services

Family Law

It can be earth-shattering when something goes wrong at home. Finding a solution is never easy when emotions run high. It's our job to listen carefully and sympathetically to you so we can find the best way to guide you through your legal options and help you resolve problems in the most effective way. We try to make sure you end up with the outcome that you want and when that's not possible, we will work with you to find a solution that you can live with.

We have a high level of expertise in:

Whatever the problem we will support you in making the best out of an unhappy situation.

Family Breakdown

We have a very experienced team of solicitors dedicated to providing the best service in all aspects of family breakdown, including divorce, disputes relating to children (e.g. contact, residence, disagreement about the child’s name or whether the child can leave the country) and financial provision.

Care Proceedings

We have a well established reputation for advising and representing people involved in Care Proceedings. We have a number of Children Panel Members with many years experience of this difficult area of law.

Adoption

Our experienced Family Team Members are happy to advise and act in adoption cases.

Same Sex Couples

Our senior partner, Jai Penna, took the leading case on Joint Residence Orders for a lesbian couple back in 1994 and our firm probably has more experience in this field than any other in the country. All our staff are respectful in their attitude to minority groups and know that families come in many different shapes and sizes.

When same sex couples separate, whether they have undergone a Civil Partnership Registration or not, we can help with issues to do with children and property.

Prevention is better than Cure

We can also draft Co-habitation Agreements between co-habiting couples.
For further assistance do not hesitate to contact a member of the Family Team:-

Ms Jai Penna (Law Society’s Children Panel Member)
Ms Louise Garner (Law Society’s Children Panel Member)
Mr Simon Saunders (Law Society’s Children Panel Member)
Ms Louise Fleetwood (Law Society’s Children Panel Member)
Ms Mushaba Rafiq (Law Society’s Children Panel Member)
Ms Daniela Maggioni  
Cheryl Walmsley  

Mental Health

Because we believe in putting people first, we understand the need for approaching each client as an individual. Nowhere is this more important than in the mental health area of our work. Our team of Mental Health Law specialists has wide experience in applying a deep understanding of the law to the lives of our clients. We appreciate the impact of mental health difficulties and learning disabilities on those affected directly and on their relatives, friends and carers. We provide a specialist legal service to clients at what are often distressing and traumatic periods of their lives. We take a holistic approach to our mental health clients and refer any client that requires assistance in respect of family and crime to our specialist teams in those areas. We can offer expert advice to mentally disordered defendants in the criminal justice system.

We offer expert advice in the following:

Our specialist team represents clients throughout the North West area.

We can represent any patient detained by the Criminal Courts in medium and high secure hospitals as well as patients on civil sections (Section 2 and Section 3) and Guardianship Orders.

We also advise prisoners who have mental health problems.

For expert advice and assistance, please contact the mental health team:-

Wills and Probate

Our Will Drafting Service

It is never easy to contemplate your own death. But one thing we all have in common is the desire to cause as little suffering as possible to those we leave behind. For that reason, it’s as important to plan what happens to your property when you die as it is to plan for the present. If you die without making a will, the state steps in and this can mean that the people you care about are not provided for. Even if you are married or are in a Civil Partnership, the provisions for your spouse or civil partner are limited and could be inadequate. If you are unmarried and in a heterosexual relationship or in a same sex relationship that is not registered under the Civil Partnership Act, your partner could be left with nothing, even losing the roof over their head.

There are other important reasons for making a will, including:

We always advise using a solicitor because of the legal pitfalls to be avoided, and we also ensure that your will is fully suited to your individual wishes and circumstances. We offer a fast and efficient service that is friendly and personal.

Probate Service

This means the administration of someone's estate when they have died. Using a solicitor at this difficult time can take a large burden from you, as well as ensuring that you have the specialist legal input that is needed. We can deal with the whole process, or assist you as and when you need us to if you prefer to deal with most of the paperwork yourself.

Related Areas

We also offer a specialist service in relation to the following:

If you find it difficult to get in to our offices in Northenden or Longsight or to see us in working hours we will do our best to visit you elsewhere or at a time that is convenient to you. Our charges are competitive and we may be able to assist you free of charge under the Legal Help Scheme.

For further information please contact our wills and probate specialist Caroline Pinney on 0161 945 1431

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