Divorce solicitors and family lawyers Brighton & Hove, East Sussex

Absolutely. Our divorce solicitors have helped numerous clients in Brighton through the process. It doesn’t matter whether you are initiating the application as a sole applicant, choosing to apply together as joint applicants, or have been asked to respond to a divorce application — our lawyers have experience supporting clients on all sides.

Both the applicant and respondent have different responsibilities and deadlines, so having an expert in your corner ensures you understand exactly what you need to do and when. Get in touch with our expert lawyers to find out more.

For straightforward cases with minimal complications, a divorce in England or Wales can be completed in around 6–8 months. However, many cases involve additional factors that may affect the timeline, such as child arrangement orders or financial settlements.

Our solicitors will work closely with you to ensure the process progresses as smoothly as possible, with minimal delays.

Get in touch with our team for a personalised estimate of how long your divorce may take.

Following an initial discussion, your solicitor will be able to give you a clear estimate of likely costs based on your individual situation. Divorce costs can vary and resolving finances or agreeing on child arrangements often require additional time. For a broader overview, our divorce costs and pricing explain the factors that influence costs. For straightforward divorces, we offer a fixed-fee divorce package.

Yes. Most cases are resolved out of court, but if a hearing is required you will attend Brighton County Court and Family Court on William Street. Our solicitors will ensure you are fully prepared and supported throughout the process.

Brighton County Court and Family Court is located on William Street, close to the Royal Pavilion, Old Steine Gardens and Brighton seafront. It is around a 15-minute walk from Brighton Station via Queens Road towards the city centre and Pavilion area.

From our Brighton office at Nile House, Nile Street (BN1 1HW), the court is within walking distance via North Road and Old Steine towards William Street. Nearby cafés include Starbucks on North Street, Pret A Manger on East Street and Small Batch Coffee on Jubilee Street if you arrive early.

No. Divorce in England and Wales now works on a no-fault basis, meaning you don’t have to explain yourself or justify the decision. 

All you need to do is simply confirm that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. This means it has come to an end and cannot realistically continue. The court will accept this statement without asking for details or evidence. 

There are still formal steps and timings to follow, but your personal reasons are not examined or challenged.

Yes, you can apply for a divorce on your own. Your spouse does not have to agree for the process to go ahead.
Even if they say they don’t want the divorce, or don’t respond at all, the law allows the process to continue. There are set rules around notice and timescales. This is why situations where a spouse ignores the divorce petition don’t usually bring things to a halt, even if they cause some delay.
This is a common situation that our Brighton divorce lawyers deal with in practice.

No-fault divorce means neither spouse has to blame the other for the relationship ending. Instead of setting out behaviour or fault, you make a joint or sole application confirming the marriage has broken down.
There is a fixed legal waiting period before the divorce can be finalised, which applies to everyone and cannot be shortened. This is why concerns about how long a spouse can delay a divorce are often more about process than disagreement itself.

No. The court’s role is to reach a fair outcome, not an equal one.
While outcomes can vary, that variation is guided by clear legal principles, including:

• Housing needs
• Income
• Pensions
• Whether there are children

This is why the question of whether assets are split 50/50 in divorce rarely has a simple yes-or-no answer, even though the range of outcomes is not unlimited.

It depends on what’s involved. Some divorces are genuinely straightforward and follow a predictable process. Others involve finances, children, or disagreement, where early legal advice can help avoid problems later. 

While divorce solicitors cannot change the law, they can help you understand how it is usually applied and where there is room for discussion. 

Many people in the Brighton area speak to our divorce lawyers to get that clarity before deciding what help they need.

Child arrangements depend largely on what the family decides, the suitability of each parent, the child’s wishes and where applicable, the ruling of a family court Judge and social services. Resulting arrangements can include sole custody, where one parent is the sole caretaker of the child, joint custody and third-party custody where a third party such as a grandparent becomes responsible for the child’s welfare.

At Stowe, we specialise in working out and providing creative, bespoke solutions to ensure a fair child arrangement order as part of your separation agreement, which puts the childrens’ welfare first. If you’re looking for a collaborative process during your child arrangement process, our experienced team of family law and divorce solicitors are here to support you.

We can also collaborate with social services where required, to ensure that your children are protected throughout this process. Social services can often make judgements based on the child’s behaviour, attitudes towards each parent, and their parents’ lifestyles. Here at Stowe, a collaborative lawyer from our team will ensure that social services have access to a;; the information, to make the right judgment call for your child’s wellbeing.

Stowe’s solicitors in Brighton can provide divorce services for expats across the world. Our Brighton and Hove solicitors offer a collaborative process to represent clients from across the world. Whether you’re going through an ex pat civil partnership relationship breakdown, or an international divorce, our experienced team is here to help.

Yes, we will. If there are commercial assets which will be impacted by your divorce or separation, our experienced team is here to help. We can work with you to resolve all manner of domestic and financial issues that your separation might incur. Our legal service is a collaborative process with yourself, your ex partner and their legal team. We will work on resolving matters in a fair and equitable manney, while still protecting your assets.

As part of our legal services, we prefer to achieve out-of-court settlements where possible. That being said, we are happy to represent clients from across Brighton, Hove, East and West Sussex, and work to resolve any commercial or financial issues that your divorce or separation will cause.

Separation agreements are typically a bespoke document which you and your partner will put together once you’ve decided not to live together. These separation agreements typically cover a range of financial issues and can include family mediation requirements.

If there are any assets which aren’t covered by a prenuptial agreement but which are of particular interest to one or either party, they are often mentioned in the separation agreement too.

The costs involved when it comes to using our specialist family law services depend on a range of factors, including the length and complexity of the case. In most cases, a more complex case will require more work and, as such, require a higher legal fee. That’s one of the reasons we choose to settle out-of-court wherever possible – it helps to keep fees as low as possible, and ensures civility between yourself and your ex partner, without requiring lengthy litigation.

Stowe’s Brighton and Hove office offers significantly more reasonable rates than large London firms, without compromising in service or results. Each office is supported by our national framework of accountants and legal executives, meaning you’ll receive a complete support network, with genuine legal advice for your bespoke situation.

Typically, assets are split 50:50 during a divorce – including the marital home. However, if one party has more assets, the house could be given to the other party.
It all depends on your individual circumstances. Our solicitors in Brighton will listen to your circumstances and will be able to accurately inform you of the options for your case, ensuring fairness for all parties

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