Family Law Experts
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At southgate solicitors, we take pride in our commitment to justice and providing unwavering support to our clients. Our past cases stand testament to the dedication and expertise we bring to each unique legal challenge. Explore our case archives categorized for easy navigation, showcasing our proficiency across various legal domains. From navigating complex divorce proceedings to advocating for victims of domestic abuse, our track record reflects our relentless pursuit of favourable outcomes for our clients.
Settled a civil dissolution and a clean break between two civil partners, with my client retaining the former family home.
Successfully pursued a financial relief application resulting in a substantive financial order and pension equalisation order favourable to wife.
Obtained a freezing injunction on a husband’s solely owned freehold commercial property to prevent a sale and thereafter pursued a contested application for financial relief for the wife.
Secured a settlement in which our client obtained 100% of the husband’s assets disclosed in proceedings due to his non-compliance and non-disclosure of business and financial interests.
Represented wife in an ultra-high-net-worth matrimonial case resulting in a significant award for our client.
Represented a wife in heavily contested proceedings and was awarded a significant lump sum to meet her housing needs arising out of a fairly short marriage.
Represented wife in a medium-length marriage and obtained a transfer of the family home to her due to husband’s non-engagement in proceedings.
Negotiated and amicably settled a divorce and financial relief matter without having to engage in the court process.
Acted on behalf of wife whilst husband was litigant in person in prison.
Amicably settled a divorce and made a successful proposal obtaining a clean break on capital and income between the parties.
Acted on behalf of wife and reached an agreement whereby she would stay in the former family home until the youngest child reached the age of 18.
Represented applicant wife in contested divorce proceedings whereby respondent husband claimed the parties were never married and in absence of a marriage certificate.
Amicably agreed a financial consent order on behalf on the wife and in the best interests of the children.
Obtained permission for third party client to intervene in her daughter and son-in-law’s financial remedy proceedings to assert her claimed equitable interest in her home where she allowed the parties to stay with their two children and successfully won the case.
Secured a maintenance pending suit order for applicant wife whose sole income came from her state pension.
Respondent husband earning £130,000 per annum ordered to pay applicant wife spousal maintenance.
Represented applicant wife successfully obtaining a clean break on capital and income between the parties and securing 65:35 split in favour of wife as main carer of disabled child.
Successfully obtained a clean break on capital and income on behalf of husband having tried to settle financial matters for over 10 years with previous solicitors.
Obtained a non-molestation order for client who was at risk of honour-based violence. The order successfully protected the client from her husband and her husband’s family who had been physically and emotionally abusing the client and her child.
Made a successful application to discharge a non-molestation order with immediate effect.
Obtained a non-molestation and occupation order for vulnerable applicant wife having been subjected to physical, emotional, and psychological abuse by the respondent husband in the family home.
Obtained a non-molestation order for applicant wife having had no contact with her abusive husband for 10 years who then turned up at her door demanding the family home be transferred to him.
Represented applicant wife in non-molestation and occupation order proceedings who was subjected to years of abuse by the respondent husband in the family home impacting on the children’s welfare.
Represented the Mother in international child abduction proceedings in which the Mother was alleged to have wrongfully removed the child, contrary to an existing court order, to a foreign jurisdiction. The Mother disputed this and raised significant concerns of abuse. A complicating factor was that the Father had removed the child from the Mother from the foreign jurisdiction and taken the child to yet another jurisdiction. The matter was heard over several days in the High Court and the child was eventually returned home for substantive welfare hearings.
Secured the return to family of a teenage daughter who was in foster care and subsequently a specialist Child Sexual Exploitation unit throughout proceedings.
Prevented a child being adopted concluding with the new born baby being placed with paternal family in Algeria.
Represented a father accused of holding extremist views in care proceedings. Secured the return of the children to the father and proved that there was no evidence that he holds extremist views or that his children were at risk of being radicalised.
Successfully submitted on behalf of a mother that a fresh assessment of the family be undertaken at a final hearing and opposed the Local Authority’s recommendation of removal of children. The assessment was positive, and the Guardian and Local Authority changed their recommendation of removal of all children.
Ensured that proper support and assistance was put in place for a mother with alcohol problems after the Local Authority recommended her child be removed at the initial and final hearing. The final hearing was adjourned, the mother accessed the support, made the requisite changes and the Local Authority recommended that the child remain in the care of the mother.
