A parent posted to London for three years, a child born in the borough, a marriage that ends before the posting does: for family law solicitors in Wandsworth the question of whether one parent may take a child home to Washington, Madrid or Sydney is a regular one, and the hardest to answer. Relocation needs the other parent's consent or the court's permission, and a parent who simply goes may face child abduction proceedings within weeks. The embassy quarter at Nine Elms and the overseas buyers of Battersea's new flats have made this something of a Wandsworth speciality.
Most of the work is closer to home. Separated parents in the terraces between the commons argue about school runs, holidays and who moves out of the family house, and nearly all of them must attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before any court application. Unmarried couples, common in the borough's flats, find that ownership follows the deeds rather than the years lived together, and that a declaration of trust signed at purchase would have saved them a dispute. Where there is domestic abuse, non-molestation and occupation orders can be obtained quickly and legal aid covers them. Care proceedings brought by Wandsworth's children's services carry legal aid regardless of means.
Prenuptial agreements are asked for by couples buying together at Nine Elms and by those marrying for a second time in Putney, and are given real weight by the courts when fairly made and properly advised.
Family firms in Wandsworth mostly charge hourly for contested work, with fixed fees for agreements and a free or low-cost first meeting.
Family law solicitors serving Wandsworth are listed below, verified firms first. See what family law covers, the general guide to family law solicitors, divorce solicitors in Wandsworth for the divorce itself, and the capital-wide family law solicitors in London page.
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