Family law solicitors & divorce lawyers Huddersfield

Our Huddersfield family law office is located on Friendly Street in the city centre close to the train station. Parking is available nearby in the Lord Street pay and display car park.

Our phone lines are open from 8:30am – 7pm, Monday to Friday

and 9am – 5pm on Saturday and Sunday

Divorce is rarely instigated without good reason; it often takes a heavy heart and often months, if not years, of frustration, stress and anguish in trying to make a relationship work before getting to this point, so whether you’re looking to start the divorce process, or whether you’ve received the divorce papers (divorce application), you’ll need expert support that is delivered with sympathy and compassion to get you through this trying time.

The divorce process will likely be new to you and many aspects of it will feel alien, from the multitude of forms to complete, through to the archaic legal language that can often do more to provoke frustration, rather than offer clarity.

It’s for this reason that we take great care to outline the emotional, practical and legal challenges that lie ahead whilst providing the 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 or on responding to it, all the way through to negotiating financial settlements and child custody (child arrangement orders). Our expert team is based in offices located on Northumberland Street (HD1) so we’re well placed to help you if you’re looking for Huddersfield divorce solicitors.

You cannot begin divorce proceedings until you have been married for at least a year.

To start, you need to submit an application to the court (Form D8) with a declaration that your marriage has broken
down irretrievably.

This is usually made online via a court portal (although you can make a paper application) and requires a payment of
£593.

You can apply for a divorce by yourself (sole applicant) or make a joint application with your ex-spouse (joint applicants).

Alternatively, if you receive a divorce application from your spouse, you are called the respondent in the legal process.

Our divorce lawyers in Huddersfield can provide support and guidance in completing this divorce application.

If your spouse has made the application for divorce as a sole applicant, the court will send you (the respondent) a
copy of the application by email with a follow-up letter from the court with details of how to access the application.

You will find the completed divorce application, the Notice of Proceedings, and the Acknowledgment of Service within
this email.

In most instances, you should receive the divorce application within 28 days of it being issued by the court. The applicant however can ask for permission to serve the application later than this.

You will need to fill in and return the Acknowledgment of Service to the court, usually within 14 days of receipt of the
application.

Our Huddersfield divorce lawyers can help you to respond to a divorce application while preparing you to get the best possible outcome for you, and for your family.

Child custody lawyers and arrangements for children 

Of all the challenges arising from a divorce, we find that working out the arrangements for the children (often described as child custody but legally termed as child arrangements) is often the most emotive and difficult.

While child custody can be a contentious issue, it is in the best interests of your children to reach an amicable agreement with your ex-partner wherever possible.

During this time, having the support of a child custody lawyer and child law specialist in your corner can be helpful in providing guidance on what a fair and workable arrangement might look like for you and your family.

Our expert child solicitors have extensive experience in child arrangements and will have seen a variety of solutions to suit every situation, no matter how specific or unusual. Our goal is to get the best outcome for your children and to help you to maintain a positive relationship with your ex-partner wherever you can.

Every marriage is unique, and often this is reflected in your finances.

Years of financial ties can be difficult to unravel and can feel like an overwhelming task. In some cases, there may be complex financial issues that need to be ironed out; involving property, shares in businesses, trusts or assets overseas.

Financial settlements (commonly known as divorce settlements) can cover everything from the family home, pensions, investments, through to assets you owned before you got married; so getting specialist financial and legal help is crucial if you’re looking to protect your assets while providing for your family once the divorce is finalised.

We’ve spent decades dealing with complex financial matters, including property and estates; as well as catering to clients with assets abroad and high net worth individuals, so if achieving a fair settlement while protecting your assets is important to you, our financial settlement lawyers and forensic accounting team can help.

Also known as a ‘prenup’, prenuptial agreements can be an awkward topic to broach, but they’re designed to protect the assets of both parties should the worst come to pass.

Our prenup lawyers can help you to understand what can, and cannot, be included in a prenuptial agreement and any impact this may have for the management of your finances and overall estate. If you have complex financial affairs that you would like to see protected with a prenuptial agreement, book in a consultation with our expert team today.

Ending a civil partnership takes a heavy emotional toll.

Known as dissolution, the path to dissolving a civil partnership is very similar to the process of divorce.

Dissolving a civil partnership can only be instigated after you’ve been in the partnership for a year.

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 and the arrangements for your children.

To help you through the dissolution process, our civil partnership solicitors can provide practical guidance and support to help you to achieve your desired outcome.

Our expert family law solicitors have decades of experience, as well as access to hundreds of years of expertise from our teams across the country. We’re the UK’s largest family law specialist, delivering tailored service and expertise, locally to you.

Our client-centric approach has seen us recognised by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for our commitment to outstanding client service and client success.

We understand that amicable resolutions lead to the best outcomes, where positive relationships persist long after your need for us has ended, so our family lawyers in Huddersfield are members of Resolution; a body of family lawyers committed to promoting a constructive approach to dispute resolution that focuses on meeting the needs of the whole family and achieving a positive outcome.

Clients frequently cite our compassion, empathy and our ability to deliver the ‘hard facts’ and clear guidance they need to move forward with their case, and their lives. To hear more about what our clients think about us and our approach, watch our video here.

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