Can a parent take the children to live in France without the other parent's agreement? Not without a court order, and family law solicitors in Canterbury field that question more often than most, because the Channel is close and a good many families here have a parent, grandparents or a job on the other side of it. Relocation applications, international child abduction and marriages that end with assets in two countries are a recognised part of local practice, alongside the ordinary separations of a cathedral city, its two universities, the coastal towns and the farming villages.
Most disputes are settled before a judge sees them. A mediation information and assessment meeting is required before most children and finance applications, and local solicitors use mediation, round-table meetings and negotiation to keep families out of the family court in Canterbury, where contested cases are decided with a Cafcass report on the children's welfare. Seasonal and migrant workers on the farms sometimes need urgent advice when a relationship ends and a visa or a tied home is at stake.
Domestic abuse is handled quickly: a non-molestation or occupation order can be obtained from the court within days, with legal aid available to the applicant. Kent County Council brings care proceedings for children in the district, and parents in those proceedings qualify for legal aid regardless of income. Unmarried couples have far fewer rights on separation than married ones, and a cohabitation agreement or declaration of trust prevents later arguments about a house bought unequally.
Farming families and couples marrying later in life ask for prenuptial agreements.
A fixed-fee first meeting and hourly rates for contested work are standard among Canterbury family solicitors.
Family firms serving Canterbury are listed below, verified firms first. The family law explainer and the general family law solicitors page set out the basics, and the divorce solicitors in Canterbury page and the divorce process deal with the marriage itself.
