Contact by phone or the online form. Legal aid available for care proceedings, and for children, financial and protective injunction matters where means and merits tests are met. Private work also taken.
Office
Billiards Building, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2ES
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Anthony Collins is a Birmingham firm whose family work runs from divorce and money disputes through to care proceedings. The children's team is led by partner Jas Tamber and the matrimonial team by partner Chris Lloyd-Smith, who the firm says is an accredited family mediator and financial remedy arbitrator. Seven of its childcare lawyers sit on the Children Panel, according to the firm. The firm says it takes legal aid for care cases and, where clients qualify, for children, finances and abuse injunctions. A sound choice whether you are paying privately or relying on legal aid.
Also worth knowing
The firm says it is a certified B Corp.
Lawyers
Chris Lloyd-Smith has served on Resolution's West Midlands committee, including as chair, according to the firm.
Jas Tamber, Partner, head of the children's team
Chris Lloyd-Smith, Partner, head of the matrimonial team
Madhur Sharma, Partner, childcare team
Elizabeth Wyatt, Partner
Andrew Crumpton, Legal Director
Narinder Singh, Legal Director
Charlotte Raybould, Senior Associate
Kadie Bennett, Senior Associate
Isabel Griffith, Associate
Tom Gregory, Associate
Kelly Brown, Associate
Areas of family law handled
Divorce
Financial settlements
Child arrangements
Care proceedings
Social services and pre-proceedings advice
Domestic abuse injunctions
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Cohabitation
Surrogacy and modern families
Child-inclusive mediation
Financial remedy arbitration
Office
Billiards Building, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2ES
Enquiries by phone or online form. Private client work; no legal aid mentioned on the page.
Office
One Centenary Way, Paradise, Birmingham, B3 3AY
Other numbers
National family line 0344 880 2666
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Mills & Reeve is a national firm whose Birmingham family team is led by partner Katherine Kennedy, working alongside partner Lucy Barr. The firm's Birmingham page focuses on business owners separating, trusts on divorce, pension sharing, pre-nups and international cases, plus surrogacy and fertility law. The firm says every lawyer in the team is a member of Resolution. It suits people whose separation involves a company, family money or assets abroad and who want a firm with tax and private client colleagues on hand.
Also worth knowing
The firm says it was named a National Leader in Private Wealth Law in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023.
Lawyers
Katherine Kennedy, Partner, leads the Birmingham family team
Lucy Barr, Partner
Matthew Saunderson, Senior Associate
Stephanie Hawthorn, Senior Associate
Victoria Potts, Associate
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
Businesses on divorce
Trusts on divorce
Pension sharing
Prenuptial agreements
Arrangements for children
Cohabitation
International family law
Surrogacy and fertility law
Office
One Centenary Way, Paradise, Birmingham, B3 3AY
Other details
Other offices
National firm with offices including Cambridge, London, Manchester, Leeds and Norwich
Free no-obligation callback booked online or by phone. Office meetings by prior arrangement. Phone lines open weekdays until 7pm and at weekends. Private paying work; legal aid not mentioned.
Office
Cubo, 2 Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3AX
Other numbers
National line 03300 414 540
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Stowe says it does nothing but family law. Its West Midlands team is overseen by Midlands regional director Beth Sheridan, with team leader partners Claire Cleary and Sara Morton. Work runs from divorce and finances to children, domestic abuse orders and fertility law, with mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and private FDRs on offer. Appointments at the Chamberlain Square office are by arrangement. Phone lines open into the evening and at weekends, and the firm offers a free first callback.
Also worth knowing
It shows Law Society Family Law Advanced and Children Law accreditation and IFLA membership.
Lawyers
Team members work across the firm's West Midlands offices, so ask which office suits you when booking.
