Y Bacchus & Co | Solicitors

Family Law

Y Bacchus & Co Solicitors understand that the breakdown of any relationship is often distressing especially when children are involved. You are then faced with having to make difficult decisions concerning your children, home and finances. We pride ourselves on giving clients clear understandable advice on the best way forward and ensure that their case is dealt with in a sympathetic manner.

Parents often have to make difficult decisions about their children's welfare when they separate or divorce. Where parents cannot agree who the children should live with or how often the children should have contact with the absent parent, then the court will decide and will make residence or contact orders to regulate the arrangements. At Y Bacchus & Co Solicitors, we will support you during the entire divorce process and ensure that your interests are safeguarded.

Our expertise includes dealing with:

Pre-Nuptial Agreements to protect assets before entering into marriage

Divorce

Financial Orders following Divorce

Separation Agreements if you are not intending to get a divorce

Trust Agreement of property

Disputes involving Children:

Parental Responsibility Agreement

Residence Orders to decide who the children should live with

Prohibited Steps and Specific Issues Orders

The unmarried family

What's mine is definitely not yours!

Whilst setting up home together can be very thrilling, the situation can be tenuous from a legal point of view when things go wrong, as unmarried couples do not have the same legal rights as married couples. For example, if the home in which they live is in the sole name of one of them and the relationship breaks down or the owner of the property dies, the surviving partner could find themselves homeless, since they have no automatic right to inherit the house or to continue to reside there. The unmarried couple will not be entitled to pension payments or to deal with their partner's estate on death.

The status of the unmarried couple is indeed precarious and Y Bacchus & Co Solicitors can help you through the maze by putting documentation in place to prevent disagreements, disappointments and to regulate your relationship in the event things go wrong.

Pre-nuptial Agreements

A Pre-nuptial Agreement is a formal agreement between two people which sets out their intentions as to the division of assets in the event the marriage breaks down. A pre-nuptial agreement provides security for the parties during and after the marriage. All couples who are getting married and have individual assets should take steps to define the financial consequences of their marriage ending. It is prudent financial planning!

Why should couples enter into a pre-nuptial agreement

You are much wealthier than your partner

You are much poorer than your partner

You are remarrying

If the marriage breaks down, a prenuptial agreement makes separation less stressful, speeds up the divorce process, saves time and cost

Your partner has substantial debts or is bankrupt

You own a business or a share in a business

To prevent your spouse from contesting your Will

If you plan to give up your career to raise children

Is a pre-nuptial agreement legally binding?

Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not yet legally binding in the UK but will, in normal circumstances, be taken into consideration by the courts, provided:

the weaker party was not pressured into entering into the agreement

both parties have made full and frank disclosure about their assets at the time of signing

both parties considered and understood the implications of entering in to the agreement

both parties sought independent legal advice before entering into the document
the agreement is fair in all the circumstances