START TOGETHER

HOW WE CAN HELP

Most couples have never been through separation or divorce before. There will be many things you won’t know. You’ll need to make long-term decisions about the division of your finances and arrangements for any children you have. We offer dedicated services for both. But in the short-term, you’ll want legal advice on how separation and divorce works, so you can make a plan.

Sharing a lawyer for that first meeting is a game changer. It sets you on the right track for an amicable, transparent separation.

So we offer one-off Start Together Consultations with one of our Senior Solicitors for couples who aren’t yet ready to engage in the long-term decisions about the division of their finances or arrangements for their children, but want to cover the immediate questions about divorce and separation which everyone faces in those early weeks.

HOW IT WORKS

Beforehand, we’ll conduct short screening sessions with each of you individually, and ask you to complete our induction forms so we can give legal advice tailored to your circumstances.

At your consultation, you both get the same advice from the same impartial lawyer at the same time, covering:

• how the legal process works,
• a legal analysis of your specific circumstances so you know the legal issues this raises, and what financial disclosure is likely to be required, and
• any pressing questions either of you have, whether relating to finances or children.

After the consultation we’ll provide a roadmap to take you forward. The aim is for you to be in a position to make a plan for your divorce. This may be coming back to us for legal advice or taking it forwards yourselves.

Our Start Together service is a fixed fee of £500.

QUESTIONS ABOUT MONEY

Here are some FAQs couples often ask us at the consultations:

• Does it matter if one of us moves out?
• How do we share our outgoings, including mortgages in the short term?
• Do we have to get divorced? What if we just want to separate?
• What if our income is going to change (redundancy or new job)?
• What is the timeline for separation and divorce and the legal process?

QUESTIONS ABOUT CHILDREN

Here are some FAQs couples often ask us at the consultations:

• How should we manage childcare in the short-term?
• Does it matter if one of us moves out?
• Can I take the children on holiday?
• What about urgent deadlines for school places?
• What should we be saying to the school?
• What decisions can we make without consulting each other?
• What is the legal framework?