A Supreme Court decision in 2010 changed what a prenuptial agreement is worth in England, and few places have felt it more than Richmond upon Thames. Since then a prenup freely entered into, with disclosure and advice on both sides, is likely to be upheld unless it would be unfair, and the borough's second marriages, inherited houses and family businesses have made such agreements routine work for a family solicitor.
Children come next. Separated parents in Barnes, Teddington and Twickenham argue about schools, holidays and the division of the week like parents anywhere, and most must attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before a court will hear them. The distinctive element is international: a parent offered a posting in New York or Singapore, a grandparent in Germany, a family that came for the schools and is now going home. Relocation cases need careful preparation, and a parent who leaves without consent risks abduction proceedings. Children's services for Richmond are run with Kingston through Achieving for Children, and parents facing care proceedings have legal aid regardless of means.
Unmarried couples, common among the borough's younger professionals, learn on separation that there is no common-law marriage, that the house belongs to whoever owns it on paper, and that a declaration of trust at purchase would have settled it. Domestic abuse injunctions are available within days whatever the household's income, with legal aid for those who qualify.
Family cases are heard at the family court serving the area; many Richmond couples choose arbitration or private hearings to avoid delay. Fees are hourly for contested work and fixed for agreements, with a free or fixed-fee first meeting at many firms.
Family law firms near Richmond upon Thames are listed below, verified firms first. See the explainer on what family law covers and the family law solicitors page; divorce solicitors in Richmond upon Thames covers the divorce itself, and the divorce process explains the steps.
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