01483 332080
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hello@englandderbyshire.co.uk 
Family matters are often some of the most emotional and life-changing legal issues you’ll ever face. You may have just been told your partner wants a divorce, you’re worried about where your children will live, you’re arguing over the family home, or you’re unsure what your rights are. In some situations, you may need urgent legal protection for yourself or your children.
At England & Derbyshire, our solicitors are here to guide you through divorce, disputes over child arrangements, financial settlements, domestic abuse, and other family-related legal issues.
Book your free consultation to explore your legal options and we’ll work towards an outcome that is right for you and your family.
Recovered for clients in matrimonial & financial disputes
Years of combined legal experience
Every review we've received has been a 5-star review
Acting for clients across all of England & Wales
Family law covers the legal issues that arise when personal relationships change or disputes occur within a family. Many family law issues involve important decisions that can have a lasting impact on your finances, your children, and your future. Seeking legal advice early can help you understand your rights, explore your options, and make informed decisions before problems become more complex.
At England & Derbyshire, we advise individuals and families in Guildford and all across England & Wales on all types of family law matters. Our solicitors provide a personal service, and you’ll feel like you can share anything with them as they work to achieve the best possible outcome for your circumstances.
If you and the other party are willing to work towards an agreement, we can help negotiate practical solutions that avoid unnecessary court proceedings. Where an agreement cannot be reached, or urgent legal intervention is required, our family law solicitors will prepare your case and represent you throughout the court process.
You can call us 01483 332080, email us hello@englandderbyshire.co.uk, or directly book a call with us through our website.
Every new enquiry is handled personally by Anthony Derbyshire, a partner with over 50 years of experience. We know that talking about family matters can be difficult, and we believe that the first conversation it’s the most important one. There is no pressure or obligation to proceed if you decide we’re not the right fit for you.
First with Anthony, then with the solicitor most suited to your case. They’ll explain the legal process, discuss the options available to you, answer any questions you have, and outline the best way to achieve your objectives.
If you decide to instruct us, we’ll further explain our proposed approach, the likely timescales, and our fees. Many people worry that contacting a solicitor means committing to legal action immediately. It doesn’t. Our role is to help you understand your rights and your options, so you can make informed decisions at your own pace.
Once your matter is underway, you’ll deal directly with the solicitor handling your family law case and they’ll keep you updated as things progress.
You don’t need to know whether your matter involves a Child Arrangements Order, a Consent Order, or a TOLATA claim. You just need to know what happened.
We’ve mentioned some of the most common situations we help people with. If one sounds familiar, expand it to learn more about how we can help, and click on the button below to speak to one of our solicitors and discuss the legal options available to you.
If your spouse has told you they want a divorce, you may be worried about your home, your finances, your children, or what your legal rights are.
Since April 2022, divorce in England and Wales has been based on a no-fault system, meaning neither spouse has to prove wrongdoing and neither can prevent the divorce from progressing. However, the divorce itself does not decide how your finances or arrangements for your children will be resolved. These are separate legal issues that should be dealt with alongside the divorce process.
Our family solicitors can advise you on every stage of your divorce, including financial settlements, child arrangements, Consent Orders, and ensuring all legal matters are properly resolved before the divorce is finalised.
Ending a relationship often means deciding what happens to your home, savings, pensions, investments, and other assets. While some couples are able to reach an agreement, others need legal advice to ensure the outcome is fair and legally binding.
A financial agreement isn’t legally binding simply because you both agree to it. To prevent future claims, it’s usually advisable to have the agreement approved by the court through a Consent Order.
We can help negotiate financial settlements, prepare Consent Orders, advise on spousal maintenance, pension sharing, property division, and represent you in court where an agreement cannot be reached.
If you’re being prevented from seeing your child, or you’re struggling to agree where they should live or how much time they should spend with each parent, the law provides a framework for resolving these disputes when parents can’t reach an agreement themselves.
The court no longer uses the terms “custody” or “access.” Instead, decisions are made through Child Arrangements Orders, which set out where a child lives, who they spend time with, and other important aspects of their upbringing.
