FAMILY DEPARTMENT

Our family department headed by one of the partners, Angela Phelan, has developed over many years of experience of Chesham and local inhabitants. Richardson Smith & Co offers a comprehensive family law service which includes:-

Law Society Children Panel Membership
Advanced Law Society Family Panel Membership
Sensitivity, efficiency and understanding
Explanation ‘without the jargon’.

With today’s changing times and legislation that transforms the fabric of relationships, Richardson Smith & Co strive to encompass not only problems experienced by divorcing couples but also in the event of cohabitation or civil partnership breakdown. We are happy to deal with financial applications for children for example when the parents had not married.

We offer a service that anticipates potential difficulties in the form of advice on pre nuptial agreements or declarations of trust.

We specialise in divorce, financial issues relating to relationship breakdowns and property. We offer thorough advice on protection matters such as domestic violence injunctions. We have successfully appealed to the Court of Appeal on an issue regarding a child.

All in the family department consider themselves as experts on issues relating to children. This includes expertise on residence and contact matters for mothers and fathers including parental responsibility (and grandparents) care proceedings. We are invloved in growing numbers of care proceedings where the local authority intervenesin the care of the child. Further we deal with specific issues relating to children’s education or name change and prohibited steps orders. We are able to make referrals to supported contact centres for separated parentswhere there is a relationship breakdown.

We hold a legal aid contract in the category of ‘family’ law and offer advice from qualified solicitors on a competitive privately funded basis. We also offer assistance in cases where social services have placed children on the child protection register or deemed them child in need.

We therefore able to offer advice to grandparents needing assistance with contact and other issues involving their grandchildren.