Most people associate family lawyers with dealing solely with divorce cases. Although divorce is a big part of our roles, there are many other aspects to family law that aren’t as well known. We deal with a huge variety of different situations that arise on a day-to-day basis. As with our divorce cases, we try to keep all disputes out of the courts and resolve them through mediation instead. Here are just some of the issues that we can help with.
Grandparents and grandchildren
When parents split, it is not just the relationships between parents and children that are dramatically changed, but also the relationships between children and grandparents. This is especially true if one parent has little or no contact with the children.
The relationship between parent and child should not affect the relationship between grandparent and grandchild, but it is a very difficult situation for everyone to keep those relationships functioning. At our offices in Cardiff, we assist many grandparents looking to maintain their relationships with their grandchildren.
Unmarried parents
It is not just divorcing parents that need assistance in arranging their parental responsibilities, but also unmarried parents that are either splitting up, or who have never been in a formal relationship.
More and more parents are unmarried and they have the same complications as married parents when the relationship ends. Even parents who are still amicable often like the security of a legal document and the advice of a professional to decide on shared parenting.
Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse victims are gaining more and more support from the legal system, but unfortunately that is still not enough. Although both men and women can become victims and we treat all our victims equally, the majority are women and it is the moment that they decide to leave that is the most dangerous for themselves and their children.
We help victims of domestic abuse to safely leave their partners and get all the legal assistance that they can to ensure they stay safe and their experiences are believed and recognised in the law courts.
Cohabitation
Many couples buy a home together before marrying. Although for many this works out fine, for others they can have a nasty shock when they realise that they do not have the same rights as married couples, if they should split.
The law is yet to properly catch up on cohabiting partners which is why we often assist and advise couples on property ownership. We either help them to draw up a contract before the purchase, to determine what should happen in the event of a split or death, or we help couples to come to a financial agreement when they do decide to split.
Family law covers many different situations that people often don’t know about until they are in the middle of them. If you think you have a problem that needs legal guidance, you can get in touch for no-obligation advice.