Represented a mother with mental health issues whose child was being threatened with removal by the Local Authority due to her detention in hospital. A working together agreement was negotiated and the child remained in the care of his mother.
Represented a father in Lithuania whose child had been removed by the Local Authority in London. Successfully obtained an assessment by an independent social worker who positively assessed the father and recommended that the child live with him in Lithuania.
Successfully represented a mother during care proceedings for her second child in circumstances where there was less than a year since the removal and adoption of her first child. The mother was able to demonstrate sufficient change to allow the child to remain with her in a mother and baby foster placement. Following those proceedings, the Local Authority sought removal of the child later in the year alleging mother had not sustained the changes she was required to make. Argued successfully to have the case dismissed and to allow her to keep care of her child and for steps to be taken for her to move into the community.
Represented a Mother in care proceedings in respect of her two children in a matter involving mental health issues; alleged drug abuse and historic domestic abuse. The older child was initially removed at the outset of proceedings under an Interim Care Order and placed with foster carer’s while the younger child remained in the parent’s care. The matter was successfully ended with reunification of the older child with the family and a Supervision Order.
Represented a Father in the family’s second set of care proceedings in a matter concerning ongoing parental acrimony; ongoing drug use; allegations of domestic abuse and lack of emotional attunement towards the child in circumstances where the Father’s contact was constantly at risk of disruption. The matter was successfully ended with a Supervision Order and a shared life with order between the parent’s including substantial overnight contact to the Father.
Assisted counsel at multiple court hearings for a complex case where the father had taken his children to Lebanon and the Local Authority has issued proceedings to have them returned to the UK. Supported the client throughout the hearings and assisted in the communication between all parties concerned.
Represented a client who had mental health difficulties in a PLO matter where her children were being threatened with removal by the Local Authority due to her mental health and the aggressions in the home. An agreement was negotiated between the parties and the children remained in the parent’s care.
Represented a client with her child protection matter, ensuring that measuring were in place to protect both her and the child and assisting the client to ensure that the necessary steps on the child protection plan were followed.
Obtained an annulment of a marriage due to non-consummation between the spouses.
Drafted a pre-nuptial agreement on behalf of wife in order to protect her future inheritance.
Advised client on the implications of entering into a pre-nuptial agreement and advised that she would have more security if she did not enter into the agreement.
Prepared a pre-nuptial agreement for a client to protect significant pre-marital assets and inheritance.
Reviewed and amended post-nuptial agreement on behalf of wife to protect her interest in various assets including pensions.
Advised wife on legal implications of entering into a post-nuptial agreement advising that she would have greater security if she did not enter into the agreement.
Successfully represented the Respondent in contested private children proceedings from the initial FHDRA to successful settlement at a DRA. The case involved allegations of domestic abuse which on initial consideration were deemed insufficient to justify further involvement from Cafcass. Successfully argued that the issues were significant and that given the history between the parties and concerns as to the Applicant’s mental health and therefore that any contact should be supervised in a contact centre so as to allow a s7 report to be prepared. Upon receipt of the s7 report which recommended a ‘lives with’ order to the Respondent, was able to negotiate a settlement at the DRA stage without the need for a Final Hearing.
Settling a lengthy and contested divorce and child arrangement matters for a relative of a prominent British politician.
Agreeing a consent order for a child arrangement order further to a relocation of the mother.
Represented the Applicant after the issuing of proceedings for urgent orders in light of ongoing difficulties between the parties and significant concerns as to the emotional wellbeing of the children in light of self-harm behaviours and increasingly anxious behaviour. Prepared a detailed statement setting out the concerns of both the Applicant and in relation to the children and making clear the need for a consistent, stable routine for contact arrangements and that issues needed to be dealt with mutually between the parties. Following receipt of a positive s7 report, was able to assist in successfully negotiating a settlement between the parties at a DRA. There was significant back and forth negotiations which meant that initially there appeared no scope for agreement and that a Final Hearing would be necessary. Careful analysis of the s7 recommendations and creative considerations for contact arrangements meant a final agreement could be agreed leading to a significant saving in time and costs.
Order for change of a children’s first names back to the initial birth certificate registration after the mother had unanimously changed the children’s names without the father’s consent.
Represented father in a contested children matter and achieved a return of children who had been abducted to Iraq, as well a custodial sentence for the mother who had abducted them during the 2004 Iraq War (Re Kechiche [2005] EWHC 2184 (Fam)).
