Nottingham Family Solicitors

Ranked in Tier 1 for all family law matters

Our Expertise

Our Nottingham family solicitors deal with more than just divorce. They are ranked top for all family law matters by both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500. The Nottingham team is led by Nikki Aston who has over 19 years of experience and deals with all aspects of family law.

The family team in Nottingham can offer legal advice on everything from making arrangements for children to resolving the financial issues of a divorce. We can assist with taking children abroad, fertility and surrogacy law, and school appeals. As well as divorce, our supportive Nottingham lawyers can also guide you through cohabitation agreements, civil partnerships and pre and post-nuptial agreements.

Our family solicitors can be relied on to be sensitive and discreet to you and your family. We offer over 20 years’ experience; using our extensive skill and knowledge to get your life back on track. Importantly, we offer legal advice and representation equal in quality to top London firms, without the high cost.

If you’re based in Nottinghamshire, give our family law team a call to see how we can help.

FAQs

How are pensions dealt with during a divorce?

When the division of pensions is being considered, a pension scheme Cash Equivalent Value may be used as a starting point. The advice of a Pension Actuary may be needed to look at providing an income for both parties on retirement. Offsetting (where one party is compensated for the loss of pension rights by receiving other assets) or earmarking (a percentage of the pension is set aside for the ex-spouse to claim on retirement may) also be considered, which require a Court Order to be effective.

This is a complex area of law and requires careful consideration, so we ensure our clients obtain advice about the right options for them.

What is family mediation?

Rather than going to Court, mediation is a flexible way of resolving disputes, arising around separation or divorce, saving time and money. Our accredited and experienced mediators resolve issues through face-to-face meetings, helping couples arrive at a solution that suits them both.

Mediation enables couples to communicate directly with each other, rather than via solicitors or across a Court Room. Our mediators act as impartial third parties whose job it is to discuss options to help craft a solution to suit both parties and their family. Common topics include childcare, co-parenting plans and resolving the financial issues.

How are divorce costs calculated?

Some of the cases we deal with are very straightforward and for those we offer fixed fee services. For example if you want to deal with the paperwork yourself, a divorce paperwork checking service costs £250 plus VAT. For us to deal with all paperwork, a fixed fee of £600 plus VAT applies, provided both parties agree upon the basis the divorce paperwork is going to be presented to the Court.

If there is disagreement about who is going to file the divorce petition with the Court and upon what basis, we charge for the time spent this would not normally exceed £1,200 plus VAT.

Anyone filing a divorce petition has to pay a separate Court fee which is currently £550.

To learn more about how much it will cost to sort out financial issues, please READ MORE here.

How much will it cost to sort out the financial issues during divorce?

The cost of resolving financial issues between separating or divorcing couple depends upon how contentious those issues are between the parties. Both parties should prepare a Financial Consent Order which sets out how financial issues have been resolved, and if couples can agree matters between themselves then this will involve a fixed fee for dealing with paperwork plus the Court fee. Mediation can help to keep costs to a minimum, whilst resolving difference, but if agreement can’t be reached, going to Court can be a costly exercise,

To learn more about how much it will cost to sort out financial issues, please READ MORE here.

Do I have to pay child maintenance?

If you are separated from your child’s other parent you are required to have child maintenance which is calculated, in most cases, through the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) which can seek information from the Inland Revenue. If you earn more than the maximum CMS threshold, the court can award top-up maintenance to the other parent. Calculating payments is not always straightforward, but you can use this calculator: https://www.cmoptions.org/en/calculator/

If you do not agree to the amount of maintenance, you can ask the CMS to re-consider and ultimately appeal the decision to an independent tribunal.

What is the purpose of a Cohabitation Agreement?

There is no such thing as Common Law husband and wife, even if you have lived together for many years. You only acquire the rights of a spouse if you marry or enter into a civil partnership. So if you separate, the only assets which you can claim against are those owned jointly, or that you have made a direct financial contribution to and about which you have agreements in place. If you are planning to cohabit, a Cohabitation Agreement outlines who will contribute towards what during the course of your relationship. This will also establish what rights you both have to each other’s assets and the future claims that you understand will or will not be made.

How do I appeal for a place for my child at school?

It is possible to appeal any decision relating to a school placement – this involves completing a written application, with evidence, where relevant. An appeal is successful if the admission criteria do not comply with the school admissions’ appeal code, if admission arrangements have not been properly followed or the decision to refuse your chid a place was not reasonable.

The appeal is initially made in writing and a hearing date is set. You must comply with the appeal process and timetable. Your appeal is heard by an independent tribunal where evidence will be given about the admission criteria and how it has been applied.

Our Process

Our Nottingham family team will help you towards the best situation for you and particularly your children. We always consider alternative dispute resolution methods such as collaborative law, solicitor-led negotiation, mediation, or arbitration. These can help reduce your exposure to costs and delays in court.

However, if you still have to go to court, our Nottingham family solicitors will support you every step of the way. You will find us friendly and approachable throughout – you can be sure you are in safe hands.

In particular, we are specialists in complex family law cases involving pensions assets or business trusts. Our experience of wealth preservation is helpful in preparing agreements for cohabitation and pre-nuptials. With experts in tax, trusts, property, employment and company law, we have a huge breadth of understanding. Give Nikki Aston in Nottingham a call today to find out how we could help you.

Why Choose our Nottingham Family Solicitors

We’re located on Maid Marian Way, in the centre of town with ample car parking space nearby
Both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners rank our team of family solicitors in the top tier
By using alternative dispute resolution, we help you to avoid costly litigation fees
If court is the only option, we will offer you robust representation, support and clear advice
We offer a range of competitive fees, while still offering quality to rival top city firms

Nikki Aston

Nikki is a solicitor and a Director based at the Nottingham office. She joined Freeths in June 2022. She has over 19 years of experience and deals with all aspects of family law.

Her specialism is divorce and high net worth financial settlements, and she has a particular interest in cases which involve businesses, trusts, property portfolios and pensions.

She also deals with complex private law children matters, (with issues such as relocation, allegations of abuse, and parental alienation) pre and post nuptial agreements, civil partnership breakdown, and cohabitee property disputes.

Examples of family law cases by Nikki

Nikki advised a client in court proceedings which dealt with the finances following his divorce, defeating claims from his ex-wife, and preserving his significant business interests.
She also secured a capitalised lump sum order and clean break for a client who had a significant level of income thus releasing him from any ongoing or future obligations to his ex-wife.
Nikki deals frequently with cases upwards of £5m and works closely with her trusted professional network of advisers who include wealth planners, financial advisors, accountants and also life coaches/counsellors.

For further information about our Nottingham family solicitors, please contact Nikki Aston, Director, on 0345 030 5684 or submit a secure enquiry form.