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Family & Relationships

Whether your relationship is one of marriage, civil partnership or living together – the need for timely, comprehensive and readily understood advice is paramount when difficulties arise. We understand this need and have wide-ranging and detailed experience in sensitively handling issues surrounding family or relationship breakdown.

The Collaborative Family Law process can be a useful option.  Collaborative Practice is an alternative way for divorcing or separating couples to resolve issues respectfully, through informed negotiation. Each party instructs a specialist collaborative family lawyer to provide support, legal advice and guidance. Agreement is reached through a series of round table meetings between the two parties and the two lawyers. All matters relating to finances and children can be agreed and documented. If you wish, the Court can be asked to approve these arrangements and make them binding. This is usually a less expensive and calmer process than taking proceedings to court in the traditional way.

We are only able to represent one of the parties, to find another qualified Collaborative Law practitioner please look at www.collaborativefamilylawyers.co.uk

As well as dealing with disputes, we also help couples to make clear arrangements at the outset – which often promotes a more harmonious relationship.

We can advise on:

• Pre-nuptial agreements: increasingly those contemplating marriage or civil partnership are seeking to make sensible arrangements about their future, before the ceremony. This is particularly true in cases of second marriages or where the parties wish their individual contribution to the relationship to be recognised.

• Cohabitation agreements for those about to live together.

• Separation agreements: spouses planning to live separately but not wishing to divorce can enter into a formal separation agreement in which they set out in full the arrangements affecting them, their children and their property – helping to create certainty and better understanding during the period of living apart and to promote future co-operation.

• Divorce, judicial separation and nullity of marriage: where a marriage has ended we can advise on all aspects of law and procedure and obtain the appropriate decree.

• Financial and property disputes: between spouses or partners including those involving estates, farms and pension schemes, family businesses or professional partnerships, or with foreign assets or property held in trust.

• Childrens issues: maintenance, residence and contact, changes of names or removal abroad.

We act for clients across Dorset and the South West, nationally and overseas.

Richard King 01308 427436 or email r.king@kitsonandtrotman.co.uk

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ESTABLISHED 1756 | BRIDPORT | BEAMINSTER | LYME REGIS