Beth Sheridan, Regional Director, Midlands
Claire Cleary, Team Leader Partner, West Midlands
Sara Morton, Team Leader Partner, West Midlands
Emma Gibson, Senior Associate
Laura Stocks, Senior Associate
Molly Brindley, Senior Associate
Chelcie Evans, Associate
Laura Jones, Associate
Lydia Owen, Associate
Monica Lal, Associate
Courtney Litwinko-Smith, Solicitor
Rachel Tomley, Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
Children law
Domestic abuse injunctions
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Cohabitation agreements
Fertility, surrogacy and adoption law
Mediation
Collaborative law
Arbitration and private FDRs
Office
Cubo, 2 Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3AX
Other details
Other offices
Solihull, Lichfield, Leamington Spa and Worcester in the region, plus a national network
Contact by phone or the family law enquiry form. Private paying work; legal aid not mentioned.
Office
3rd Floor, 1 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 3NH
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Lodders is a Midlands firm whose family team sits in its Newhall Street office, headed by partner Mark Hands with partner Vivienne Middleton. The firm's own summary of its Legal 500 2027 entry describes Middleton as acting for wealthy clients on complex finances and nuptial agreements, while legal director Justin Creed handles farming business and pension cases. The team also covers children, cohabitation disputes, injunctions and international matters. It suits people with property, farms or businesses at stake who want a regional firm rather than a national one.
Also worth knowing
The team works with forensic accountants, pension experts and tax advisers on complex cases, according to the firm.
Lawyers
Mark Hands, Partner, head of family law
Vivienne Middleton, Partner
Justin Creed, Legal Director
Baldish Khatkar, Senior Associate
Katie Hurst, Associate
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
Complex asset structures
Arrangements for children
Cohabitation disputes
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Civil partnership issues
Domestic abuse injunctions
International family matters
Mediation
Office
3rd Floor, 1 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 3NH
Other details
Other offices
Stratford-upon-Avon, Henley in Arden and Cheltenham
Phone lines open weekdays 8.30am to 5.30pm, or request a callback online. The firm says it does not accept legal aid.
Office
103 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 3AG
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Benussi & Co is a Colmore Row practice, the trading name of Talbots Law Ltd, that says it does family law only. Helen Jane Arnold heads the team, with directors Denise McKenna and Lucy Johnston, and founder name Diane Benussi now a consultant. The firm says it focuses on divorce and high net worth cases for clients in the UK and abroad, covering finances, children and separation agreements. The firm says it does not take legal aid. A good fit for people with significant assets who want a small, dedicated family firm in the city centre.
Free phone enquiry line. Legal aid available to parents in care proceedings without means or merits tests, the firm says; other family matters are means and merits tested. Private work also taken. Office open 9am to 6pm weekdays.
Office
Lewis Building, Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6AF
Other numbers
Freephone 0345 894 1622
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Cartwright King is a national firm whose website leads on crime and legal aid work, with a Birmingham office on Bull Street doing family and care work. Matthew Cannan is regional director and head of care for Birmingham. The care team acts for parents and family members from pre-proceedings letters through to care and placement orders, and the firm says parents get legal aid free of charge once a council applies for a care order. Private family work, from divorce to injunctions, is also offered. It suits families facing social services involvement.
Also worth knowing
The firm shows Law Society Children Law and Family Law Advanced accreditation and Resolution membership.
Lawyers
Matthew Cannan, Regional Director and Head of Care (Birmingham)
Yvette Wadeley, CILEX Litigator and Advocate (Family)
Areas of family law handled
Care proceedings
Pre-proceedings advice
Special guardianship orders
Child arrangements
Divorce
Civil partnership dissolution
Financial agreements and consent orders
Pension sharing
Non-molestation and occupation orders
Cohabitation agreements
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Family mediation
Office
Lewis Building, Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6AF
Other details
Other offices
Wolverhampton, Worcester and offices across the Midlands, North West and London
First meeting arranged at a time and place to suit the client, the firm says. Private paying work; legal aid not mentioned.
Office
3rd Floor, 2 Edmund Gardens, 121 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2HJ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Rayden describes itself as a family-only firm. Based in the South East, it has a Birmingham office on Edmund Street, run by partners Mary Kaye and Rebecca Calden-Storr with legal director Lauren Parton. The firm offers court work alongside mediation and collaborative law, and says it has lawyers trained in both. It won Family Law Firm of the Year (South) at the 2024 Family Law Awards, according to the firm. It suits people who want a dedicated family firm and flexible meeting arrangements.
Also worth knowing
It holds the Law Society's Lexcel quality mark, the firm says.
