Individual
Our Expert Family Solicitors are here to help with all aspects of Family Law.
Our department of family solicitors in Brighton is made up of a highly experienced team of family lawyers who are well-regarded specialists in their field, able to offer divorce, mediation and collaborative law as an alternative to Court.
The Family Department has achieved rankings in both the leading Law Directories Chambers UK and Legal 500.
We care about our clients and will support you through the most difficult of times. Listening carefully to establish what you want to achieve, our family solicitors will reduce your stress by dealing with your case quickly, clearly and with care, keeping you informed at all times. Our Family Law Team adopts a proactive approach and will always seek to find an early and practical solution for you.
Equipped to deal with complex and contentious issues in a calm, focused and robust way, we strive to adopt an approach which will be of most benefit to you. Our focus will be on negotiation rather than confrontation.
We often receive recommendations from our peers, barristers and other local professionals, and our experience, expertise and commitment to client service is recognised by Resolution and Chambers UK.
Please call our Family Law Team for a no-obligation chat; it won’t cost you a penny to find out how we can help. We will arrange an early meeting, where we can talk through your options and give you a clear idea of timeframes and costs.
Partner, Family Department
Julian is a highly experienced family practitioner who heads up the Family Department. Julian is a trained Collaborative lawyer and Mediator. Julian is Top Ranked in the Chambers Legal Directory with testimonials including “a really good lawyer, experienced, calm and can fight his client’s corner with flair and creativity without making the dispute intractable.”
Julian’s focus is on resolving, not creating conflict, encouraging negotiation, and finding solutions. Julian is adept at bringing a calm, focused and if necessary, robust approach to contentious and complex financial situations. Julian will bring empathy and solutions to child related matters. Julian will strive to find the approach which will best benefit the individual and to prepare them for life after separation.
Julian’s specialties :
advising on high net worth and complex separations, involving businesses, Trusts, and pension issues
dealing with cases using the Collaborative model
resolving childcare disputes
advising on pre and post nuptial agreements
advising on cohabitation disputes
Chambers ranked No 1 in Family/Matrimonial - “extremely experienced, sensible and really resolution-focused.” ‘Julian is one of the toughest negotiators but one of the most charming men you will ever meet.’
Legal 500 Ranked – “an experienced practitioner who is well known and respected by opponents and the judiciary.” “straight talking, trustworthy and well respected locally.”
Partner, Family Department
Sarah is a Partner in the Family team, who specialises in complex Children Act litigation (private law), Financial Remedies on divorce, cohabitation agreements and disputes, and protection from domestic abuse.
Solicitor, Family Department
Jennie is a Solicitor in the Family team, who advises in relation to Children Act litigation (private law), Financial Remedies on divorce, cohabitation agreements and disputes, and protection from domestic abuse/injunctive relief.
Legal 500 “Star in the making”
Our Family Law Team appreciate that the breakdown of a relationship can be one of the most stressful experiences you can go through. Our team will look to manage this difficult period for you in a sensitive manner and provide clear advice which is specific to your circumstances.
We will look at all the issues arising from the breakdown of the relationship and if you are married we will discuss the divorce process with you whether you are initiating the divorce or responding to it. Our advice is based on years of experience in helping people pick up the pieces of their lives in a way that is appropriate for their families and most legally beneficial for them.
For more information, please call us on 01273 249 200 or visit our Separation and Divorce page.
Our focus throughout will be on achieving a fair negotiated financial settlement for you. Only as a measure of last resort should a Judge be required to impose a financial decision upon you as the delay in resolving matters and the costs will be considerable.
We recommend that you take early legal advice to ensure your position is protected and you have an understanding of what your rights and entitlements may be. A fundamental principle of any negotiation is that there be full and frank disclosure. We can assist you in preparing your financial disclosure and, vitally, ensure that your spouse reciprocates.
Our aim is for an agreement to be reached either through negotiation between yourselves, the use of Mediation or the Collaborative process or negotiation between solicitors either outside or within the Court process.
Our Family Law Team look out for your best interests at all times and will endeavour to achieve an outcome that is fair to you having regard to all the circumstances. Our Family Team’s experience enables us to provide clear and comprehensive guidance to assist your decision-making. Our Family Team regularly deal with complex financial disputes which involve the home, maintenance, businesses, Trust assets, inheritances and pensions.
For further information, please call us on 01273 249 200 or download our fact sheet.
The Court process has its place and can be necessary where there has been a breakdown of all communication and/or there are issues of non-disclosure or other complex financial issues that need to be determined. In these situations, our experienced family team will guide you through the process and provide you with robust representation whilst always seeking to negotiate an appropriate settlement.
For many, their matter will be much better resolved outside of the Court arena, and we will encourage you and your partner to find a way of settling your affairs which is both amicable and saves time, mental anguish and a significant amount of money. This can be achieved by constructive dialogue with your partner’s lawyer, including round-table meetings where appropriate, or through resolution by way of Mediation or the Collaborative approach. Many of our clients have drawn considerable benefit from separating with dignity and in a way which is much less traumatic for any child involved.
Julian Hunt can offer both Mediation and the Collaborative process, and his ability to achieve a resolution for his clients has been recognised in Chambers UK 2016.
If you would like to find out more about Mediation or the Collaborative process, please call us on 01273 249 200 or visit our Collaborative Law page.
Our guiding principle is that whatever else may be at stake the interests of the children must come first and we pride ourselves in putting children at the forefront of our minds at all times.
We will work with you in protecting your children, whether that is to keep them safe or in ensuring that the children benefit from spending time with both their parents free from conflict.
It is all too easy for children to become unwilling pawns in a warring relationship or for their feelings to be suppressed or ignored. We will do everything we can to reduce the impact on your children and, where necessary, we can help you find additional help from organisations that specialise in supporting families in troubled times.
Whilst our primary focus will always be to encourage you to reach a negotiated resolution, either from Mediation or the Collaborative process, our Family Law Team have considerable experience in securing Orders within the Court process, including complex areas such as children’s relocation.
For more information, please call us on 01273 249 200 or visit our Children Law page.
A Separation Agreement is a written agreement entered into by a couple who wishes to stop living together, setting out what they intend to happen to their money, property and other practical issues consequent to their separation. Separation Agreements are usually entered into by parties who are separating but do not want to divorce or dissolve their Civil Partnership at that time, perhaps for religious or practical reasons.
Separation Agreements are contractual agreements between separating parties dealing with:-
A Separation Agreement is a bespoke document drawn up for the two of you for your particular circumstances, so it can cover almost anything you want it to.
A Separation Agreement can be negotiated using Mediation, Collaborative Law or otherwise by using solicitors to talk to each other on your instructions. We will find the process most suitable for you.
For more information, please call us on 01273 249 200 or visit our Separation Agreement page.
No one goes into a marriage or embarks on a relationship expecting it to fail but, sadly, statistics show that relationship breakdown is an all too common experience. Disputes over who is entitled to what following a relationship breakdown can become extremely acrimonious and add unnecessary additional trauma to overcome. Many disputes can be prevented entirely by careful planning and taking legal advice at the outset of the relationship. We can work with you in preparing an Agreement which details what should happen during a relationship and in the event of divorce, separation and bereavement.
For more information, contact us on 01273 249 200 or visit our Pre-Nuptial and Cohabitation Agreements page.