Family Law Blog

It is a sad fact that however much two adults are hurt during a separation, invariably the children are hit even harder. As divorce solicitors, we hear a lot of their stories and it is always heart-breaking. It is something very private and personal so it was very brave of…

There are many things people may want to celebrate at the end of marriage. A new chapter starting. The end of an unhappy period in their life. The thought of a new relationship with someone who may turn out to be a better “fit”. However, there are probably more things…

Helping couples reach a non-confrontational solution to their separation should be right at the top of priorities for a family law specialist when taking on a new client. Our professional code of conduct dictates we should aim to do this and the practices of the “Rottweiler” lawyer have no place…

As an experienced family solicitor I was more than a little surprised how different the skill set is for a mediator, when I trained with Resolution as a family mediator earlier this year. After years of being expected to give out advice and, dare I say it, rather liking the…

For the uniformed, divorce probably still means going to court to sort it all out. As family lawyers, we know that is far from being a realistic picture. I would estimate that around 95 per cent of the cases we deal with at Woolley & Co, Solicitors get to a…

When you pay for any professional service, including that of a divorce lawyer, you want to be sure you will be able to fully understand and act on their expert opinion. And you’ll want to make sure you use their time wisely and minimise the costs involved. But as most…

The cost of some divorces can be scary. If a couple are unwilling to agree on anything, are in no rush and have available funds, the costs can escalate to dizzying levels. But this is not the norm, you can access expert advice and support from an experienced family law…

One of the hardest things to agree on and manage when a family splits up is where the children will live and the contact they will have with the other parent. There has been a rise in the number of requests for one parent to move a child overseas. When…

When someone is splitting from a long-term partner or getting a divorce, there is so much to think about that it is easy to see how we can fall into making (further) big mistakes. That may seem ironic, I know. If the relationship is ending, maybe getting into it in…

The concept of a good divorce may at first seem contradictory. Divorce is not a good thing for anyone. It is the culmination of a relationship breakdown that is likely to involve moving house, starting a new life and relationships with children, family and friends changing dramatically. There is a…

The impact of the removal of Legal Aid in most family law cases – notably divorce – is having far-reaching consequences, as we have regularly discussed in this blog. However, what is emerging is just how much it is affecting young parents and, particularly, young dads struggling to get the…

Usually, when you get married or move in together, there are many things on your mind other than safeguarding your wealth for the long-term. If you are getting married, there will be so much to organise and so many exciting things going on, that it often just isn’t on the…