Divorce can be an emotional and life-changing experience. At Barber & Co, we have highly qualified divorce solicitors in Ramsbottom, who will listen to you and handle your case with care and understanding.
Barber & Co is LEXCEL accredited and our specialist family law solicitor, Jacquie Birkett is a UK Law Society prize winner and a member of Resolution the Law Society’s Family Law Panel.
How we can help you
We offer all our clients a tailor-made service and will handle your case with understanding, keeping your best interests in mind. At Barber & Co, we think of our clients as individuals and partners and take great care to give you compassionate advice on any matters that concern divorce law.
While many divorces are straightforward and do not need to be dealt with in court, sometimes it cannot be avoided. Regardless of whether your divorce proceedings go to court or not, you will need a sympathetic and highly qualified divorce solicitor by your side.
We can also provide help on the following issues:
- Child Maintenance
- Child custody
- Pre-nuptial and Post-nuptial agreements
- Grandparents’ rights
- Civil Partnership separation
Divorce and Finances
When it comes to divorce, financial issues can become highly complicated and can draw out the process. Not completing a financial agreement can leave you open to financial claims from your ex-partner in the future.
Jacquie Birkett, who heads our Family Law department, is a financial issue specialist. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Jacquie worked as a Chartered Accountant and this experience has proven to be invaluable, when it comes to handling complex financial agreements.
Divorce Mediation
All divorce cases, except those involving domestic violence or child protection issues, must first go through mediation, before they end up in court. Mediation is a non-adversarial way for divorcing couples to settle matters concerning their finances, property and children out of a court. The process is overseen by a mediator, who ensures that the discussion is constructive and that each side has their say.
Legal representation is still important during mediation as the mediator must remain neutral and cannot give you legal advice. Mediators can inform you of the law, so you know your options, and tell you what a court may or may not order, but they cannot give the expert tailor-made advice that a family law solicitor can.
We will be able to help you during mediation with the following:
- What to consider when going into mediation
- What financial information is necessary
- Whether or not financial proposals are practical
- Whether or not the suggested practical arrangements (i.e childcare) will work
- Determine, whether or not the proposals laid out, are fair to you and your family
- Whether the courts may disagree
Jacquie is a member of Resolution, an organisation of family lawyers ‘Who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters.’ She is also a member of The Law Society Family Law Accreditation, whose members must display ‘a high level of knowledge, skills, experience and practice in the area of family law.’
If you would like more trusted advice on divorce or mediation from our highly qualified divorce solicitors. Please call our Ramsbottom office on 01706 300 165 or contact us here.