Practice area 02
Family law.
Separation, divorce, financial arrangements, and matters relating to children. We approach family matters with the recognition that they are usually personally difficult for the client - direct about the law and the realistic outcomes, and unwilling to encourage litigation where settlement is achievable.
A
Divorce & separation
The formal proceedings and the negotiations alongside them.
We act in divorce, dissolution of civil partnership, and judicial separation. The work covers the formal court process - petition, decree nisi, decree absolute - and the negotiations and agreements that often run alongside the formal proceedings on finances and arrangements for children.
Most separations resolve without contested hearings. Where the underlying issues are agreed in principle, the formal process is procedural; where they are not, we work to narrow the differences before any contested hearing.
- Divorce and dissolution of civil partnership
- Judicial separation
- Pre- and post-nuptial agreements
- Cohabitation agreements and separation of unmarried couples
B
Financial arrangements
Division of assets, maintenance, and pension arrangements.
We advise on the financial aspects of separation - division of matrimonial property, ongoing maintenance, and pension arrangements. The work covers negotiation of financial settlement, drafting of consent orders, and where necessary, contested financial proceedings.
Cross-border asset issues - common on the Isle of Man, where one or both parties often hold UK or offshore assets - are handled as part of the matter, with input from accountants and pension specialists where needed.
C
Arrangements for children
Where the children will live and how time will be shared.
We act on arrangements for children following separation - residence, contact, and the day-to- day decisions about how a child's time will be shared between separated parents. The starting point is always agreement between parents; where that cannot be reached, we act on contested applications to the High Court.
We are direct with clients that contested proceedings about children are difficult, slow, and expensive. Where there is room to reach agreement, that is where we will focus our work.
How this work runs
What to expect.
Lead advocate
Catherine Kewley, Partner.
Catherine leads our family work. She contributes to local committees on family law practice and acts personally on matters from first meeting through to conclusion.
Fees
Agreed hourly rates with regular cost updates - typically at each stage of proceedings.
Fixed-fee initial consultations are available, and fixed fees apply to drafting consent orders where finances are agreed.
Typical timeline
Twelve to twenty weeks on an uncontested divorce with agreed finances.
Contested financial or children's matters can take significantly longer; we explain the realistic timetable at the outset.
A confidential first conversation.
Up to thirty minutes with Catherine, free of charge. No obligation, and nothing on the record until you instruct us.