Our Family Law specialists understand that navigating legal issues related to family can be overwhelming and emotional. Our team of experienced family lawyers are dedicated to providing you with compassionate and knowledgeable legal representation.
When big changes occur in your personal life, you look for the support of friends, family and ideally a specialist team of lawyers you can trust, particularly when it involves your family. Having a trusted legal representative on side to support you through your journey is vital and they can seek to reduce any unnecessary stress that comes in this difficult period.
The Private Family Law Team recognises that the breakdown or commencement of a relationship can affect business, property, and asset planning. Our team is based amongst our trusted colleagues in the Corporate, Commercial, Employment, Property, and Probate and Trusts teams, utilising their wealth of experience to provide an all-inclusive seamless service to our clients.
The team specialise in the financial aspects in both the contemplation of marriage or cohabitation, and where issues arise upon parties separating, whether this is in relation to divorce or dissolution (if the parties are not married or in a civil partnership).
Private Family Law
Care Proceedings are when the Local Authority have reason to believe that your children may be at the risk of harm or suffering from harm and the Local Authority issues Court proceedings. The Local Authority can ask the court to decide if a legal order should be granted, allowing the Local Authority to intervene, with the best interests of the children in mind. This could mean moving them in with another family member, or another care giver out of your control. The Local Authority might also ask you attend meetings and try to work with you before issuing court proceedings. We can assist at any stage of this.
Care ProceedingsEnsuring that your children are well looked after is one of the main priorities particularly when separating from the other parent.
We recognise that disputes involving children can be particularly emotive and we have significant expertise to guide you through reaching agreements outside of court proceedings but also the expertise and knowledge to assist you if court proceedings become necessary.
Arrangement Orders
Domestic abuse happens in all groups and sections of society and is not exclusively by men against women. It can also be understood and experienced differently based on your age, gender, sexuality, culture, class, disability, or mental health. This can include physical and sexual assault as well as controlling and financial abuse.
The paramount consideration is to secure your safety and we can provide legal advice as to the most appropriate steps to take. We have a specialist team of lawyers to deal with these very sensitive issues.
Domestic abuseFor various reasons, both adults and children may consider changing their names. For a number of reasons, a parent may wish to change their child’s name.
Changing your name as an adult is a relatively simple procedure but making a request to change the name of a child can become a complex process. We guide you through the process of changing your name or that of your child, providing you with as much or as little legal support as you may require.
A cohabitation agreement gives couples considering living together or already cohabiting the opportunity to clarify how they intend to own property and provide for the ways in which they would deal with their financial affairs if they were to separate.
To ensure you are fully informed of your legal position prior to moving in together, will ensure you and your assets, and the assets of your partner are protected should anything go wrong.
CohabitationThe breakdown of a relationship is often one of the most difficult and stressful experiences in a person’s life. By giving you the right help, advice, and support from the outset, we can assist you in navigating what can seem a daunting, and at times, emotional process.
Our team include members of Resolution, a family law organisation made up of family law practitioners who adopt a non-adversarial approach to resolving issues. Some members of our team are accredited specialists in finance and children cases.
Divorce
When married couples or couples who have entered a civil partnership are separating it is necessary to consider the financial needs of both parties and for the children. No case is ever the same and, therefore, no two cases will settle on identical terms. We will take the time with you to understand your situation, tailoring an approach that is specific to your needs.
There will be early consideration as to what capital assets including the family home, land, business interests and pensions are involved and how such should be distributed. Further, there will be consideration around available income and how such can be addressed.
Financial IssuesIf you and your partner enter into a pre-nuptial or a post-nuptial agreement, you can determine in advance how you intend for your assets to be dealt with should you separate. Making those decisions now is intended to reduce the financial and emotional stress of separation – should it ever happen – enabling you both to move on and importantly to ensure your children are properly provided for.
This is an important issue, for example, for business owners as any business owner contemplating marriage should consider a pre-nuptial agreement to reduce the risks to their business enterprise should the relationship end in divorce or dissolution.
Pre-nuptial
The legal aid family law team specialises in supporting you when difficulties arise in your relationships and include separation/divorce, financial settlements, plans for your children or children within your family, protection from domestic abuse, and advice when social services have raised concerns regarding your children.
We have specialist lawyers in these and other areas of family law to ensure a high quality of service is delivered with care and understanding. This includes members of specialist panels approved by the Law Society.
Legal Aid TeamTilly Bailey & Irvine's experienced divorce solicitors in the North East can be found in Hartlepool, Wynyard, Stockton-on-Tees, Barnard Castle, and Sunderland.
We will assess any costs and inform you from the outset, and if appropriate, we will assess if you are eligible for legal aid. We have a range of solicitors that can take on your case, dependent on your needs.
Call: 01429 405181
Yesterday it was announced that the legal age of marriage in England and Wales has risen to 18 years old, meaning that anyone under the age of 18 will be unable to marry or enter a civil partnership, even if they have parental consent.
Jessica Inman, Solicitor within our Private Family law team discusses prenuptial agreements and explains how Tilly Bailey & Irvine can help.
A relationship breakdown often means a dramatic change in life for all involved and when parents live apart, arrangements need to be agreed about how and when children will see each of their parents.
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