Family Law Solicitors in Bristol

In many situations, if legal advice is not sought early enough, families can find themselves engaged in costly and drawn-out court proceedings.

At Henriques Griffiths, our aim is to relieve you of the stress that family troubles can cause. With a sensitive but determined approach, our family law solicitors in Bristol will support you to resolve your legal matters swiftly, securing a comfortable future for your family.

Our family solicitors in Bristol work carefully and sensitively through complex issues including:

• Childcare
• Civil Partnership Dissolution
• Divorce (including international divorce)
• Adoption & Special Guardianship
• Domestic Abuse
• Grandparents' Rights
• Cohabitation Agreements

Our team is accredited by the Law Society for Family Law & Children Law in recognition of our expertise in these complex areas.

We offer Fixed Fees for many of our family services, giving you clarity over the costs involved.

Speak to our family law solicitors in Bristol

Speak to one of our family law solicitors In Bristol now by contacting your local Henriques Griffiths office in Bristol or Winterbourne, or you can use our simple enquiry form to ask a question or request a call back.

What it’s like to work with our family lawyers?

You will find that our family law solicitors in Bristol take time to explain your position clearly, rather than confusing you with complicated legal jargon.

Where possible, we will aim to resolve your issue through alternative dispute resolution. This may involve constructive mediation sessions, allowing you and your partner to reach an agreement whilst keeping matters amicable and cost-effective.

Above all, our priority is to secure a positive outcome that meets your needs. No matter how complex your circumstances, we’ll work hard to protect your rights and make sure the correct decisions are taken.

How our family law solicitors in Bristol can help you

Childcare 

Where children are concerned, you can rely on Henriques Griffiths Solicitors to prioritise their needs, no matter how complex the circumstances.

Our family solicitors in Bristol assist with all of the issues that may follow a separation, including negotiating who your child will live with (child contact), spend time with (child residence), and how both will work. Our team can also assist with jurisdictional matters and parental responsibility.

Our childcare lawyers also have expertise in working with families where children have been taken into care or social services are assessing a family.

We have a great reputation in the area of family law, having numerous individuals and families to achieve positive results. You can trust our family lawyers in Bristol to guide you through difficult times with realistic, focused advice.

See our childcare legal services.

Civil partnership dissolution

At Henrique Griffiths, we understand how difficult it can be to separate from your partner, no matter how long you have been together. This is why our family solicitors in Bristol do everything in our power to make the process as straight forward as possible.

This means that we will take care of all of the legal aspects of the process, allowing you time to focus on moving on with your life.

To learn how our family solicitors in Bristol can help, see our civil partnership dissolution services.

Divorce

Separating from your partner is never easy, no matter if you’ve been married for a short duration, or many years. At Henriques Griffiths, our family law solicitors in Bristol are committed to resolving your divorce swiftly, whilst keeping the stress to a minimum.

Our family lawyers in Bristol can help with every aspect of divorce, including making a divorce application or responding to one, reaching a financial settlement, and making arrangements for children.

By using alternative dispute resolution techniques, we are able to help divorcing couples to reach an agreement in a calm environment outside of court. Doing so can save a great deal of time and money.

Whether we use constructive mediation sessions, or a collaborative law approach, our solicitors will always work towards securing the best outcome for you.

See our divorce legal services.

International divorce proceedings

Divorce laws vary significantly from country to country, so where you or your spouse start divorce proceedings can make a big difference to the outcome, including any financial settlement you receive.

You do not necessarily need to get divorced in the country where you got married or have been most recently living. If you are considering divorce proceedings, our international divorce lawyers can advise you on the best options for your circumstances and goals.

We can guide you through the whole process of issuing or responding to divorce proceedings, either in the UK or in another country. Where required, we can put you in touch with trusted local divorce lawyers in other jurisdictions to make sure you have the very best advice and representation for every stage of your divorce.

See our international divorce legal services.

