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Divorce & Family Lawyer Newcastle

Divorce & Family

Divorce, relationship and children issues can be painful, emotionally stressful and complex. You can trust Hay & Kilner’s expert Family Law Team to be right by your side sensitively guiding you to the right outcome, tailoring our service to meet your situation.

How we can help

Our team take the time to get to know you and your situation to ensure we work towards a prompt settlement, always providing advice in an approachable, practical and understanding manner to keep emotional stress to a minimum.

We have the expertise to deal with all aspects of family law and are commended for our ability to negotiate on behalf of our clients.

We also have a wide circle of professional colleagues that can be called on when needed. As a full-service law firm, you have access to expert private client, property and business advice and we can introduce you to our extensive network of accountants and financial planners.

Our Wallsend office holds a Legal Aid franchise meaning that if you qualify for public funding, we can work with you on a wide range of children matters.

  • Divorce and Civil Partnership Dissolutions

    Choosing to go ahead with a divorce, or the dissolution of your civil partnership, is often one of the hardest decisions you will make in your life. We are here to listen to your needs, and proceed in a way that works for you, to achieve the best possible outcomes in a discreet and professional manner.

  • Financial Matters

    Following a divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership, your financial relationship will continue with your former partner unless it is ended by a separate Court Order.

    We can advise as to what would be a suitable financial settlement dependent upon the unique circumstances of your case and conduct negotiations on your behalf.

    Our breadth of experience in settlements ranges from small, straightforward cases up to extremely complex negotiations acting for spouses with substantial business assets, property portfolios, complex pensions, farming businesses or international ties.

  • Pre & Post-Nuptial Agreements

    Nuptial agreements continue to grow in popularity and are a sensible consideration to determine how assets are shared should you separate, divorce or dissolve your civil partnership. Whether you are planning your wedding or already married we will work with you to prepare an agreement that will reduce financial and emotional stress should your relationship breakdown and if you have children, ensure that they are provided for.

    Nuptial agreements are also a very important part of financial planning, should you wish to pass assets to your children, protect pre-acquired assets and businesses and/or have or are about to receive assets by gift or inheritance.

    Whilst these agreements are not binding as such on the divorce courts, they will be upheld if they are considered fair and reasonable in the prevailing circumstances.

  • Children

    Our specialist children team have expertise in a wide range of issues including living and contact arrangements, maintenance disputes and interventions from the local authority. We know the importance of working quickly to resolve matters, whilst keeping the welfare of the child first.

    Find out more about our specialist children services.

  • Domestic Abuse

    Unfortunately, the breakdown of a relationship can lead to physical, emotional and sexual abuse. When this happens, we will work quickly and determinedly to protect you and/or your children and make an application to the Court for an injunction to protect you against a violent partner, which may include excluding a violent partner from a property or protecting your financial assets pending a settlement or Court order.

    If you need any advice or assistance with this matter, get in touch.

  • Unmarried Couples

    Whilst marriage or civil partnerships may not be your thing, you and your partner may have may have bought a property together, had children or even entered into a joint venture.

    There is a general misconception as to the myth known as “common law marriage”. It is important to understand that if the relationship comes to an end you do not have the same rights as couples who are married or couples in civil partnerships.

    We can advise on co-habitation agreements to protect your assets and also offer pragmatic legal advice if no such agreements have been drawn up.

  • Collaborative Law

    Through collaborative law, couples, their lawyers and other professionals work together in round table meetings to negotiate agreements to resolve financial and other issues arising from relationship breakdowns, without the involvement of the courts.

    It is suitable for couples who have a genuine desire to find a solution for the whole family, and who are willing to disclose information about their finances in a full and honest manner. Couples benefit from having their own legal advisor, but they set the agenda and the pace, because they are not governed by court rules or timetables.

  • Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

    We will discuss all of your available options in resolving a dispute from the outset considering the merits of any claim and the tactics to properly approach a matter. Mediation can be a truly effective way of resolving matters, be it related to issues surrounding financial matters or children. We work closely with a number of expert mediators and can arrange initial meetings (known as Mediation Information Assessment Meetings or MIAMs) and attend mediation sessions with you.

    If matters are not able to be resolved through mediation it may be appropriate to consider arbitration as an alternative to the Court process. This would involve agreeing on the identity of an arbitrator (who is usually an expert in the field of dispute), the location(s) and the dates the arbitration is to take place. Arbitration often has the advantage of being a far quicker route than the Court process, in addition to being private, which is often paramount for our clients in the public domain.

  • Court Proceedings

    Whilst Court proceedings in family matters should normally be considered a last resort, if it is not possible to settle a case, we are experienced, skilled, and tireless litigators who will provide you with objective and tactical advice throughout the proceedings. We also work closely with experienced Barristers who we can call upon to assist you no matter the issues or the timing of our instruction.

I was recommended Hay & Kilner by a friend of mine when I had divorce matter’s I needed advising on.

They responded swiftly and arranged a meeting with me where their advice was invaluable in a caring and professional way in regards to the matter. I would recommend Hay & Kilner to others with no hesitation

Client

I was informed and supported throughout divorce proceedings helping me understand both the process and timescale, professionally leading me on to settlement and conclusion. My experience will bring me back to Hay & Kilner for any future needs.

Client

The team is always seeking the best result for its clients.

Chambers & Partners

Meet the team

Relevant insights & events

Our regular divorce & family updates and events keep you up to date with all the latest legal developments you need to know about.

Get in touch

For further information on how we can help, click below to leave a message and we will be back in touch as soon as possible.

‘Hay & Kilner’ and ‘Hay & Kilner Law Firm’ are both trading names of Hay & Kilner LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales with registered number OC418767. Our registered office is at The Lumen, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle Helix, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5BZ and we are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (Authorisation number 643191). We use the word ‘partner’ to refer to a member of Hay & Kilner LLP. A list of the members is available at our registered office.