News/Events/Press

Finding your way through the divorce maze

Helen Saggers is a solicitor in the matrimonial and family team at Barr Ellison Solicitors. Here, she considers the first steps in and common initial perceptions of the divorce process.

“Many new clients are often understandably very anxious about their first appointment with a solicitor. When making an appointment they often ask if it is alright to bring a friend or family member for moral support and of course it is. I am often not quite sure what clients expect when they come to see a solicitor, I suppose like with many things the fear of the unknown is the overriding factor. I had a client who told me after our first meeting ‘that I was not as awful as she thought’, I’m not sure what she had heard but I think I was more relieved than her.

Clients at a first meeting have a whole string of questions and what they need is information. Clients often say that their other half has told them all sorts of things. Well meaning friends will give the client advice often based on their own experiences. A lot of the information the client has been given from various sources is wrong and leads them into a state of panic and confusion which hopefully subsides after they have had some proper legal advice.

I can narrow down the most frequently asked questions that people have as follows (I will use the wife as the divorcing party simply for ease of reference, the same questions however can apply to both parties):

1.     Will I be able to stay in the house?

2.     What will happen to the children? He says that he wants shared care what does that mean?

3.     Does he have to pay me maintenance? Does he have to support the children?

4.     Can I ask him to leave? What if he will not leave, what do I do then?

5.     I want a divorce, can I do that just because I don’t like him anymore?

6.     What happens if he does not provide his financial details, how will I know if he is telling the truth as I don’t trust him anymore?

7.     Will we have to go to Court?

8.     Will he have to support me whilst this is being sorted out?

9.     What if I meet someone else before we get divorced, does that matter?

10.   How much is all of this going to cost me?

Each case is different however there are similar threads that run through each situation. Please have a look at my FACT SHEET which gives an overview of how the divorce process works.

Getting the right information and advice at the early stages of a divorce/separation is crucial. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. This is about you and your future.”

For more information on divorce or family matters please contact Marion Tucker on 01223 417200

Comments Post comment