Helping You Through The End Of Your Marriage Or Partnership
Divorce, dissolution, or separation proceedings can be extremely stressful and demanding; and such feelings may be compounded when there are child care arrangements to be agreed and family assets to be divided.
In such circumstances, you may require the assistance of an expert solicitor who can help you make the most appropriate arrangements.
Our family department, headed by Sally Matthews and Catherine Roblin, can provide you with expert advice, guidance, and legal representation to help you manage this life changing and challenging process.
Catherine is an accredited member of the Law Society Advanced Family Panel, the Children Panel, and is a Resolution Panel Specialist. In addition, Catherine is a Solicitor Advocate who has higher righter of audience in the civil Court, and also sits as a part-time Tribunal Judge.
Sally is a Resolution Panel Specialist, a Collaborative Lawyer, and is an expert in high net value cases.
Combined, Catherine and Sally are two of the most experienced family solicitors in South Wales and are highly effective at resolving matters in an amicable way where possible. However, should it become necessary to issue Court proceedings, Catherine and Sally have 50 years of combined Court room experience between them and will represent your interests precisely and effectively.
What Are Grounds For Divorce Or Dissolution?
In order to commence divorce proceedings, it must be established that the marriage has ‘irretrievably broken down’.
This can be proven by one of five facts:
- unreasonable behaviour;
- desertion;
- adultery;
- two years separation (with consent); or
- five years separation (no consent needed).
Four of the same facts can be used to dissolve a civil partnership. You cannot use adultery as a ground for dissolving a civil partnership; in such circumstances, if your partner is unfaithful proceedings would be issued on the grounds of ‘unreasonable behaviour’.
What We Will Do For You
There are several options available.
You could look to resolve matters in an amicable way without going to court. Consider mediation or collaborative law. To find out more, see what services we offer to help keep your case out of court. We have a specialist team of solicitors and trained mediators.
If you can’t agree, you may need to make an application to court. Our team of solicitors will advise and assist you through the process and, if needed, represent you in court.
Please contact Sally Matthews on 01446 721000 or via email on SAM@Passmores.com or Catherine Roblin on 01446 721 000 or 07890 982057 or via email on CER@Passmores.com.