Our family solicitors advise on Child Arrangements Orders, Parental Responsibility, Specific Issue Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, relocation disputes, and the enforcement of existing court orders. Wherever possible, we’ll help you reach an agreement without court, but we’ll represent your interests if legal proceedings become necessary.
If you believe your child’s welfare is at risk, it’s important to seek legal advice as soon as possible. This may involve concerns about neglect, abuse, exposure to harmful behaviour, or disagreements over important decisions affecting your child’s wellbeing.
Our solicitors can advise on emergency applications, Child Arrangements Orders, Specific Issue Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, and other legal measures designed to protect your child. Every decision we make is guided by what is in the child’s best interests.
Domestic abuse can take many forms, including physical violence, emotional abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, or threatening behaviour.
If you or your children are at immediate risk, the court can grant a Non-Molestation Order urgently—sometimes without notifying the other person beforehand, depending on the circumstances.
We can help you apply for Non-Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders, emergency injunctions, and other protective measures. Our family law team handles these matters with sensitivity, urgency, and complete confidentiality while helping you understand the options available to keep you and your family safe.
Yes—but not the same rights as a married couple. There is no such thing as a “common law marriage” in England and Wales. So living together, even for many years, doesn’t automatically give you a right to your partner’s property, finances, or pension.
However, you may still have legal rights depending on your situation. For example, your rights may arise if you jointly own a property, have contributed financially towards a home, have entered into a Cohabitation Agreement, or have children together.
Our family solicitors advise unmarried couples on Cohabitation Agreements, property ownership disputes, beneficial interests, and TOLATA claims. We’ll assess your circumstances, explain where you stand legally, and help you protect your interests.
Prenuptial agreements aren’t just for the ultra-wealthy. They’re commonly used to protect businesses, inherited wealth, property owned before marriage, future inheritances, and other assets that one or both partners want to keep separate. A carefully prepared agreement can provide certainty for both parties and help avoid disputes later on.
While prenuptial agreements aren’t automatically legally binding in England and Wales, the courts will often uphold them if they’re properly prepared, both parties entered into the agreement freely, received independent legal advice, and the agreement is fair. If you’re already married, a Postnuptial Agreement can provide similar protection.
Our family solicitors prepare and advise on both Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements, helping couples protect their assets and reduce the risk of future disputes should the relationship later come to an end.
If you or your spouse own a business, have multiple properties, investments, overseas assets, trusts, or significant pensions, it’s important to understand exactly what forms part of the matrimonial assets and how those assets may be valued or divided.
Our family solicitors advise individuals, business owners, and high-net-worth clients on complex financial settlements involving:
Whether your matter is resolved through negotiation or the Family Court, we’ll work to achieve a fair outcome while protecting your long-term financial interests.
Family law applies equally to LGBTQ+ individuals and couples, but certain situations can involve unique legal considerations, particularly in relation to children, parenthood, surrogacy, civil partnerships, and relationship breakdowns.
Depending on your circumstances, this may involve parenthood after surrogacy, donor conception, adoption, or establishing legal parental rights. Our family solicitors advise on a wide range of LGBT family law matters, including:
Every family is different, and the legal issues can vary depending on how your family was formed. The best way to understand your legal position, and protect your rights is to start with our free consultation option. We’ll review your case, explain the options available to you, and advise you on the next steps.
Simple answers to the questions we hear often about family law, solicitor fees, and how the legal process works in England and Wales.
If your question isn’t here, the first conversation is free.
Yes, you can get a free consultation with a family lawyer at England & Derbyshire LLP. You can visit our office in Guildford, or we can meet with you online via phone call or Google Meet wherever you’re based in England or Wales.
Yes, England & Derbyshire solicitors give 30 minutes free advice about your case. You can do this by calling us at 01483 332080 or reach out to us via email: hello@englandderbyshire.co.uk
This option gives you the freedom to understand if you have a case, discuss the process, and explore your options without any financial obligation or pressure to move forward.
