Family / Matrimonial

Seeking legal advice can be a daunting experience, especially when it concerns a sensitive subject such as separation, divorce or residence/contact of children. We are here to provide you with the essential information that will make you fully aware of all your rights and the options that are available to you to ensure the matter can be resolved in the most amicable and efficient manner possible.

Matrimonial

We can offer comprehensive advice and assistance in Divorce, separation, ancillary relief and maintenance issues in both the County Court and High Court.

With these difficult economic times we recognise many couples wish to enter into proactive negotiations to settle the case in the most amicable way whilst minimising costs. We can offer advice on matrimonial agreements that would achieve financial settlements between separated persons. However we also understand when necessary discussions are not progressing court action is the best option to take to ensure effective action and results are achieved.

Children

Cases involving children can be very emotional and often complex. We can assist you with issues surrounding residence, contact and parental responsibility of children and try our best to sort these issues out in the most amicable manner possible as it is often the case a relationship between parents must be maintained.

We can also take action in respect of specific issues & prohibitive steps orders in respect of your child and in public law cases where there is social services involvement and the threat of care orders or supervision orders.

Civil Partnerships

Civil partnerships are unions which were enacted by law in Northern Ireland in December 2005. We can advice civil partners on the rights and responsibilities associated with civil partnerships from the preliminary stages before entering into one through to the dissolution of a partnership that has irretrievably broken down.

 The Civil Partnership Act 2004 provides the mechanisms to, apportion property, arrange maintenance and divide pensions in the same way these matters are handled in divorce.

As well as advising civil partners about their rights upon the dissolution of the partnership, we also represent surviving partners about their rights in inheritance disputes.

Domestic Violence

We understand that domestic violence is an extremely frightening experience and many feel fearful about accessing help. We offer an understanding but robust service and can take swift action to protect victims by way of emergency applications for non molestation orders and occupations orders to the Domestic Proceedings Court.  If you are on benefits or a low income we will put legal aid in place to assist you.

Adoption

Step parents often have a close bond with their step children and many wish to legally adopt them in order to gain full legal rights and responsibilities with their step child. We can make an application to the High Court for an Adoption Order. We understand that it is often the case a natural parent cannot give agreement because they cannot be found but this issue can be overcome.

We take great pride in adoption order however understand they can be quite lengthy and expensive. A more recent alternative is a step parents that is married to a child’s parent can obtain a Parental Responsibility Order. This provides them with the same rights and responsibilities as if they had been a natural parent (with the exception of the right to consent or object to an adoption order.)

(028) 9042 2038