Advice
Barristers are best placed to provide effective and realistic advice on all your family law concerns.
We can provide you with advice; whether face to face in conference or in writing on all family law related issues. Sometimes at the start of a dispute a simple advice will be called for; providing guidance on the range of options available and the evidence to be obtained. In other cases, a more detailed fully comprehensive opinion on the merits of a case will be essential. Sometimes, a second opinion or advice on the merits of an appeal will be required. The nature of any advice that is required will be discussed at the Initial Consultation.
Legal representation in court
As barristers, our life-blood is the persuasive and effective representation of our client’s best interests in court.
We are able to make representations on your behalf at court, at all stages of the litigation process and at every level of court throughout the country. We do, however, recommend that you instruct us well in advance of any court hearing to ensure that we can properly advise on the merits of any case and that any further evidence required can be obtained.
Our court work includes:
- Injunctions
- First appointment and directions hearings
- Financial Dispute Resolution appointments (‘FDRs’)
- Representation at all dispute resolution and procedural hearings concerning children
- Trials
- Appeals
- Emergency applications concerning the welfare of children and the dissipation of assets
Drafting legal documents
Barristers appreciate the importance of precision and the full legal consequences of language used in documents.
Our barristers can draft all manner of documents on your behalf, such as pre-nuptial and separation agreements, letters (including open and without prejudice offers to settle), Form Es, questionnaires, consent orders and where appropriate witness statements.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) including Early neutral evaluation (ENE)
Family law disputes are increasingly being resolved outside the court process.
Our barristers positively embrace the growth in ADR. Our barristers may be instructed to act as mediators or collaborative lawyers. We also provide representation at mediations. Both parties may even choose to instruct us to provide an early neutral evaluation on the outcome of any case. We believe that ENE can be a significant, early and rapid benefit to parties and a genuine help to agreeing a just settlement. It is, we think, most suitable where parties are working towards a settlement but are finding it difficult to reach a final agreement, and where the opinion of a senior, impartial, jointly-instructed member of the Bar - whether in respect of the law or facts – will resolve the dispute.
