Any changes to your family circumstances can bring up a lot of questions and issues with very serious ramifications for you and your loved ones. Our family law solicitors in Reading can help you find the right answers for your immediate concerns and long-term interests.
At Clifton Ingram, we offer more than just legal expertise. Your situation is unique and so we offer a bespoke service tailored to your concerns and what you need to achieve. We also make sure to understand how you want things to play out, including avoiding unnecessary conflict wherever possible. However, please be assured, we will robustly fight your corner if the need arises.
Whether you are based in the Reading area and need the best local family law solicitors on your team or are looking for high level support for family law matters from somewhere further afield, we are here for you.
Our family law solicitors in Reading can assist with issues including:
- Divorce
- Civil partnership dissolution
- Separation
- Financial matters
- Child law
- Domestic abuse
- Pre-nuptial agreements
- Post-nuptial agreements
- Cohabitation
- Mediation
- Collaborative law
Our family law services
Divorce
There are two sides to the divorce process – first, the legal proceedings to end your marriage and, second, the matter of dividing your finances and making arrangements for children. Our divorce solicitors in Reading can help with both aspects of your divorce, giving you the best chance of a smooth process that sets you and your loved ones up for a bright future.
Civil partnership dissolution
Civil partnership dissolution is the equivalent to divorce for civil partners. As with divorce, you will need to navigate the legal process of ending your relationship, as well as making arrangements for your finances and any children. Our family law experts in Reading are here to guide you through every step you need to take when dissolving your civil partnership.
Separation
A legal separation can be a good option for married people with religious, cultural or personal reasons for avoiding a divorce. Our family solicitors in Reading can assist with the process of creating a separation agreement that allows both spouses to formally agree how they will deal with financial and other practical matters while living separately.
Financial matters
Dealing with financial matters is often one of the most complex aspects of a divorce, dissolution or separation. The issues involved can be complicated, especially when there are high value assets such as property, pensions, savings and investments to consider. Getting the right outcome can be crucial to your future financial security and this is an area in which our family law specialists excel.
Child law
Making arrangements for children when parents separate can be fairly straightforward or much more difficult to resolve. Our local family law solicitors in Reading can assist with negotiating and formalising child arrangements, as well as guiding parents through court proceedings if required, all while making sure children’s best interests are protected.
Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse can take many forms, some of which can be subtle and hard to identify. In all cases, this abuse is unacceptable and it is important to know that there is help available. Our family law experts can help people experiencing domestic abuse to take swift and robust action to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Pre-nuptial agreements
Pre-nuptial agreements or ‘pre-nups’ are becoming increasingly common for people from a wide range of backgrounds. Our family solicitors in Reading can assist with negotiating and drafting pre-nups, as well as providing independent advice on the terms of pre-nups to help ensure that they are fair and legally sound.
Post-nuptial agreements
Post-nuptial agreements or ‘post-nups’ offer equivalent protection to pre-nuptial agreements but with the advantage that they can be entered into after you are already married. This can be useful if you did not make a pre-nup or need to update the terms of an existing agreement. Our solicitors dealing with family law can assist with all aspects of post-nups, making sure their terms are clear and your interests are protected.
Cohabitation
Cohabitation means living together without getting married or entering a civil partnership. Many people do not realise that they have no automatic legal rights to a cohabiting partner’s assets which can leave them at risk if they were ever to separate. As part of our family law services in Reading, we can advise clients on making cohabitation agreements covering what should happen if they separate, as well as offering support for resolving cohabitation disputes.
Mediation
Mediation is one of the most popular ways of dealing with family law disputes, including those related to the division of assets and arrangements for children in divorce, dissolution and separation.
Benefits of mediation include that it is generally much faster and more cost-effective than court proceedings, as well as keeping the details of your dispute private. It also means that the final decision over what happens stays in your hands rather than those of a judge.
The mediation process involves a series of meetings with a trained neutral mediator. These can either be joint meetings with your ex-partner or you can both meet the mediator individually. Any agreement you make will be recorded in a Memorandum of Understanding and can be made legally binding by applying to a court for a Consent Order.
Our family solicitors can advise clients prior to mediation, so they can go into the process clear-eyed about their rights and what their negotiating position might be. We can also review any agreement you reach to make sure it is fair and apply for the Consent Order for you.
Collaborative law
Collaborative law is an alternative to mediation for resolving family law matters. It can be more suitable in some circumstances, such as where there are complex financial issues to resolve.
The process involves the respective parties and their lawyers (who must be trained collaborative lawyers) meeting to discuss the issues and agree solutions. Other experts, such as accountants and financial advisers, can also sit in if appropriate.
We offer collaborative law in house as part of our family law advice services, with extensive experience guiding clients through this process.
Our family law advice fees
Our family law specialists can provide suitable fee arrangements for a variety of circumstances, including fixed fees where appropriate. We will be happy to discuss our fees for the matter with which you need assistance when you contact us.
Contact our family law solicitors in Reading
To get in contact with one of our solicitors dealing with family law in Reading, you can call us on 0118 957 3425 or use our contact form.
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