Divorce Solicitors

These are among the first few questions that typically pop into people’s minds when they are considering divorce or have decided on it as a last resort. Separating from the person who you married as your life partner or soul mate can leave you devastated. Not only that, it’s one of the toughest emotional challenges you can ever face in life. Add to that divorce court proceedings which can bring about a string of hardships and conflicts which you are likely not prepared to deal with.

If you believe that divorce is the only solution to get on with your life, you should consider working with a divorce attorney, particularly when there are children involved. Apart from your children’s wellbeing, you need to handle other issues that also arise after a divorce, especially those that have to do with finances, personal assets, custody, and property ownership.

Our divorce lawyers at Hugh James are highly experienced in all facets of Family Law, offering tailored divorce legal advice to help you make a smooth transition, and ensuring that your best interests are well-protected at present and in the future.

Whether you need divorce solicitors in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton, Plymouth or a divorce lawyer in the UK who can work with you in the same area or region, we can offer tailored advice to help you proceed forward with the divorce and legal formalities in a smooth and hassle-free manner. No more endless online searches for “solicitors near me for divorce”. We are only a phone call away and the only divorce law firm you’ll need to work with.

No fault divorce

Since April 2022, couples are able to apply for a divorce without the need to apportion blame or prove fault by either party.

If you have been married for less than a year you may be able to apply for an annulment. If you have been married over a year you will need to apply for a divorce.

You can find more information out on our FAQ deadicated to no-fault divorce.

Key contact

Victoria Cannon

Partner

Throughout her career spanning over 19 years in family law, Victoria Cannon has amassed extensive experience in advising business owners on safeguarding their enterprises during divorce proceedings and minimising disruption to their business.

Victoria Cannon

Partner

Head of Family Law

Email: [email protected]

Contact number: 029 2267 5680

Connect with Victoria Cannon

Expertise:

Family

Throughout her career spanning over 19 years in family law, Victoria Cannon has amassed extensive experience in advising business owners on safeguarding their enterprises during divorce proceedings and minimising disruption to their business.

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The divorce process

If you’re thinking about divorce, it’s important to get legal advice as early as possible. We offer a complimentary initial consultation to prospective clients, where we’ll outline how we can support you throughout the process.

Once you decide to move forward with us, we’ll gather detailed information about you, your spouse, any children involved, and your financial circumstances—including assets, liabilities, and, if applicable, business interests or international holdings. If you already work with an accountant or financial adviser, we’re happy to collaborate with them to ensure your best interests are protected.

We’ll then arrange a meeting to discuss your options, including the potential for mediation.

Our approach is to assist you in reaching a resolution without going to court. However, if court proceedings become necessary, we will prepare thoroughly, keep you updated and ensure you have strong representation every step of the way.

You can find more information on the process and frequesntly asked quesitons here.

Why choose the family team?

Our team of specialist divorce solicitors is widely recognised for delivering both professional and compassionate legal support—particularly in complex, high net worth cases. We are proud to be ranked in leading legal directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers UK, a testament to the quality and dedication of our work.

With extensive experience in family law, our team offers expert advice on all aspects of relationship breakdown, from high-value financial disputes between divorcing or cohabiting couples to arrangements involving children. We also offer comprehensive relationship planning services, including the preparation of pre-nuptial, post-nuptial, and cohabitation agreements.

The team is led by Partner Victoria Cannon, a nationally respected family lawyer known for her deep expertise and empathetic approach. With over 20 years of experience dedicated solely to family law, Victoria is committed to securing the best possible outcomes while always putting the well-being of her clients and their families first.

Case study: Securing a divorce through deemed service

Our client came to us after his marriage had broken down, wishing to divorce from his partner. We wrote to inform the partner of our instruction. We needed to receive a response or acknowledgement in order to proceed. No response or acknowledgement was received. Understandably, our client was concerned as he desperately wanted to move on with his life.

In order to ensure that the client could move forward, we made the decision to employ a process server (a person whose job is to personally serve the legal papers). From our use of a process server, we obtained written confirmation that the divorce papers had been served to our client’s partner, and that they were simply choosing to ignore it.

This decision allowed us to progress the case, as we could make an application to the court to deem our client’s partner as having seen the divorce papers with the evidence from the process server. The requirement for our client’s partner to acknowledge the divorce application was waived, which allowed us to continue our client’s divorce proceedings through to its conclusion, ensuring a quicker resolution for our client.

At the end of a relationship both parties must agree on how to separate your finances. This could include:

• Properties and businesses

• Pensions, savings and investments

• Income and any other financial commitments.

A Financial Consent Order will need to be granted by the courts and is the only way to ensure you are not liable to future financial claims from your ex-partner or spouse. In England and Wales, if there is not a Financial Consent Order in place, you can still make financial claims against your ex-partner even when you are divorced. There are no time limits on making these claims.

When obtaining a divorce financial statement, the goal is a fair outcome and we will need to investigate all aspects of each parties’ financial assets.

You can find out about divorce financial settlements.

Only a small number of divorce cases ever go to court. This is down to a number processes that are designed to avoid couples going to court, especially in financial matters. These can include:

• Mediation

• Collaborative divorce

• Negotiation

• Arbitration

In the rare instance that your divorce proceedings end up in court, we will be ready to help you with all the details and will ensure your divorce progresses as quickly and efficiently as possible.

There are a number of factors that affect divorce proceedings. These make it difficult to give an exact timescale and are generally affected by:

• If you or your partner agree on finances and other issues; and

• Returning paperwork to us in a timely manner.

From our experience it usually takes between 6-8 months to complete a divorce. We realise in some instances that you would like a quick divorce but it important to consider all of the decisions as this may affect you for the rest of your life. Our specialist divorce solicitors will give you expert advice that will allow you to move on with your life whilst ensuring your best interests are protected.

Generally, the person who commences divorce proceedings pays for their own solicitor.

Yes, if you feel that your current solicitor has not acted in your best interest you can sign a form of authority that will allow your new solicitor to gain access to your file and begin work on your case.