Adoption & Special Guardianship

We can assist families with all aspects of adoption law, including adopting as a stepparent, making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. Our family lawyers can also assist with becoming a child’s special guardian where the child’s parents are unable or have been deemed unfit to care for them.

See our adoption and special guardianship legal services.

Domestic abuse

In situations of domestic abuse, it is critical to get effective legal support as soon as possible. Our team knows how difficult and traumatic these situations can be, which is why we offer sensitive, clear advice and support, helping you take immediate action to protect yourself and your loved ones.

See our domestic abuse legal services.

Grandparent’s Rights

Whilst grandparents do not have an automatic legal right to have contact with their grandchildren, this special relationship has been recognised by the courts as important to the wellbeing and overall development of the child. This means that grandparent and grandchildren contact is likely to be considered during any litigation proceedings.

Our family solicitors in Bristol will be able to advise you on the best course of action regarding your rights to contact with your grandchildren, whether that be applying for a child arrangements order or an alternative.

We know that this can be an extremely difficult time for our clients, and you are likely to have concerns about the outcome. Rest assured, we have an excellent track record of helping clients to secure access to their grandchildren.

See our grandparent’s rights services.

Cohabitation Agreements

Surprising to some, common law marriage is not recognised in the UK, which can cause issues for those who cohabitate but are not married. For example, in the unfortunate event of a separation it can be difficult to decide who will get what in terms of shared assets as there will be no legal framework due to the couple being unmarried.

Our family law solicitors in Bristol can remedy this by working with you to create a comprehensive cohabitation agreement which will outline who will receive what in the event of a separation.

See our cohabitation agreement services.

How we remove conflict from family law

We understand how emotionally challenging it can be when a relationship breaks down, and how difficult it can be to make those tough decisions alone. That’s why we dedicate our time to helping families through negotiation towards resolution with minimal time and costs.

We can assist with methods of alternative dispute resolution that may be appropriate. Family mediation may be a viable option, depending on your circumstances

Family mediation

This is the most common way of dealing with disputes around divorce and separation. It involves both parties meeting with a trained mediator over a series of sessions to discuss any points of conflict and agree how they should be resolved. The mediator acts as a neutral third party to defuse potential conflict and advise on points of law, with all decisions remaining in your hands.

Mediation is typically much faster and less costly than court proceedings, as well as keeping conflict to a minimum. You will normally need to show you have at least considered mediation before you will be allowed to take a divorce to court.

Our family law fees

Fixed fees family law services

In most family law cases we will try to agree with you a fixed fee for the legal work involved. So, whether you instruct our family solicitors for your divorce, your children, or a mentally incapacitated family member, you will know from the outset how much it will cost from beginning to end. We will inform you of exactly what work we’ll do in return.

See our fixed fee family law services.

Pay-as-you-go family law advice

Where a fixed fee is not possible, we will work according to an agreed hourly rate on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis, where you are billed for the exact amount of time needed to deal with your legal needs. This means we can provide exactly as much support as you need at a fair rate.

Why choose Henriques Griffiths for family law?

Since 1973, our family solicitors in Bristol have built a reputation for delivering an exceptional service that families can rely on.

Our family lawyers are accredited by the Law Society for Family Law & Children Law. This recognises that our team meets the quality standard required to offer reliable, effective legal advice and representation in these areas.

Several of our family law solicitors are members of Resolution, a network of legal professionals who promote methods of non-combative Alternative Dispute Resolution. This reflects our commitment to removing conflict from family law.

With a wide range of strong legal expertise across our firm, we can also assist with matters often connected to family law matters, such as buying and selling property and updating your Will.

Henriques Griffiths is Lexcel accredited by the Law Society for our practice management and client care.

We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), providing assurance that we continually meet the highest legal and professional standards.

Contact our family law solicitors in Bristol today

Speak to one of our family law solicitors now by contacting your local Henriques Griffiths office in Bristol or Winterbourne, or you can use our simple enquiry form to ask a question or request a call back.