Can a grandmother in Plumstead apply to see her grandchildren after her son's separation? Yes, though unlike a parent she needs the court's permission first, and family law solicitors in Greenwich are asked that question often in a borough where grandparents do a great deal of the childcare. The permission stage is usually cleared quickly, and the application then follows the same route as any dispute about children: a mediation information and assessment meeting, an attempt at agreement, and only then a hearing at the family courts serving south-east London, with Cafcass reporting on what is in the children's interests.
Most of the work, though, is between parents. Woolwich, Thamesmead and Plumstead are young and international, and separations there raise questions about marriages celebrated abroad, a parent who wants to return to Nigeria, Nepal or Poland with the children, and passports held by the other parent. Service families connected to the Woolwich barracks bring postings and moves into the arrangements. In Eltham and Kidbrooke the disputes are more often about money after a long marriage, and cohabiting couples in the new flats on the peninsula discover on separation that the law treats them as strangers who happen to own property together.
Domestic abuse injunctions, non-molestation and occupation orders, can be obtained within days and attract legal aid for the applicant. Care proceedings brought by the Royal Borough's children's services come with legal aid for parents whatever their means, and the right moment to instruct a solicitor is the day the council's first letter arrives.
A first appointment is often free or fixed-fee; contested work is hourly.
Family law firms serving Greenwich are listed below, verified first. See what family law covers, the general family law solicitors guide, and divorce solicitors in Greenwich for the divorce and the finances.
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