Going through a divorce can be hard, with the impacts felt both emotionally and financially – obtain expert legal advice from our Divorce Solicitors Telford to receive the best support possible.
As each divorce case has its own unique set of circumstances, it is vital to obtain the right advice at the earliest opportunity from expert divorce lawyers who will take the time to listen to you and provide professional divorce or separation advice.
Our highly experienced divorce solicitors Telford are available to help you no matter the complexity of your situation. We always strive to ensure that you receive expert advice and assistance that deals with the many questions that arise at this difficult time in a person’s life.
Our specialist matrimonial and family lawyers are able to advise you on all aspects of the divorce and related processes, which can include matrimonial property, assets, pensions, income and child related issues.
If you are looking to start divorce proceedings, or have received notification from the court or your partner that divorce proceedings are in the process of being issued, rest assured that our Telford matrimonial team are able to assist in a confidential and sensitive manner.
Ways in which our divorce lawyers can assist
When choosing a family and divorce solicitor to represent your interests during the breakdown of a relationship, it makes sense to work with a team that is locally based and has substantial experience in dealing with different divorce and family matters. Our Telford team offers straightforward advice in a sensitive manner, which reflects the years of experience gained in situations where a relationship has broken down.
Our services include advising on:
Experience
Between them, our family law and divorce team have many years of experience in dealing with both straightforward and complex matrimonial and family matters.
Fair Financial Agreements
Our record of achieving good financial agreements for our clients is well established. Although we seek to resolve issues without the need to go to court, where this is unavoidable we continue to aim to reach as fair an outcome as is possible under the circumstances.
Competitive Fees
Our fees and costings arestructured to provide certainty as to what level of fees your matter is likely to involve, andwe will always advise as to the options that may be available to keep your costs to a minimum. Given the challenges that a separation involves, we look to provide peace of mind as to the costs involved from the outset as we believe that our fees provide excellent value for money.
Pricing clarity
Starting from your first enquiry, our family team at Telford will provide an easily understood breakdown and estimate of the costs that your matter is likely to involve.
The initial 30 minute, no-obligation consultation meeting is free and allows us to better understand your specific needs and the requirements of your situation.
Once you have obtained the final order in the divorce process, it is vital to bear in mind that if you are considering remarrying, that you obtain expert legal advice beforehand as your options to resolve the matrimonial finance claims will be significantly affected otherwise.
No fault divorces
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (DDSA 2020) has been described as a landmark reform of divorce law. It aims to make the divorce process less acrimonious by introducing what is commonly known as ‘no fault divorce’. This legislation, for the first time, completely removes the need to assign blame when commencing divorce proceedings. The new divorce procedure is in force for applications that are issued from 6 April 2022.
Historically, in order to obtain a divorce in England and Wales it was necessary for the party applying for a divorce to establish that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and to do that they had to prove one or more of five facts. Three facts were based on fault, ie adultery, unreasonable behaviour and desertion, and two facts were based on a period of separation (two years’ separation with consent or five years’ separation without consent). In many cases one of the parties was forced into making fault allegations (adultery or behaviour), not necessarily because that was the real cause of the breakdown or because they wanted to blame their spouse, but because the alternative was to wait at least two years for a divorce with consent, or five years where there was no consent. Most people did not want, or could not afford, to put their lives on hold for that long. Without the divorce being finalised they could not get a final financial order or pension sharing order.
From 6 April 2022, instead of relying on fault or separation, an application for divorce issued on or after that date will simply state that the marriage has broken down irretrievably and this does not have to be proved. It is not necessary to rely on fault or separation and the court does not require evidence of the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. We will be able to provide specific advice based on your circumstances.
Another change brought about by DDSA 2020 is that an applicant in divorce proceedings cannot apply for the first stage in the process, the conditional order, until a minimum of 20 weeks have passed since the application for divorce was issued. For an average time overall for divorce from start to finish is an around 26 weeks. Please be aware that the final order of divorce dissolves the marriage only and does not address the financial claims you the parties have against each other. Please refer to our matrimonial finances section on our website or contact Emma Wood on 01785 223440 to arrange a free 30 minute consultation.
What next….?
If you are in a situation where you are having to consider separation or divorce, our family law solicitors in Telford and surrounding areas are here to support you and provide legal advice to protect your interests at the earliest opportunity.
Our friendly and approachable family lawyers will be able to assist you and provide guidance as to the next steps that you would need to consider during the initial 30 minute no-obligation consultation.