Divorce & Family Law Solicitors in Manchester

We are conveniently located in central Manchester on Oxford Street. We are about a 5-minute walk away from Manchester Oxford Road railway station and a 15-minute walk away from Manchester Piccadilly. We are also about a 5-minute walk away from the Oxford Street bus and coach station. If you are arriving by car, there are a number of secure car parks nearby, including the NCP Oxford Street car park which is just a 3-minute walk from our offices and provides disabled spaces.

Our divorce and family law services in Manchester

Divorce law

Relationship breakdown is never easy, particularly after many years when you have built a life together. There are so many threads to untangle, from what should happen to the family home to where the children will live.

Seeking advice from the right solicitor can help smooth the transition from coupled to single life. Our friendly Manchester divorce solicitors can provide all the advice you need to get the divorce or civil partnership process moving. We will handle all legal aspects on your behalf, including:

• Making the divorce application
• Helping you negotiate a financial settlement with your former partner
• Helping you agree arrangements for children with your former partner

Our divorce lawyers have particular expertise in LGBT+ divorce, international divorce and high net worth divorce.

Several of our team are trained in forms of alternative dispute resolution such as mediation and collaborative law, meaning that we can help you keep conflict out of the process wherever possible and keeping costs lower. However, we also have considerable court experience and can help you apply for a range of financial and child related court orders wherever necessary.

Children law

Children are particularly vulnerable to stress and emotional pain during relationship breakdown and other family issues. As well as watching their parents or family members separate, they may have to move home, move schools and see one of their parents much less than they are used to.

Our child law solicitors understand that the happiness of your children will be one of your primary worries. We can offer friendly, sympathetic advice and help you explore all possible options so you can make an informed choice about the best way forward for you and your children.

Several of our team are trained in collaborative law and can also help you access mediation to assist you wherever appropriate to minimise the chance of you needing to go to court, saving you and your children considerable stress.

As well as child arrangements upon divorce or dissolution, we can assist with all child related family law matters, including:

• Adoption
• Surrogacy
• Parental responsibility

Cohabitation agreements

Most couples now choose to live together before they get married or prefer to enter into a civil partnership and a higher proportion of couples are choosing not to get married at all. However, few couples realise that they do not have the same rights as married couples or civil partners. If a cohabiting couple breaks up, they do not have any right to each other’s money or property (save for in circumstances where the parties have children) – if one partner earns more or solely owns the family home, this could result in the other partner suffering financial hardship when the relationship ends.

If you cohabit with a partner but you have not tied the knot, it is worth considering whether you should enter into a cohabitation agreement (also called a living together agreement) to protect your financial interests.

A cohabitation agreement sets out exactly who owns what in your relationship and how your finances should be arranged and divided if you ever break up. With any luck, it will never be needed. However, a well drafted cohabitation agreement could help you avoid expensive and combative legal proceedings down the line.

We can draft a comprehensive cohabitation agreement on your behalf that clearly sets out your financial position and protects your interests.

Pre-nuptial agreements

Getting married or entering into a civil partnership effectively combines your finances into one matrimonial ‘pot’. This means that if you get a divorce or dissolution, all your finances must be taken into account and divided fairly between the couple, even income and assets owned in sole names.

However, many people enter into marriage or civil partnerships with assets they want to protect, particularly people who get married later in life or have former spouses and children from previous relationships. Business owners or people with a high net worth may also be concerned about the impact of a divorce or dissolution.

If you are concerned about this, we can help you draft a pre-nuptial agreement with your partner that sets out exactly who owns what and how your finances should be split if you ever break up. We focus on cooperative discussion and defusing any potential for conflict, so there is no need to worry about any negative effect on your relationship.

We can also provide advice about post-nuptial agreements which are the same as prenups but entered into after marriage.

Family dispute resolution

Family disputes can quickly become bitter and expensive, particularly when there are emotive issues such as arrangements for children and financial arrangement involved. Our solicitors are experts in alternative family dispute resolution. Our goal is to help families find positive solutions to family law issues without prolonged conflict or expensive court proceedings.

Our team includes several trained collaborative lawyers and mediation specialists. Both of these methods have a strong track record for helping families resolve disputes amicably, saving the time, costs, and emotional fallout associated with going to court.

LGBT+ family law

We have specialist expertise advising LGBT+ individuals and couples with all types of family law issue. Our service includes:

• Divorce
• Dissolution
• Cohabitation and separation
• Parenting issues, including adoption, surrogacy and artificial insemination

Domestic violence

There is legal protection for any individual affected by domestic abuse, whether it is physical, verbal, emotional, financial or sexual. We know that it can be hard to recognise an abusive situation, particularly if abusive behaviours have developed over many months or years. We will always take your situation seriously and treat you with respect and understanding.

Our domestic violence solicitors in Manchester are here to provide the help and support you need. We can apply to the court on your behalf for court orders to prevent the abuser from coming near you and your children and from entering your home (even if they live there too). We can also direct you to other support services so you can access the resources you need to leave the abusive situation behind you.

Local resources for divorce and family law in Manchester

Manchester Civil Justice Centre

1 Bridge Street West
Manchester
M60 9DJ

Family cases heard at this venue:

• Adoption
• Children
• Divorce
• Domestic violence
• Forced marriage and FGM

Domestic violence support services

Greater Manchester domestic abuse helpline – 0161 636 7525

Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, except bank holidays. Includes a language service and advice for the LGBT+ community.

For a full list of support services with contact details, visit the Greater Manchester Police website or the Manchester City Council website.

Book an appointment with our divorce and family law solicitors in Manchester

You can arrange an appointment to discuss your requirements or request a quote by calling us on 02085467969, emailing info@crispandco.com or using the enquiry form below to request a call back.