Matrimonial & Family Law
Our experienced and dedicated Matrimonial Department is available to provide impartial, professional legal advice on the following specialist areas: Divorce and Judicial Separation, The financial consequences of a relationship breakdown, Cohabitation (living together) and Pre-nuptial Agreements, Separation Agreements, Injunctions for domestic violence and harassment, Child Care. The Child Support Agency (CSA) and Child Maintenance, including all disputes over children (residence, contact, care and supervision proceedings commenced by Local Authorities, etc).
We appreciate that involvement in the family law legal process can be stressful, emotional and time consuming. However our aim is to give practical, timely and cost effective advice, whilst being sensitive to the needs of our clients. We will talk to you to get an understanding of the progress you expect and your requirements at every stage of the process.
We have professionals who specialise in their areas of Family law and consequently have a high level of knowledge and experience in their respective fields. The fee earners at Attwood & Co have a proven track record for client satisfaction and sensitive handling of upsetting cases (see Our People).
If you are involved in court proceedings, help may be available in respect of legal costs - please call us for details of Legal Aid and our Case Financing facilities.
If you would like advice or assistance on any of the above and would like to make an enquiry, please contact us on solicitors@attwoodandco.co.uk or on 01375 898871.
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Child Care
The protection of children from harm is the responsibility of their parents, but sometimes it all goes wrong. One or more parents may have problems that make them unable to look after the children: it may be mental health problems, it may be alcohol or drugs, or simply that a single parent cannot cope with the responsibilities of looking after a child or children on their own. The State, in the form of Social Services Departments, have a duty to step in, and to help parents to look after their children, to promote their children's interests. In the last resort, Social Services are under an obligation to consider removing the children, temporarily, or long term.
Social Workers are not above the law. They are required to work with families, to try to keep the family together, and only in the last resort to look at removal of the child. They must look at the possibility that other family members may be able to look after the children, if their own parent or parents cannot. For a child to be removed from its parents, Social Services can only act with the parents consent, or with a Court Order. Court Proceedings, by their very nature, are there to ensure that the parents have a fair and proper hearing of their case, so that the child is not removed either temporarily or forever, without due process of law.
It is a sad feature of these cases that there is considerable muddle, misunderstanding and drift. The law lays down obligations on Social Services Departments that they simply cannot fulfil. The stress on Social Workers and the pressure of work, means that often there are mistakes made; or decisions are never made; or if made, never implemented.
It is for this reason that Legal Advice is so important. The Law Society has established a Children's Panel of Solicitors qualified to act for parents and for children in these Court Proceedings, of which Attwood & Co is a member.
For further information or advice, please contact us on solicitors@attwoodandco.co.uk or on 01375 898871.
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