Family Law
The breakdown of any relationship is a painful time for all concerned…
Family Law
Marriage and Partnership Breakdown
You may need legal representation to sort out problems relating to financial matters and arrangements for the children but that legal advice needs to be tempered with sympathy and understanding of the situation.
You also need to know that your lawyer is on your side and will get the fairest deal for you. Elizabeth Taylor, who heads this Department, has been qualified for 35 years and has practised in the field of Family Law throughout this period. She is a specialist member of The Law Society's Children Panel and Family Law Panel, a Member of Resolution (formerly the Solicitors' Family Law Association) and has trained as a Mediator. She also practices as a collaborative lawyer, having been a founder member of the Brighton Pod at its inception.
You can expect the best representation and that your matters will be dealt with promptly, efficiently and with a light touch.
Colin Wibley couples his Family Law practice with his civil practice to good effect and also regularly appears in the local Courts as a very able advocate for his clients. Colin is able to use these skills to best advantage in cases involving disputed Wills or inheritance matters.
Sue Ansell is a very popular and experienced lawyer who not only undertakes private Family Law cases but also Public Law cases involving the safety of children. She is a member of the Children Panel and is a regular advocate in the local Courts.
Samantha Dawkins couples her civil and housing work with a good knowledge of Family Law and her family practice is rapidly expanding.
All of our family team are able to provide practical and informative advice in connection with Civil Partnerships with particular reference to the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and of course the Brighton Family Centre is a designated area for dealing with Civil Partnership disputes/dissolutions.
Our Family Law team is also experienced in the issues surrounding the breakdown of unmarried couples and the problems that can often arise, particularly in connection with property which involves the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act.
Children and Family
Special care has to be taken to protect children in the event of family crises and relationship breakdowns. We never forget that the children are yours and that each family's dynamics are different. Special emphasis is given to any issues that may arise and which involve children in the event of any relationship breakdown.
Financial Matters
The resolution of financial issues between separating parties is a process which requires intelligence and imagination. We do not adopt a 'one size fits all' approach but take special care to ensure a settlement is negotiated in an amicable and respectful manner to ensure that the outcome is tailored to the individual client's particular needs and requirements.
All clients need to feel that they can contact their lawyer easily and obtain prompt and timely advice. We pride ourselves that we offer this service to all clients and if your particular Solicitor is for any reason unavailable any urgent queries can be dealt with by another member of our Family Law team which includes unqualified but very experienced client support staff.
Our objective is always to guide each client through what can often be a difficult process in an informative, friendly and economical manner.
