The Family Practice is a Dublin firm of divorce solicitors led by Jeremy Ring and Catriona O’Rourke. We focus on divorces involving the family home, pensions, business interests, and other assets.
From our office on Ormond Quay, we help you understand your financial position, assess settlement proposals, and prepare for the legal steps ahead. We give clear advice about what is realistic, what needs further investigation, and what the work is likely to cost.
We will help you understand your position, consider your options, and decide how to move forward.
Our aim is simple: to help good people achieve good divorce outcomes
We bring extensive family law experience, knowledge, and empathy to divorce matters. We know the Divorce process can be a tough time for clients and set out to make it better.
Whether you want to protect your wealth or secure your financial position for the future, our divorce lawyers can help.
You may be worried about staying in the family home, meeting your living costs, or what will happen to a pension or business. You may have managed the finances throughout your marriage, or you may be trying to understand them properly for the first time.
We begin by listening to your circumstances and identifying what needs to be resolved. We explain your options honestly, including what is realistic, where more information is needed, and what the next steps are likely to cost.
Our approach is respectful and practical. We seek agreement where that can meet your needs, challenge proposals where necessary, and prepare your case carefully if matters remain disputed. Throughout, we consider the financial and personal cost of the decisions being made.
Learn more about our approach to family law.
A divorce settlement needs to address how both spouses will live after the marriage ends. We look at the property, income, pensions, and other resources available, together with the needs and responsibilities of the family.
We help you consider what should happen to the family home, including whether it can be retained, whether one spouse could buy out the other, or whether a sale is needed. The advice takes account of ownership, mortgage commitments, available equity, and future housing needs.
Read more about what can happen to the family home in a divorce.
Where either spouse owns a business, company shares, investments, or other substantial assets, we help establish what information is needed to assess their value and how they may affect a divorce settlement. This can involve reviewing financial records and obtaining independent valuation advice where appropriate.
Pensions need to be considered alongside the more immediate questions about your home and income. Where pension rights are to be shared, a court order is required. We work with an actuary who prepares the draft Pension Adjustment Order, while we advise on the settlement and coordinate the legal work.
Read our guide to Pension Adjustment Orders in Ireland.
A couple preparing to divorce had both built established careers. One earned more in the private sector, while the other had accumulated a valuable public-sector pension.
Reviewing the pension values alongside their other finances changed the basis of the settlement discussions. The negotiations needed to account for both the resources available immediately and each spouse’s retirement provision.
The parties agreed terms before a trial, and the settlement was approved by the court.
Read the case example: The Value of Pensions in Divorce
Partner
Jeremy has experience as a court advocate across Irish courts and tribunals. He has also tutored Law Society students on the court system. His approach draws on that practical experience to explain what clients can realistically expect from the legal process.
Partner
Catriona qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and has tutored in family law for the Law Society. Her experience covers litigation, family law, and divorce, with a focus on helping clients understand the legal and practical issues affecting their case.
We start with your situation, the issues causing concern, and what you hope to resolve. We discuss your options and the information needed to advise you. You do not need to have every financial document ready before seeking an initial appointment.
We help identify the relevant assets, income, pensions, debts, and living costs. We review the supporting information and advise on missing records or specialist valuations that may be needed before settlement proposals can be properly assessed.
We explain the practical effect of proposed arrangements and negotiate on your behalf. Where mediation is appropriate, we can advise you on the legal issues and review proposals arising from that process.
We prepare the required legal documents and arrange representation. Where terms are agreed, they are put before the court for consideration. Where issues remain disputed, we prepare your case so those issues can be decided by the judge.
We explain what the court orders require and what work remains. This may include steps relating to property, payments, or pensions. Where a Pension Adjustment Order is made, follow-up with the trustees or provider is part of putting the arrangements into effect.
For a more detailed explanation, read our guide to divorce in Ireland.
The cost depends on the work your case requires. A case where financial information is available and terms can be agreed will involve different work from one requiring disputed valuations, additional applications, or a contested hearing.
At The Family Practice, we explain the work anticipated and how the costs are calculated. Where a barrister, actuary, accountant, or other specialist is needed, those costs also need to be considered.
You will receive written information about legal costs, the basis of charging, VAT, and anticipated additional expenses. Where the expected costs increase significantly, you will be given updated information.
Please ask about the consultation fee when arranging your first appointment.
Read our explanation of divorce costs in Ireland.
Client feedback on our divorce service
“I cannot fault the family practice in helping me along the way in my divorce. Catriona was such an amazing support to me.”
Leanne, client testimonial
You must have lived apart from your spouse for at least two of the previous three years, and there must be no reasonable prospect of reconciliation. At least one spouse must also meet the relevant Irish jurisdiction requirements.
Before granting a divorce, the court must be satisfied that proper provision exists or will be made for both spouses and any dependent family members. We can advise on how these requirements apply to your circumstances.
The Courts Service explains the eligibility requirements.
Yes. It is possible to meet the living-apart requirement while remaining under the same roof, provided you are no longer living together in an intimate and committed relationship.
The circumstances need to be considered carefully.
There is no single timeframe that applies to every case. The time needed depends on the financial information available, whether valuations or additional applications are required, whether terms can be agreed, and the availability of a court date.
We can discuss the likely stages after reviewing your circumstances, but a completion date cannot be guaranteed.
Read more about how long a divorce takes in Ireland.
Yes. A court must grant the divorce, even where both spouses agree on the terms. The agreement is put before the judge, who considers it when deciding whether to make the orders sought.
Reaching agreement can avoid the need for a contested hearing. We will explain the court process and the attendance requirements for your particular case.
No. No automatic rule requires dividing every asset equally between spouses.
The court considers what constitutes proper provision in the circumstances. Relevant factors include each spouse’s resources and needs, earning capacity, the length of the marriage, contributions to the family, and the needs of dependent children. Advice on a proposed settlement should take account of the overall financial position.
Not necessarily. Possible arrangements include a sale, a sale at a later date, or one spouse buying out the other’s interest.
The available options depend on the family’s circumstances, including housing needs, ownership, finances, and any dependent children. We can advise on which proposals are practical in your situation, without assuming that either spouse will automatically keep the home
Contributions made through caring for the family and looking after the home are relevant to the court’s assessment. The court also considers financial needs, earning capacity, and how family responsibilities have affected a spouse’s ability to earn.
The court must assess your position using full financial information, including resources held in your spouse’s name.
If your divorce involves a family home, pensions, a business, or other assets, contact The Family Practice to discuss whether we can assist.
Tell us briefly about your circumstances and the matters you need advice on. You do not need to have everything worked out before getting in touch.
The Family Practice
Ormond Building
31–36 Ormond Quay Upper
Dublin 7
D07 N5YH
Telephone: 01 211 9272
Email: enquiries@thefamilypractice.ie
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Find out if we may be able to work together.
Fill out our form in the strictest confidence and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours to discuss if your circumstances are suitable for us to meet with you.
