Solicitors specialising in divorce and relationship breakdown
Getting divorced, or going through any relationship break down or becoming involved in any other family law dispute, is one of life’s most stressful events – and having to sort out what are often complex and emotional legal issues that follow is never easy.
That’s why you will need an approachable and local specialist divorce and family law solicitor to guide and support you through those difficult times. if you live in Dorset, our experienced family law team can guide you through this tricky period, with the specialist knowledge needed to help you with your family law issue as well as the sensitivity needed to support you throughout the process
Relationship problems? Let our lawyers put your mind at rest. Here at Bonallack & Bishop, that first phone call, and your first 30 minute appointment, are both FREE. Call or Email Us Now
5 REASONS TO CHOOSE US FOR YOUR DORSET DIVORCE OR FAMILY LAW CASE
• We are specialists – divorce and family law is all our team does
• Our family team includes three fully trained and accredited collaborative lawyers or two jointly qualified family mediators/lawyers
• We also offer video call meetings using Zoom or Microsoft teams [if on occasions it is more convenient for you than a face-to-face meeting ] – with you and with your barrister – to keep your costs down
• Initial phone advice with one of our team is FREE
• Your first 30 minute appointment on any aspect of family law or divorce is also FREE
OUR APPROACH TO FAMILY LAW
Dear at Bonallack & Bishop, we are all strong supporters of avoiding unnecessary confrontation when conducting family law work. While we will always try to get the best deal for you, we look upon relationship breakdown as a problem seeking a solution rather than a battle to be won – especially when there are children involved.
We always see if we can if reach a fair agreement for our clients without having to incur the considerable legal cost and uncertainty of a formal application to court – often by using family mediation. However, if this sort of approach simply won’t work in your case [and, sadly, it doesn’t suit everyone] rest assured we will do everything we can to get a fair solution for you as swiftly as possible.
Click here to read more about family mediation
HOW OUR FAMILY LAWYERS CAN HELP YOU
Our team deal regularly with a wide variety of issues relating to relationship breakdown, including;
o divorce or civil partnership dissolution. Click here to read more about how our divorce solicitors can help you
o domestic violence
o financial issues arising out of divorce– including pension entitlement. Click here to read more about how our divorce and financial issues
o children issues including residence and contact.
o child maintenance
o grandparents rights regarding their grandchildren
o joint property ownership disputes – often arising after a cohabiting couple split up
o foreign divorce and child abduction
o prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements.
The different options for family law dispute resolution
When people think about family law disputes they often automatically think about court proceedings. However such disputes needn’t go to court and can in fact be resolved more quickly, cost effectively and amicably using alternative forms of dispute resolution.
Recent law reform mean that these different ways of settling disputes are being used more and more in place of court action.
The problem with court proceedings
One of the main problems associated with court action is the stress it causes parties due to its acrimonious nature. The court process involves winners and losers and can unnecessarily foster bitterness between the two parties. If children are involved in the family dispute, this hostility can be very distressing.
Parties also lose a lot of influence over their family dispute when they go through court because the court will make a binding judgement without the opportunity for any negotiation between the parties. Parties must follow a preset procedure in a very public arena and it means that all of their private interests are made available for all to see.
Battling your issues out in court is also very expensive – legal costs on both sides can really mount up. And it is often very slow. Cases can take a remarkably long time to get the next hearing. And these two factors add significantly to the stress of any family law dispute.
Alternative dispute resolution methods
Many people believe that getting divorced or dealing with the legal issues arising out of relationship breakdown is always bitter, expensive and drawn-out – but this doesn’t have to be the case.
Here are the three alternative ways of resolving family law disputes which avoid the problems detailed above in relation to the court process.
1. Family mediation: Family mediation allows each party to consult a jointly instructed impartial mediator who offers guidance on the divorce process and attempts to discover ways in which the two parties can reach agreement.
2. Collaborative law: This process is designed to avoid litigation and make the divorce process less expensive. Parties agree at the outset that court proceedings will not be used and in order to later go to court, parties will need to instruct new lawyers to support them. A number of meetings take place between both parties and their solicitors with the aim of reaching agreement on the issues at hand. There is little prior interaction between the solicitors which makes the process less expensive and each party receives guidance from their family solicitor throughout the process.
3. Arbitration: Family arbitration once again uses a neutral family law expert who plays the role of a judge in proceedings. The arbitrator will make a final decision on the case and depending on the agreement struck at the start of the process this will either be legally binding or purely a guideline (allowing for court action). This can be a less stressful way of resoling family disputes and requires an agreement to be signed by both parties agreeing to commit to the arbitration process.
The head of our family law team, Dinshaw Printer, in addition to being a district judge, is also one of the very small number of solicitors nationwide qualified as an IFLA qualified Family Law Arbitrator.
Looking for Dorset Family Lawyers? Call us now
Both initial telephone advice, and your first 1/2 hour face to face interview are absolutely FREE- with no commitment required or strings attached. and with offices just over the county border in Fordingbridge and Salisbury, we are not far away. And if you would rather avoid face-to-face meetings – we regularly run cases by phone or email and video call only.
So why not put your mind and rest and protect your legal position by calling us straight away – what you got to lose?
To find out more about your legal position, and how our team can help you in your divorce, contact us now.
• Call Salisbury [01722] 422300, Fordingbridge (01425) 652110 or FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 now
• Or fill in the contact form below to book a call back at a time convenient to you
Bonallack and Bishop, Bonallack and Bishop
Rougemont House, 5, Provost Street
Rougemont Close, Fordingbridge
Salisbury, Hampshire
Wiltshire SP6 1AZ
SP1 1LY
