In Richmond upon Thames the family home is usually the problem. A house in Barnes, Kew or on Richmond Hill may be worth several million pounds and still be the only asset that cannot easily be split, and a divorce that starts amicably often founders on whether it has to be sold. Divorce solicitors in the borough spend their time on that question and the ones behind it: how to house two households and the children near their schools, whether one spouse can raise a mortgage alone in their fifties, and how pensions, investments, trusts and a business or partnership share are valued and divided.
The divorce itself is quick and blameless since April 2022: an online application by one or both spouses, twenty weeks to the conditional order, six more to the final order. The finances are not quick. Wealthier couples in the borough increasingly use arbitration or a private financial dispute resolution hearing, where a retired judge or senior barrister gives an indication within weeks rather than a year, and the outcome is written into a consent order. International families, of whom Richmond has many, may have a choice of jurisdiction, and the difference between an English settlement and one abroad can justify urgent advice before anyone files anywhere.
Where there is no agreement, a mediation information and assessment meeting is required before an application, and the case proceeds through the family court. Children arrangements run alongside and are usually dealt with first.
Fees are fixed for the application and hourly or staged for the finances at most Richmond firms, with an initial meeting often free; legal aid applies only where domestic abuse is evidenced.
Richmond upon Thames divorce solicitors appear below, verified firms first. The explainers on the divorce process and divorce costs are a good start, the divorce solicitors page describes the service in general, and children, cohabitation and prenuptial agreements are covered by family law solicitors in Richmond upon Thames.
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