Using a Solicitor for Advice

Contrary to the public perception, most solicitors are keen to help their clients come to an agreement without the expense and emotional cost of a protracted court hearing.

You might consider asking a solicitor for some advice at the outset of your matter so that parameters are set at an early stage. If you are not sure where to look for a solicitor, you can try the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor page or better still look at www.resolution.org.uk. Resolution is a network of family justice professionals committed to a code of conduct which promotes constructive and amicable solutions to dispute and there is more information on their website. Before going to see a solicitor consider writing out a short document setting out what the arrangements are at the moment, what the issue is and how the dispute has arisen and what proposals you would like to make to resolve it. It’s usually helpful for the solicitor to see this in advance as well as having details of the children, their dates of birth, names and ages and what schools they are at.

Why not consider consulting a solicitor to help you put together a parenting plan? A good solicitor will have all the requisite experience to help you record in an easy to read document the decisions you and your co-parent have made about how you wish to move forward and how any issues arising should be dealt with. Take a look at the Issues section of this website for more details about what sort of things might be included.