Our award-winning Family Law solicitors are expert legal professionals, experienced in dealing with family, child, relationship, divorce and separation cases. With the right mix of strategic and practical advice backed up by a measured and friendly approach we’ll be by your side every step of the way.
We never forget the personal nature of family law. We cover the full range of family legal services, from pre-nuptial agreements to no-fault divorce and related financial disputes and settlements. We also help clients reach agreements about child arrangements. When needed we step in to provide urgent protection from harassment.
Family law cases are always personal we will  work closely with you through what may be a stressful and uncertain time. But our team will always give you clear and objective advice to help you achieve the outcomes you need.
We know that divorce, disputes over children and the division of family finances can have a life changing impact on the people we work for. We have expertise in all forms of dispute resolution and will advise you on the right path for you to take. If it means getting the right result for you, we will use all the weight of the family court system.
We advise on all aspects of divorce/no-fault divorce and separation law, including negotiation of financial settlements and enforcement of financial orders both in the UK and overseas. We also provide assistance to those who need protection from harassment, seeking occupation orders and non-molestation orders when the situation demands. Our solicitors are regarded as leading specialists in divorce, matrimonial and family proceedings domestically, as well as for matters with international elements and for those individuals with high value and complex financial arrangements.
Following divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership questions about where your children will live, when they will spend team with each parent and the type of contact that can take place are all top of the agenda. If parents can’t agree matters, the family court will always put the welfare of children first when deciding appropriate arrangements. We take a pragmatic approach, encouraging agreement where possible but advising you on the steps needed to start court proceedings if necessary.
Our child law work covers post-divorce living arrangements for children as well as securing maintenance and financial support for children whose parents are unmarried. Our international expertise means we can offer bespoke advice if a parent wishes to move abroad with the children. If appropriate we can pursue or defend international abduction proceedings on your behalf.
Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements are now commonplace in the UK and are a useful tool to help preserve personal and family wealth in the event of divorce or civil partnership dissolution. We have particular expertise in advising clients with substantial business and personal assets in this country and overseas If you are considering an arrangement like this, it’s important to get advice at an early stage. Pre-nuptial agreements must be formalised well in advance of any marriage for example, and there are other requirements too such as ensuring that each side receives independent legal advice that you need to be aware of.
Our family lawyers have extensive experience in drafting and finalising pre-nuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements (for example where there has not been time to execute an agreement before marriage).
We advise on the legal position of cohabitees, drawing up legally binding agreements where appropriate and handling disputes that arise over property and other assets in the event of a relationship breaking down.
The financial disputes we deal with tend to revolve around high value assets, often with an international dimension. The size and breadth of the various legal teams at DMH Stallard means in these cases we can tap into the expertise of corporate and property experts within the firm. This enables us to tackle head on complex financial and business issues when they arise in the context of divorce.
Increasingly we use mediation, arbitration and other forms of private alternative dispute resolution like Early Neutral Evaluation to help clients find acceptable solutions to the issues they face.
We act swiftly to obtain orders like Non Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders and injunctions through the family and civil courts. We follow this up when necessary by liaising with the police and authorities to enforce and extend the protection obtained in the courts.
The team is always very helpful and they provide quick responses to any queries.
Chambers and Partners UK 2024
Each member of the team has excellent commercial awareness and always puts the needs of the client at the forefront of everything they do.
Chambers and Partners UK 2023
Hugely diverse number of practice areas in this firm makes it easy for clients to have all of their legal advice needs met by one firm. Excellent quality of solicitors means there is consistent quality meaning there is no need to go to another firm.’
Legal 500 UK 2022
Legal500 2024 Leading Firm
Chambers & Partners UK 2024
eprivateclient 2022
Meet the team
As one of the largest family law teams in the South East we have the strength and breadth to provide a first-class service in even the most complex and bitterly contested family law disputes.
Our combined expertise means we can offer specialist advice in all the areas of family law that might affect you, from divorce and arrangements for children to prenuptial advice, cohabitation agreements, complex financial disputes and international child abduction.
We represented the interests of the wife who owned a company jointly with her husband and on divorce he claimed that the assets should not be split equally, claiming he should have the higher share. The case involved gaining other professional opinions from accountants and financial planners. The legal arguments to establish the equal position of the wife were complex and successful.
Negotiating complex child access arrangements
We resolve complex disputes about children when a relationship between parents – married or unmarried – breaks down. Conflicts arose when the parents were unable to agree which one of them the child should live with and how much or how little contact the child should have with the parent he or she does not live with (the non-resident parent). We have successfully negotiated several arrangements that work for our clients.
Appeals – post-divorce settlement
We defended our client in an extremely complicated case and achieved excellent results. Their former Partner was a keen litigant and determined to appeal decisions the court made relating to finance and the children. Our client achieved and maintains a clean break in terms of capital, income and care of the children.
Cohabitation and pre-nuptial agreements
Our client had substantial capital assets and sought advice on what kind of financial claims could be made by a cohabitee on the one hand and a spouse on the other in the event of a relationship breakdown. They wanted to know if they should enter into a prenuptial agreement ahead of marriage and needed specialist advice on the law surrounding nuptial agreements in England and Wales.
Because of the value of the assets, highly technical tax and trust law advice was required.
Non molestation orders (Harassment)
Our client was the victim of a prolonged course of harassment. The abuse the client was receiving was unrelenting. We successfully issued proceedings in the High Court for an injunction against the Defendant, preventing them from attending the client’s street, part of the beach on which the client lived, and from her gym.
DMH Stallard’s Family law experts, Natasha Slabas and Samantha Jago, talk to John Young about how DMH Stallard can help you if you are struggling with a legal issue and looking for a lawyer.
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