Family law

In today’s modern world there is no such thing as an ‘average’ family or ‘normal’ relationship. You may be married, living together, or separated. Children, step-children or adopted children are perhaps living with you or living elsewhere. Grandparents or other family members could also be involved. Whatever your situation, relationships can sometimes break down and that’s when turning to a family solicitor can really help you to resolve difficulties quickly.

Whenever there are issues within relationships, it can be a stressful and emotional time but we are here to help make things easier. We’ll work hard to get to know you and understand your own unique situation so that we can help you resolve whatever issues you are facing, allowing you to start planning for a happier future.

Our family law solicitors have in-depth knowledge of all aspects of family law and provide sympathetic legal advice to ensure that the practical implications of any relationship break-up are dealt with properly. We can advise on financial and property matters but we never lose sight of the fact that although practical issues need to be resolved, feelings and emotions are just as important.

At Smith Roddam Solicitors, we believe legal advice should be clear and easy to understand. We use plain English, not complicated legal jargon, and will explain things in a straightforward way.

We’re happy to have an initial chat with you over the phone to understand a little more about your situation and explain how we may be able to help. Please note that this initial conversation is not legal advice.

We’ll also explain the likely costs and timescales involved from the outset, so you know what to expect and there are no surprises along the way

If children are involved, we know that your priority will be to ensure their welfare and we’ll provide complete support to help you do this. If situations arise where children may be at risk, we’ll work quickly to protect them. Our family law solicitors are experts in dealing with a wide range of disputes involving children. These include disagreements about who the children should live with and arrangements for other family members to see them, disputes over who the father is, or disagreements about who should be responsible for making important decisions in the children’s lives.

One way of resolving relationship difficulties is through mediation. Mediation is a recognised process where the people involved in a dispute can come together with a trained relationship expert who takes on the role of mediator and will help you reach an agreement. Smith Roddam Solicitors provides an expert mediation service that can often help avoid more lengthy or complex legal cases.

If you’re looking for confidential and friendly family law advice, contact us and speak to an experienced family law solicitor today.


Please note that our solicitors do not provide legal aid services at this time.

Team members

Janice McKenna LLB (HONS)
Partner
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Gillian Hammond
Chartered Legal Executive - Locum
Bishop Auckland
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