Lawyers
Mary Kaye, Partner
Rebecca Calden-Storr, Partner
Lauren Parton, Legal Director
Harry White, Senior Associate Solicitor
Patrice Coughlin, Associate Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Divorce
Financial claims
Arrangements for children
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Law for unmarried couples and cohabitation agreements
International divorce
Domestic violence and abuse
Surrogacy law
Family law arbitration
Mediation
Collaborative law
Office
3rd Floor, 2 Edmund Gardens, 121 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2HJ
Online enquiry answered by the next working day, the firm says. Phone lines open 8am to 6pm weekdays. Meetings can be virtual. Private paying work; legal aid not mentioned.
Office
20 Colmore Circus, Birmingham B4 6AH
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Irwin Mitchell is a national firm with a family team in central Birmingham, which includes partner Marie Kilgallen. The team handles divorce and financial orders, child disputes including those involving grandparents, nuptial agreements, international cases, and surrogacy and adoption issues. Enquiries made online get a reply by the next working day, the firm says, and meetings can be virtual. It suits people who want the backing of a large national firm with wills, tax and property colleagues under one roof.
Also worth knowing
Enquiries get a reply by the next working day, the firm says.
Contact through the Birmingham office. Private paying work; legal aid not mentioned.
Office
Two Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3AX
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Knights is a national firm that, according to the firm, bought the Midlands firm Thursfields in 2024. In Birmingham its family work is handled by partner Nadia Davis, who advises on divorce, financial settlements, disputes over children and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, often where a business, a farm or a trust is part of the picture. The firm says she is a trained collaborative lawyer. It suits business owners and farming families who want one named partner to deal with, backed by a large commercial firm.
Also worth knowing
Knights bought Thursfields in 2024, the firm says.
Face to face appointments at local offices or remote appointments. Consultation terms and legal aid not stated on the pages read.
Office
56 Springfield Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7DY
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
GloverPriest is a high street firm with suburban Birmingham offices in Kings Heath and Quinton, which the firm says was set up in 1990 as Thomas & Co. Its family department is headed by director Pavneet Matharu, who covers Stourbridge and Quinton, while solicitor Salvia Akram works from Kings Heath. The firm handles divorce, finances, child arrangements, fathers' rights, cohabitation and collaborative law, and offers remote appointments as well as office meetings. It suits south and west Birmingham families who want a local office rather than a city centre firm.
Founded in 1990 as Thomas & Co Solicitors
Also worth knowing
It offers collaborative law as well as court work.
Lawyers
Pavneet Matharu, Director and Solicitor, head of family (Stourbridge and Quinton)
Salvia Akram, Solicitor (Kings Heath)
Areas of family law handled
Divorce
Financial arrangements
High net worth divorce
Civil partnership dissolution
Child arrangements orders
Parental responsibility
Fathers' rights
Separation agreements
Prenuptial agreements
Cohabitation
Collaborative law
Office
56 Springfield Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7DY
Other details
Other offices
Quinton, Stourbridge, Lichfield, Tamworth, Market Harborough and Wellingborough
Firm details come from each firm's own website. Google ratings are shown as published on Google and don't set the order. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
How we compiled this list
We include firms with an office in Birmingham that do family law as a main part of their work. For each one we read the firm's own website in October 2026, checked it says it is regulated by the SRA, and wrote the description ourselves. Accreditations and first consultation terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them when you call. Google ratings are shown with the date we checked them, where we have them.
No firm pays for its place on this list, and the order is our own.
This page is general information, not legal advice. The law described is for England and Wales as published on legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, judiciary.uk, Cafcass and the Legal Aid Agency in October 2026.
How divorce works in England and Wales
Nobody has to be blamed for a divorce any more. Since 6 April 2022, one of you or both of you apply with a statement that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and the court has to accept it as conclusive. There's no need to prove adultery, behaviour or a period living apart. The same rules cover ending a civil partnership. Judicial separation is also no fault, but you only need to state that you want to be separated, and there's no one year wait or 20 week wait.
The marriage must have lasted a year before you can apply for a divorce. Inside that first year, the options are a separation or an annulment.
