About Us - The Family Practice

About us.

The Family Practice was set up with a simple mission. To help people through Divorces where assets are involved. It was established by partners who between them have more than 32 years experience as solicitors, in the courts system and in family law, to the extent of tutoring in Family Law for the Law Society. We bring this combination of knowledge and real world practical and tactical experience to bear for clients, guiding them through the process, always recognising the humanity behind cases. But first it’s important to know why you need a solicitor when there are assets involved.

Why you need a solicitor when there are assets?

If you have a property, a pension or other assets and are divorcing, you need a solicitor. The reason is simple. People think that divorces are all about the family home, but in fact other assets, for example a pension, can be even more valuable. The courts know this and want to ensure equity, so any agreement must be court approved. We are experts in this process. Securing the best future for you is our priority.

Why clients choose us?

At The Family Practice, we mean it when we say we are a different. We really want to deliver Good Divorce Outcomes for Good People. Here’s what that means in reality

Experience.

You are new to this experience so you need someone in your corner who knows the lay of
the land. We have 15 years experience in the area, and know the court process and players very well. We know when to fight and when to agree, when to talk and when to listen.

Honesty

While we will always be your champion, that requires honesty. Part of our job is to advise you if your ambitions are unrealistic. It’s a simple fact that where one house becomes two, both parties financial situations are inevitably reduced. The question is how to make the best of the situation.

Your Sword…

While its nice to be nice, there is a time to compromise and a time to fight. Be under no illusions, when you work with us, we have only one goal, to get you the best outcome. If this makes us unpopular with another solicitor or your ex partner, so be it.

…and your shield

We also want to protect you for your appearance in court. We do this by preparing you, explaining what will be expected, and making sure we have all your documents in order. We want you to know that afterward, you will know you have done everything that you can

Knowledge

We know you want us to understand your situation, but we would impress on you one key point. Judges can only decide your case based on what the law says they can take into account. Your partner may have been a terrible partner, but the court is fundamentally not deciding on who was a better spouse, but what is the fairest way to split the marital assets.

Communication

We know that a common view is that lawyers only speak to clients to ask for money. But a lot of the time, we are working on your case but you can’t see it, so don’t see the value of the work. So, we promise to keep you informed at all stages as to exactly where we are in getting your case to the finishing line.

A Modern Service

We know that you have busy lives. We try to accommodate meetings by trying to have meetings by video, doing as much as possible through email, and minimizing unnecessary paperwork. Where we must meet in person, we will be very clear as to what you need to bring , who you are meeting and why you are meeting them.

What we can’t do for you?

We can’t settle scores

We know you may feel this is your opportunity for settling scores. Unfortunately, the legal process is simply to divide the assets of the marriage. Our goal is the best possible financial outcome. Pursuing any other goal before a busy judge can hinder a good result

We can’t do this without you

Yes, you are paying us, but success is also down to you. We need your input right through the process, from being honest as to goals, to providing documentation, to being on time at meetings. We can only provide you with the best outcome if you provide us with everything required.

We can’t control everything

Judges are human, opposing lawyers have different ways of working, and ex partners different outlooks. We have tried to create a simple process, but there are variables. For example, should your ex spouse hinder the process, it will take longer and cost more. Unfortunately the courts do not financially punish such spouses.

We require payment upfront

To provide the service that we do for the price we do, we require payment of each stage in advance. We cannot wait until the conclusion of the case as this compromises our ability to advise you. We recommend that you discuss options with your financial institution.

Partners at the Family Practice

Catriona O’ Rourke

Partner

Jeremy Ring

Partner