremely complicated — and anything in between! An apparently pleasant break up could quickly become quite unpleasant and complex indeed.
Similarly, what could look likes becoming a difficult emotional battle can, with the right help, settle down and become a quite simple affair. Getting the right divorce solicitor is essential in making sure that the split is settled fairly – and in the most direct way possible where children, property and businesses are included.
When people think about divorce, they tend to think about expense, hostility and delay but our solicitors don’t believe this is always necessary.
Here at Bonallack & Bishop, we all strongly believe in the importance of avoiding needless confrontation when conducting family law work. Whilst we aim to try to get the best deal for you, we also consider a relationship breakdown as a problem which requires a solution as opposed to a fight to be won – especially when there are children are involved.
Unlike some local family solicitors, we won’t pick fights or waste your money trying to score points. We will simply try to settle your case as soon as possible and with the minimum of fuss and cost.
Our team strongly support the use alternative methods of dispute resolution, including family mediation, collaborative law and family law arbitration to finalise your divorce more quickly, cost-effectively and with less anger and bitterness than is often the case with traditional court-based divorce proceedings.
In fact the head of our family law team (in addition to being a serving County Court Deputy District Judge), is himself a fully qualified Family Law Arbitrator – and there are only 200 of them in the country, many of whom are barristers.
However, we do recognise that it comes to financial issues in particular, some parties simply can’t agree, however hard lawyers work at a settlement. And if that’s the case, then you can rely on us to argue your case robustly in court.
How our team can help you
Our divorce and family law team are specialists – divorce and other aspect of family law is all they do. Among the areas they cover are:
• Financial settlements (click here to read more about divorce and finances)
• Pensions
• Disputes over issues surrounding children and child maintenance payments (click here to read more about children and relationship breakdown)
• Collaborative law and family mediation (click here to read more about family mediation)
• Civil partnership dissolution
• Cohabitation advice
• Separation agreements -which can prove useful in the early stage of relationship breakdown before your divorce is finalised
We also understand that some clients like to be able to choose a divorce lawyer of a particular gender and we have both male and female specialists in the firm. Whoever you instruct will have the expertise and experience needed to help.
Click here to read more about the divorce process
What were the changes to UK divorce on April 6, 2022?
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 brought significant updates to UK divorce law and came into effect on April 6, 2022.
It introduced a “no-fault” divorce system in England and Wales, meaning that couples will be able to apply for a divorce without having to prove that their spouse was at fault. So there is no longer a need to prove 1 of “5 facts” (which included adultery and unreasonable behaviour) in order to qualify for divorce
The new law also removed the ability of one spouse to contest a divorce, which has been a source of conflict in some cases. And for the 1st time an opportunity for a joint application for divorce became possible.
And the terminology was at last outdated and simplified. Plain English such as “final order” replaced outdated legal terminology such as “decree absolute”.
Were there also changes to the way family finances are split on divorce?
There have been talks about potential reforms to the way finances are split during a divorce, but nothing has been set in stone yet. The Justice Minister Lord Bellamy mentioned in a speech to the House of Lords on March 8, 2023, that family lawyers may have to wait “at least two years” to see any changes to the current laws governing financial provision during a divorce. While there is no definite news, this announcement provides some indication of potential future reforms.
How to contact us?
What works best for you? We can meet face-to-face or if you prefer, we can run your case by email, phone and video call. Whatever suits you.
Don’t delay and don’t suffer in silence. To put your mind at rest, find out where you stand and safeguard your legal position, call our divorce solicitors today.
• Call Fordingbridge 01425 652110 TODAY for your FREE initial phone consultation and FREE first half hour appointment, or
• To arrange a call back, fill out our contact form below.
Fordingbridge Contact Details
5, Provost Street,
Fordingbridge,
Hampshire,
SP6 1AZ