How do I find the best divorce or family lawyer?

Get personal recommendations. Look online for divorce lawyers. Choose a specialist family law firm. Has a solicitor been recommended by the Legal 500 or Chambers? Find somewhere close to home. Check that they are regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority. Is the firm a member of Resolution? Search for online reviews and read testimonials (usually available on a firm’s website). Don't be afraid to say if you'd prefer a man or a woman.

What should I consider when choosing a divorce lawyer?

What about costs? Why do I need a divorce solicitor? How will a divorce lawyer help me? Are they happy to talk about costs? Do they offer a solution as to how to resolve your case?

What should I look for in my first meeting with a divorce lawyer?

When you meet your solicitor for the first time, consider whether you feel comfortable talking to them. Are they listening to your needs? Do they put you at ease? Do they empathise with your situation? Do you feel that you can trust the solicitor with all your personal and intimate details? Check that they are they asking the right questions? Have they had experience in dealing with cases like yours? Do they appear confident that they will be able to help you?

Be mindful of clock-watching solicitors

This is not a promising sign. A top quality solicitor will care about your case and give you their full attention. If they are checking the time during your first appointment, that should tell you how much they value you as a client.

How do I manage the cost of a divorce?

Many people have the misconception that they can’t afford a solicitor to help them with their divorce. It might be useful to consider: A specialist family lawyer will be able to get a better financial settlement for you in the long run, so it will be worth the cost. Some law firms offer a fixed fee divorce making it easy to budget your costs. Remember that solicitors often charge an hourly rate and so it is beneficial to you if you are well-prepared for your meetings or phone calls and are well organised and have all the information to hand. Avoid unnecessary emails and phone calls to your solicitor as these will be charged for. Solicitors are not therapists and their sole aim is to deal with the legal side of your divorce. We always recommend that you seek counselling and/or therapy if you feel you are struggling mentally with the impact of your divorce. There are trained professionals who can guide and support you through the whole process and using their services will help keep the solicitor’s costs down.

What is micro cheating?

Micro cheating is a term referring to breaches of trust within a relationship. It is an ethical grey area, with some people considering it adultery. It is difficult to define micro cheating as it is an area of infidelity that does not necessarily look like what might traditionally be considered an affair.

Micro cheating does not involve a physical or sexual affair, but usually means that one party has developed a relationship with an outside party. This could be in a number of ways, including:

Messaging or interacting with an ex
Not making it clear that they are in a relationship, and encouraging flirtatious interactions with others
Joining a dating site
Messaging or interacting with someone outside their relationship in a romantic or sexual way.

There may be other actions people consider to be micro cheating within their relationship. Every couple is different, but there are some generally accepted boundaries of what is acceptable behaviour.

Micro cheating is often identified alongside emotional cheating. Emotional cheating usually means developing an emotional, romantic attachment to someone who is not your partner. In some ways, it goes further than micro cheating as a connection is developed beyond the normal boundaries of friendship.