Bristol divorce lawyers & family solicitors

Whether you’re looking to divorce your partner, or you’re responding to a divorce application made by your spouse, you’ll be looking for expert help and support, delivered sympathetically and with compassion.
The divorce process can be confusing, and for many, it can instil a sense of anxiety and frustration; which is why we take great care to outline the emotional, practical and legal challenges that lie ahead whilst providing next steps so that you can move forward to achieve the outcome you’re looking for.

We can provide guidance on completing the divorce application, through to negotiating financial settlements and child custody (child arrangement orders). Our expert team is based in offices located on Queen Square (BS1) so we’re well placed to help you if you’re looking for divorce solicitors in Bristol.

You will most likely attend the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre, which can be found at:

2 Redcliff Street

Bristol

BS1 6GR

If you are arriving by bus, the Bristol Bridge stop is just around the corner from the Court. The following buses stop there: 1, 2, 2A, 39, 72, 172, 349, 374, 375, 376, 376A, 522, and X39. If you’re arriving by car, the Redcliffe Parade car park is an 8-minute walk away, and the Queen Square car park is the same distance. The court is a 10-minute walk from Temple Meads railway station.

The Queen Square park is the perfect place to have a quiet moment of calm in what can be quite a long and stressful day.

Solicitor’s Tip: Our law office is a 5-minute walk from the Court. This is a perfect meeting spot with our clients if they are feeling nervous, so we can walk across together.

Absolutely! Our Bristol divorce solicitors have extensive experience with complicated divorces and financial settlements. For example, our Managing Partner, Marjha Golding-Evans, a Legal 500 Next Generation Partner, often assists with clients who work at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) with their complex divorces that include offshore trusts, international property, and sharing pensions.

As with all of our high-net-worth divorces, our lawyers will prioritise confidentiality and discretion throughout your case. 91% of our clients recommend our Bristol divorce experts to their friends and families, so you can be sure you’re in safe hands with us.

Yes! No one discusses how to actually begin a divorce, so we understand why you’re confused and overwhelmed. When you reach out to us, our specialist divorce team will help you decide whether you want to apply on your own (known as a sole applicant) or with your ex (known as joint applicants). We urge all of our clients to figure this out sooner rather than later to save everyone time, money, and prevent any delays.

Decisions about children are based on what is in the child’s best interests. There is no automatic right for either parent to have custody or a guaranteed amount of time.

The focus is on practical arrangements, including where a child lives and how they spend time with each parent. Courts encourage parents to agree on arrangements wherever possible.

Also, our experts can explain how the welfare principles are applied if an agreement cannot be reached.

We’ve helped numerous Bristol clients with their divorce applications. If you’ve been served a divorce application that names you as the ‘respondent’, it means you need to agree you have received the application as well as inform the courts if you dispute any of it. However, it’s easy to feel unsure how to do this correctly due to all of the legal jargon. That’s where we come in. Our divorce lawyers will guide you through the application process in terms that make sense to you, so you feel confident about your decisions.

At Stowe, we believe that the best legal support comes from those who are truly integrated into the local community. Our Bristol team is led by lawyers who hold key roles in the region. Rachel Fisher serves as the Chair of the Bristol Junior Lawyers Division, while Joanna Newton is the Chair of Bristol YRes, an organisation dedicated to promoting a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law.

Our Managing Partner Marja Golding-Evans is an active member of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), contributing her expertise to the South East Wales branch committee.

We are proud to support the vital work of Jessie May Children’s Hospice, providing specialist care to local families. We have also supported Aerospace Bristol and the Arnolfini Arts Centre and have had a partnership with Bristol Rovers.

To discover more about our initiatives and partnerships within the city, please visit our local Bristol partnerships page.

Working out your arrangements for child custody can be a difficult and emotional step, and while it can become a contentious issue, it is in the best interests of your children to reach an amicable agreement with your ex-partner. It is helpful to have the support of a child law specialist on-hand to provide guidance on what a fair and workable arrangement might look like for you and your family. Our Bristol child solicitors have extensive experience in child arrangement cases and have seen a variety of solutions to suit every situation, no matter how niche. Our goal is to get the best outcome for your children and to help you to maintain a positive relationship with your ex-partner where possible.

Each marriage is different, and this is always reflected in your finances. Trying to unpick years of financial ties can feel like an overwhelming task, and there are often complex financial issues that need to be resolved. Financial Settlements (commonly known as Divorce settlements) can cover everything from pensions, to investments, the family home, and even assets you owned before you got married; so getting expert financial and legal help is important if you’re looking to protect your assets while providing for your family once the divorce is finalised.
We have experience in dealing with complex financial matters, property and estates; as well as catering to high net worth individuals and clients with assets abroad, so if you are looking to achieve a fair settlement while protecting your assets, our financial settlement lawyers and forensic accounting team can help you.

Like divorce, ending a civil partnership will take a heavy emotional toll. While some are familiar with the concept of divorce, for many, the path to dissolving a civil partnership will be much less clear; this process is known as dissolution and can only be instigated after you’ve been in a civil partnership for a year. If you choose to dissolve your civil partnership, you will be entitled to all the same benefits and entitlements as those who get divorced, and in a similar vein, thought will need to be given to the sharing of assets, arrangements for children. The main difference between dissolution and divorce is that you cannot use ‘adultery’ as your grounds for dissolution, this must instead fall under ‘unreasonable behaviour’. To help you navigate a dissolution, our expert team can provide practical guidance and peace of mind.

Divorce in England and Wales follows a set legal timetable, so it cannot be completed quickly, even where both people agree. In practice, a straightforward and uncontested divorce usually takes around six to eight months from start to finish.

Timescales can be longer where finances or arrangements for children still need to be agreed, or where one spouse does not properly engage with the process.

In these situations, people often speak to a divorce solicitor to understand what can realistically move things forward, particularly where concerns arise about how long a spouse can drag out a divorce.

No. Divorce in England and Wales is now based on a no-fault system, meaning you do not need to prove blame or explain why the relationship ended.

The application simply states that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, which the court accepts without requiring evidence. While the legal test itself is straightforward, practical matters such as finances and children are dealt with separately and often take longer to resolve.

There is no fixed entitlement in a divorce. Financial outcomes depend on individual circumstances and what assets are available.
Settlements may take into account:

• Property
• Savings
• Pensions
• Income
• Debts

Children’s needs usually take priority where relevant
Rather than assuming an automatic split, the court follows a structured approach to fairness, based on needs and resources.

This same framework underpins divorce finances. A family law solicitor can help explain how these principles are typically applied.

No. Separation does not automatically mean that one person must move out of the family home.

Some couples continue living in the same property for a period, often because of financial or childcare arrangements. Moving out does not usually affect ownership of the home, but it can have practical consequences.

Many people choose to take early advice from a family law solicitor before making decisions that are difficult to reverse.

Check out our Bristol Google Business Profile

Divorce Resources & Groups Bristol

Family Law Case Studies Bristol

Our Local Partnerships Bristol

Single Parent Resources Bristol

What to Expect at Bristol Civil & Family Court