It is a long drive from Bude to Penzance, and Cornwall's family court sits in the middle, in Truro. Distance shapes family law here in a way it does not in a city: handovers happen at service stations on the A30, a parent who wants to move back to Bristol or Birmingham for work can change a child's life, and a weekday hearing in Truro may mean a day off and a long journey for everyone involved. Family law solicitors in Truro are used to planning around all of it.
Children come first in most cases. Separated parents must normally attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before applying to the court, and many Cornish disputes are settled in mediation, with the solicitor drafting the agreement into a consent order. When an application is needed, the family court in Truro decides where a child lives and how they see each parent, with Cafcass reporting on welfare. Relocation cases, and arrangements for the children of service personnel at Culdrose who are posted away, are a regular feature.
Where there is domestic abuse, non-molestation and occupation orders can be obtained quickly, often within days, and legal aid is available for them. Parents facing care proceedings brought by Cornwall Council also qualify for legal aid regardless of income. Unmarried couples discover on separation that the law protects them far less than marriage would: a cohabitation agreement or a declaration of trust on the house, made while things are good, prevents the worst arguments.
Prenuptial agreements are increasingly asked for by farming families and by older couples marrying for a second time.
Most Truro family solicitors offer a free or fixed-fee first meeting and hourly rates for contested work.
Below are the family law firms serving Truro, verified first and then by distance. Read what family law covers, the general family law solicitors guide, and for the divorce itself the divorce solicitors in Truro page.
