Going to see a solicitor to discuss your Family Law issues can be a scary thing to do, whether you need to find out if you can get a divorce, or you’re having trouble agreeing how often you should spend time with your children, or you aren’t sure what to do with the house.
No doubt there are hundreds of questions whirling around in your head, friends have told you horror stories and you don’t know whether seeing a solicitor is even worth it. If you haven’t had to do it before, you may not know what to ask or what to expect. How do you decide what solicitor to use? How much will it cost? Will you have to go to court? Will you be worse off?
In this 3-part series, we aim to help you unravel the mysteries of how it all works so you can feel positive about taking that first step to getting legal advice and making decisions for your future.
Part 1: I think I need legal advice, what do I do next?
Ignore any ‘legal advice’ you’ve been given by well-meaning friends and family. If you need legal advice, get it from a qualified solicitor who specialises in family law. Although friends and family have the best of intentions, they may base their ‘advice’ on their own experiences or on something they’ve read in the newspaper, and laws change so frequently that what happened in their case might not happen in yours.
In Family Law, every single case is unique and has its own set of facts. The advice you receive from us is tailored to your case and we are always fully up-to-date with the law. What we advise one client may not be the same for another client. If you know you’re getting proper advice, you will feel more confident in making a decision.
Choosing a Family Law Solicitor
Once you’ve decided to get some proper legal advice, the best starting point is to go to a solicitor who has been recommended to you. We are proud to say that most of our clients come to us having been recommended to us by friends and family. They are happy to recommend us as they know we will look after their loved one and that we provide a professional service.
Give the solicitor a call and be prepared to answer a few crucial questions. You will need to give your full name, address and date of birth but you will also need to provide your opponent’s details too. This isn’t because we write to them or contact them, but it does enable us to check our system to see if we have ever given them legal advice before. If so, we won’t be able to give you advice as well but can recommend you to another firm.
Making an Appointment With a Family Law Solicitor
You should expect to be able to book an appointment with your chosen solicitor within a couple of days. We know it can be hard to motivate yourself to see a family law solicitor and you will want to strike while the iron is hot, so we do our very best to meet with you as soon as possible.
We suggest taking any relevant paperwork or figures along to the appointment along with your marriage certificate, some photo ID and a couple of proofs of address. If your case is about finances, the more detail you are able to give about the value of your assets, the more specific the advice will be.