Family law and divorce in London

What family law covers

If your relationship has ended, you want to know where the law fits in. Family law covers the legal side of a split. Family courts handle divorce hearings, financial remedy, childcare arrangements on separation, adoption, domestic abuse and forced marriage cases.

GOV.UK says you can get divorced in England or Wales if you have been married for over a year. Your relationship must also have permanently broken down, and the UK must legally recognise your marriage. However, GOV.UK also lists arranging children, money and property as a step in the divorce process.

When you may need a solicitor, and when you may not

You can apply for a divorce online or by post without a solicitor. GOV.UK also says solicitors can apply online using a MyHMCTS account. As a result, the choice between doing it yourself and paying for help is yours.

The timetable is fixed, so it helps to know it. You must wait 20 weeks after the court issues the application. Only then can you apply for a conditional order. After the court grants it, you must wait at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) before you apply to finalise the divorce. You should apply for the final order within 12 months of the conditional order. Otherwise you must explain the delay to the court.

According to GOV.UK, you have the right to speak for yourself in court, and you do not need a solicitor or any other legal professional to do so. However, you can still get legal advice on your case, and that includes advice on money or children matters. The Law Society also lists a family mediation accreditation for mediators who can help with divorce, parenting arrangements and finances without going to court. Our guide on whether you need a solicitor for a divorce goes into more detail.

How family law fees work

Every divorce starts with a court fee. GOV.UK lists the fee to apply for a divorce online or by post as £628. You may get help with fees if you are on benefits or a low income.

A solicitor’s fee comes on top of that. For an uncontested divorce, it is typically about £600 to £1,500. Drafting a financial consent order typically costs about £500 to £1,000. Those are the only two ranges we can source here.

We give no range for a contested divorce or a financial settlement, because the facts do not support one. The cost of those cases depends on the details, so ask for a written estimate before you agree to anything. Our guide to the cost of an uncontested divorce explains more. If you compare divorce solicitors London firms, remember that each firm sets its own fees.

Legal aid and free help for family cases

Legal aid covers only some family matters. GOV.UK says it might cover domestic abuse or forced marriage. It might also cover a child at risk of being taken into care, and family mediation. Advice on finances, children or divorce might be covered too, if you have been in an abusive relationship.

Eligibility generally depends on two financial checks, income and assets. Assets include savings, investments and property. A qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit can also satisfy the income test, so note what you receive.

The GOV.UK-linked “Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator” service finds advisers in England and Wales by postcode. They ask about your problem and your finances to work out if you can get legal aid. The Law Centres Network says Law Centres help people in poverty overcome legal problems. It lists every Law Centre across the UK on one page. For the wider picture, read our guide to free legal advice and legal aid in London.

Quality marks and professional bodies

Some family lawyers hold a quality mark. The Law Society offers Family Law and Family Law Advanced accreditations. It describes them as quality marks for family lawyers who advise on marriage, separation, divorce, arrangements for children and adoption.

Resolution is a membership organisation founded in 1982 for professionals who work with separating families. Its members include solicitors, legal executives, barristers, financial planners and family mediators. They commit to a Code of Practice that promotes a constructive, non-confrontational approach. On the Resolution website, you can search by location and by service. The services include solicitor or legal executive, mediator, arbitrator and collaborative practitioner.

A quality mark is not a guarantee of a good result. However, you can check one. The Law Society says to look for its logos on websites, printed material or offices. You can also tick the “accredited specialists only” box in Find a Solicitor results. Our page on how to check a solicitor covers the wider checks.

London family courts

Many people never visit a family court, so it helps to know where they are. However, the right court depends on the case, so check before you plan any trip. Six London courts appear below, and each entry gives its address.

Central Family Court is at First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP. East London Family Court is at 6th and 7th Floor, 11 Westferry Circus (entrance in Columbus Courtyard), London E14 4HD. West London Family Court is at Gloucester House, 4 Dukes Green Avenue, Feltham TW14 0LR.

Barnet Civil and Family Courts Centre is at St Marys Court, Regents Park Road, Finchley Central, London N3 1BQ. Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court and Family Court is at The Gee Street Courthouse. You will find it at 29-41 Gee Street, London EC1V 3RE. Wandsworth County Court and Family Court is at 76-78 Upper Richmond Road, Putney SW15 2SU.

Questions to ask a family solicitor

Before you hire anyone, write your questions down. Ask how the firm works out the fee, and what it covers and leaves out. Ask who will do the day-to-day work on your case, because you may want to know who to contact.

Ask how often you will hear about progress, and how the firm will tell you. Finally, ask whether the firm or the solicitor holds a quality mark, and how you can check it. A clear answer to each question is a good sign, because it shows the firm will explain itself.

Finding a family solicitor in your borough

If you want family law solicitors London wide, a local page can narrow things down. We have borough guides for Bromley, Merton, Croydon, Harrow and Newham. Each page is a starting point for that borough.

This site lists no firms, so use the borough pages as a starting point. However, you can ask any firm how it charges and which quality marks it holds.