Represented father and successfully obtained a transfer of living arrangements of the children in his favour.
Obtained a child arrangement order for a client whose husband was subjecting her to domestic abuse and honour-based violence. The husband made two further applications but were both dismissed at the initial hearings as severe violence against the client and her children was successfully proven.
Represented a mother in complex case regarding parental responsibility as the mother was suffering with a life-threatening condition in hospital and lacked capacity to consent to child’s vaccinations and where he should reside while she is unable to care for him. Obtained the use of intermediary support at Court for an elderly client and a client with severe traumatic brain injury. This support assists vulnerable clients in understanding the process and helping them to communicate their views, and ultimately ensures the client has a fair hearing.
Represented the Mother in proceedings during which the Father would raise ongoing allegations of harm by the Mother against the child and sought to have the child removed from her care and placed in his care with limited contact. Successfully disputed the allegations and obtained a sole lives with order in favour of the Mother.
Represented a client in extremely acrimonious proceedings where the father would accuse mother of abducting the child; making false allegations and where he refused to provide consent . Finding of fact made against the father in respect of domestic abuse and the court ordered that permission be given to the client to visit her family abroad for 6 weeks. The child remained living with the client and no contact ordered due to risks.
Represented the Respondent Mother in an ongoing private law matter, having taken the matter on after the first hearing having concluded. Successfully persuaded the court that the behaviour of the Applicant alongside third party evidence of the same constituted domestic abuse. Obtained an injunction during the course of the proceedings and ultimately obtained a pre-emptive s91(14) order on behalf of the Mother.
Represented the Mother in a lengthy dispute involving allegations against her and her new partner of harming her 4 children. The Father took the children into his care and refused to return them due to concerns of harm. Following lengthy and acrimonious proceedings, successfully had all 4 children returned to the care of the Mother and a finding of domestic abuse made against the Father.
Agreeing a consent order for a children arrangement order on behalf of father.
Successfully obtained a specific issue order for the return of a child so contact can take place with mother.
Amicably agreed where the children will live and how much time they will spend with each parent and prepared a parenting plan to reflect the agreement reached.
Represented a vulnerable mother in private law children proceedings and pursuing a case to ensure that she and her child were protected from risk of harm from the applicant.
Assisted in cross-referencing three separate statements of the opponent to ensure the client was able to consistently respond to all issues raised in a contentious CAO matter involving significant disputed allegations of domestic abuse.
Advised a client following previous children proceedings, negotiated and liaised with the other side, then filed an urgent application to represent the respondent mother on an enforcement matter.
Represented a respondent mother on a child arrangements matter where there had been past domestic abuse and pursuing a case to ensure that contact arrangements between the child and father were in a safe environment with no risk of harm to either the child or mother.
Assisted instructing solicitor and counsel in a private children matter who represented respondent mother. The Father had made an application for a CAO to see the children but due to the length of time with no contact, mother was seeking indirect contact only in order to safeguard the children due to previous domestic abuse by the father which they had witnessed. Assisted by way of communication between the parties, attending court hearings and drafting, considering and amending court documents.
Successfully obtained a specific issue order for the permanent relocation of children abroad.
Agreed a consent order for a child arrangement order on behalf of applicant father.
Prepared mirror wills for clients to include a provision to appoint a Guardian for their young children in case they pass away while their children are minors.
Drafted a will for a client to ensure their estate will be dealt with in accordance with their wishes on their death.
Severed joint tenancy for a client and subsequently prepared a will on their behalf to ensure their ex-spouse would not inherit their share in the property.
Prepared property and financial Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) for a client to allow her daughter to be able to access her bank accounts immediately.
Prepared a Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), as well as a Property and Finance Lasting Power of Attorney for a husband and wife to appoint their three children to act jointly as their Attorneys.
Revoked Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) for a client and prepared replacements to reflect their new wishes and appoint a different Attorney.
Drafted a will for a client to ensure their estate will be dealt with in accordance with their wishes upon death including funeral arrangements.
Prepared financial decisions Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and health and care decisions Lasting Power of Attorney for elderly client appointing her two sons to act jointly as her Attorneys.
Send your details to us and we will call you back to take further information about your matter, or you can click the number below.
Send your details to us and we will call you back to take further information about your matter, or you can click the number below.