Many firms offer a free 15–30 minute introductory call, although these are often limited to assessing your case rather than providing detailed legal advice. After that, there’s a dedicated consultation lasting 45–60 minutes typically costing £150–£350 + VAT. However, if the firm doesn’t offer a fixed fee, you’ll usually pay their standard hourly rate, which can range from £180 to £500+ + VAT depending on the solicitor’s seniority and location.
At England & Derbyshire LLP, we offer two free consultations. Your first consultation is to discuss your circumstances and understand your legal options. If you decide to explore things further, you’ll then meet with the solicitor best suited to your matter for a more detailed discussion. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions, understand how we’ll approach your case, and decide whether you’d like to instruct us—without paying for either consultation.
Several law firms in England and Wales offer a free online consultation with a solicitor, usually by video call or telephone. At England & Derbyshire LLP, you can speak to one of our experienced family solicitors online at no cost.
We offer free consultations via phone calls and video calls, making it easy to receive legal advice from anywhere in England and Wales.
As a general guide:
At England & Derbyshire LLP, for family law matters, including divorce and financial settlements, we offer monthly payment plans, so you can spread the cost of your legal fees throughout your case.
During your free consultations, we’ll explain the costs and discuss the most appropriate funding option before any work begins.
Family court is worth considering when you can’t resolve matters through negotiation or mediation, or when urgent legal intervention is needed to protect you, your children, or your assets. However, court proceedings are often more expensive, take longer, and place important decisions in the hands of a judge rather than the parties involved.
At England & Derbyshire LLP, we always explore whether your matter can be resolved through negotiation first. If an agreement isn’t possible—or you require immediate court action—we’ll advise you accordingly and represent your interests throughout the court process.
In most family court cases, the person making the application is responsible for paying the court fee to start the case. Each party will also usually pay their own legal fees.
However, in certain circumstances—such as where one party has behaved unreasonably or caused unnecessary legal costs—the court may order them to contribute towards the other party’s costs.
In most cases, the parent who makes the court application is responsible for paying the initial court fee. After that, each parent is generally responsible for their own legal fees, although the court can order one parent to contribute to the other’s costs in certain circumstances.
If you’re unsure about what costs may apply to your situation, contact our family law team. We’ll explain the likely court fees, legal costs, and funding options available to you.
No. You don’t legally need a solicitor to go to family court, and you’re entitled to represent yourself as a litigant in person. However, family court proceedings can be complex, particularly where children, financial settlements, or domestic abuse are involved. You’ll be responsible for preparing the necessary documents, complying with court deadlines, and presenting your case.
Whether you should instruct a solicitor depends on your case. If you’re unsure, contact our family law team for a free consultation. We’ll review what specific type of family issue you’re dealing with (e.g., divorce, child arrangements, financial settlement), if there are any safeguarding or domestic abuse concerns involved, and provide more specific guidance for your situation.
In matters involving children, the judge’s primary concern is the child’s welfare and best interests, including their safety, emotional wellbeing, and overall stability. In financial disputes, the court considers factors such as each person’s income, assets, financial needs, contributions during the relationship, and the welfare of any children.
To get more clarity around how these factors apply to you, contact our family law team. We’ll explain what the court is likely to consider in your case and help you prepare for the process.
You should consider instructing a family law solicitor whenever a decision could affect your legal rights, your finances, or your children. This includes divorce, financial settlements, child arrangements, domestic abuse, disputes over property, cohabitation claims, prenuptial agreements, and court proceedings.
Many disputes are resolved without going to court, but having a solicitor involved from the outset can often prevent problems that are more difficult—and more expensive—to resolve later.
Yes. A solicitor is not legally required to accept every case and may decide not to act for a variety of reasons. Common reasons include a conflict of interest, a lack of expertise in the relevant area of law, insufficient capacity, or if they believe they cannot act in accordance with their professional obligations.
If a solicitor is unable to represent you, they will usually explain why and, where appropriate, recommend that you seek advice from another firm with the relevant expertise.
Before your appointment, make a note of the key events, any questions you’d like answered, and gather documents, such as court papers, financial information, correspondence, or agreements relating to your matter.
If there are any documents we’d like you to bring or send in advance, we’ll let you know when your appointment is arranged.