Individual
Family Law Services
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.
What Our Family Law Solicitors Do
Family Law in Focus
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.
Your Family Law Experts
Get to know those who are here to help you
Julian Hunt
Partner, Family Department
Areas of Specialism
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 :
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advising on high net worth and complex separations, involving businesses, Trusts, and pension issues
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dealing with cases using the Collaborative model
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resolving childcare disputes
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advising on pre and post nuptial agreements
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advising on cohabitation disputes
Recent Client Matters
- Acted for a Wife in Financial Remedy proceedings overcoming Husband’s refusal to provide full financial disclosure and comply with the Court timetable. Secured Penal Notices and multiple Cost Orders against the Husband and an excellent outcome for the Wife.
- Acted for a Wife in Financial Remedy proceedings that involved 5 hearings including obtaining a Legal Services Order. Secured significant lump sum for housing, repayment of debts and spousal periodical payments throughout the child’s minority.
- Acting for a Husband following a long marriage where Wife has issued Financial Remedy application. Included instruction of a single joint expert to value a company in which both parties are shareholders, a dispute in relation to matrimonial and non-matrimonial assets and the treatment of foreign assets. Successfully resolving matters outside of the Court process.
Qualifications
- Solicitor BA (Hons)
- Member of Resolution
- Founding member of Brightpod ( Collaborative Group) & Sussex Family Solutions (inter-disciplinary network of family professionals)
Recognition
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.”
Sarah Phillips
Partner, Family Department
Areas of Specialism
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.
- Child arrangements orders – living and spending time arrangements
- Children – specific issue and prohibited steps orders - vaccination, education, name change, temporary and permanent removal from the jurisdiction, enforcement, parental alienation
- Children – contact to grandparents
- Financial remedies on divorce / dissolution of civil partnership - business and trust assets, pension sharing, litigation and financial conduct
- Pre and Post-nuptial agreements
- Separation and cohabitation agreements
- Domestic violence injunctions
Recent Client Matters
- Sarah regularly represents parents in private law proceedings where mental health issues, substance misuse, and allegations of coercive control, narcissism and parental alienation are a central feature.
- Sarah negotiated a financial settlement in which the client received an 80% share of the equity in the family home, and maintenance for five years to provide the client with time to attain financial independence without undue hardship.
- Sarah recently represented a father at a Fact Finding hearing in which findings were made against him, but following engagement in a DVPP, parenting courses and therapy, the father was able to secure an order for shared care of the parties’ two children.
- Sarah regularly settles financial remedy cases by way of advice during mediation, voluntary disclosure and solicitor-led negotiations, avoiding the cost and stress of contested proceedings for her clients.
Qualifications, Membership
- Solicitor (PGDL) City University
- Resolution Accredited Specialist Family Lawyer – Complex Financial Remedies
- Resolution Accredited Specialist Family Lawyer – Children Law Private
- Resolution qualified Collaborative Lawyer
- Member of Resolution
- Chambers - Legal 500
Jennie Apsey
Solicitor, Family Department
Areas of Specialism
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.
- Child arrangements orders
- Children – specific issue and prohibited steps orders - temporary or permanent removal from the jurisdiction, enforcement
- Financial remedies on divorce / dissolution of civil partnership - pension sharing, litigation and financial conduct
- Pre and Post-nuptial agreements
- Separation and cohabitation agreements
- Domestic violence injunctions
Recent Client Matters
- Jennie regularly represents parents in private children law proceedings where mental health issues, substance misuse, and allegations of domestic abuse are a feature.
- Jennie has recently successfully defended a Specific Issue application by a mother to remove a child from the jurisdiction and secured a Port Alert Order. She has also acted for the Applicant in a Specific Issue application to permanently remove children from the jurisdiction.
- Jennie has experience of acting for parents in Children Act proceedings that include Fact-Finding hearings.
- Jennie has experience of acting for clients in both long and short marriages and recently acted for the Applicant Husband in Financial Remedy proceedings following a very short marriage of 7 months’ duration where all the assets were in the wife’s name including the Family Home. A very successful outcome was secured for the client which enabled him to rehouse and settle significant liabilities.
- Jennie is often instructed to prepare Financial Consent Orders following agreements reached between parties directly, in mediation, or as a result of solicitor-led negotiation.
Qualifications, Membership
- Solicitor (PGDL)
Qualifications, Membership
Legal 500 “Star in the making”
Christina Bourn
Senior Legal Assistant/Paralegal, Family Department
Areas of Specialism
Christina is a proficient senior legal assistant/paralegal, supporting Jennie Apsey (Solicitor), and the Family Team, in cases where advising in relation to Children Act litigation (private law), Financial Remedies on Divorce, Cohabitation Agreements and disputes, and protection from domestic abuse/injunctive relief. Christina is reputable for her excellent client service, being the first point of call to take all new enquiries.
- Child arrangement orders
- Financial remedies on divorce / dissolution of civil partnership
- Pre and Post-Nuptial Agreements
Qualifications
- Student of Law Society of New South Wales Australia
Christina can be contacted by email: cb@deanwilson.co.uk or on her direct dial: 01273 249 293
Family Law Services
Our family law solicitors in Brighton can help with:
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:-
- The agreement to live apart
- The obligations to maintain one another and any children of the family
- The distribution of the assets
- The arrangements for the children of the family
- Debt indemnity
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.
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