Hammersmith and Fulham's children cases are not heard in the borough. They go out to the West London Family Court at Feltham, a long journey west that shapes how family solicitors here work: hearings are prepared as if there will be no second chance, remote attendance is requested where the court allows it, and as much as possible is settled before anyone travels. The exception is domestic abuse, where non-molestation and occupation orders can be obtained within a day or two, often without notice to the other party, and legal aid is available for them.
The borough's families are varied, and so are the cases. Fulham's professional couples bring relocation disputes, when one parent's job moves to Paris or Singapore, prenuptial agreements before a second marriage and financial claims under Schedule 1 for children of unmarried parents. Shepherd's Bush and White City bring care proceedings brought by the council, in which parents receive legal aid without a means test and need a solicitor from the first letter, as well as special guardianship for grandparents and the arrangements of families with relatives abroad. Cohabiting couples learn on separation that there is no common-law marriage, and that a Fulham flat in one name stays in that name unless a trust can be proved.
Every children or finance application starts with a mediation information and assessment meeting unless an exemption applies, and solicitors increasingly steer suitable cases to mediation, collaborative law or arbitration rather than the Feltham list.
Fees are hourly for contested work and fixed for agreements and straightforward orders; many firms offer a free or low-cost first meeting, and legal aid remains for abuse and care cases.
Family law firms serving Hammersmith and Fulham are listed below, verified first. Start with what family law covers and the general family law solicitors guide; the divorce itself is dealt with by divorce solicitors in Hammersmith and Fulham, and London family law solicitors covers the whole capital.
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