Stage
What you need to know
Applying
Apply online with a debit or credit card, or by post, on your own or jointly. A solicitor applies for you through a MyHMCTS account. The fee is £628 and isn't refunded once the court has issued the application
20 week wait
Counted from the date the court issues the application. Use it to work on money and arrangements for the children
Conditional order
Once the 20 weeks are up, you can apply for the conditional order, which used to be called the decree nisi
Final order
You can apply 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after the conditional order at the earliest. This legally ends the marriage. If you leave it more than 12 months, you'll have to explain the delay to the court
The fee went up from £612 on 6 July 2026. Help with fees may be available if you're on benefits or a low income, but on a joint application you both have to apply for it, or the full fee is due.
Dividing money, property and pensions
A final order ends the marriage but leaves the finances open. To settle them for good, you need a financial order from the court.
When you've agreed terms: ask the court to approve them as a consent order. The fee is £62. It can't be approved before the conditional order, it only takes effect once the final order is made, and GOV.UK says it's usually simpler to get it approved before the final order
When you can't agree: apply for a financial order and the court decides. The fee is £321, and you'll normally need to attend a mediation information meeting first, unless an exemption such as domestic abuse applies
What a contested case looks like: a short first appointment with a judge, a financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment aimed at agreement, and a final hearing where the judge decides if you still can't agree
The fees rose on 6 July 2026, from £60 for a consent order and £313 for a contested application.
How a judge decides. Section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 tells the court to look at all the circumstances, putting the welfare of any child under 18 first. It also weighs each person's income and earning capacity, needs, the standard of living you had, your ages and the length of the marriage, any disability, what each of you contributed, including bringing up the family, and benefits such as pension rights that will be lost.
Pensions. A pension sharing order can be made on the divorce, but it doesn't take effect until the divorce is final.
Apply before you remarry. Remarrying or entering a new civil partnership before you've applied means losing the right to claim maintenance or a property order for yourself against your former spouse.
Prenups. They aren't automatically binding. Since the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Radmacher v Granatino, a court should give effect to one that each of you entered freely and understood, unless holding you to it would be unfair in the circumstances.
Couples who never married. Living together doesn't give you the rights of a married couple. GOV.UK calls the current protections for cohabitants very limited, and there's no automatic right to inherit if your partner dies without a will. A Ministry of Justice consultation on reform closed on 14 August 2026, no response has been published, and the law is unchanged.
Children: orders, Cafcass and the Child Focused Court
Most separated parents settle the arrangements between themselves or with a mediator. Where you can't, the family court can make one of three orders:
Child arrangements order: where the child lives, who they spend time with, and other contact such as phone calls
Prohibited steps order: stops a parent taking a particular step, such as taking the child out of the country
Specific issue order: settles one disputed question, such as which school the child goes to
Apply online, where you have 28 days to finish once you start, or post form C100 with 3 copies. The fee is £270, up from £263 on 6 July 2026, and help with fees may be available. Before applying you'll usually need to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM). You don't need one if, for example, you have evidence of domestic abuse, your children are at risk of harm, the application is urgent or made without notice, or you tried a MIAM or another option in the last 4 months. If you go and your ex doesn't, you can still apply.
What's different in Birmingham. Birmingham and Solihull already use the Child Focused Court model, which was called Pathfinder while it was being trialled. The law is the same as everywhere else in England and Wales. What changes is how the case runs:
The work happens early. Instead of finding things out over a series of hearings, information about your child is gathered at the start
Cafcass gets in touch first. When the court directs it, Cafcass carries out safeguarding checks with the police and the council, sends you information about its role and arranges a call with a Family Court Adviser about your family and how things are affecting your child
A Child Impact Report. Cafcass or the council writes a report giving the court an early picture of how the dispute affects your child
Your child is more likely to be heard. Children get earlier chances to explain their wishes and feelings
Abuse is picked up sooner. The court works more closely with the police, councils and domestic abuse services, including Independent Domestic Violence Advisers
Fewer hearings. The aim is a shorter case. The Ministry of Justice says pilot cases were resolved up to seven and a half months faster
In practice, be ready to talk to Cafcass early and openly, including about any safety worries. The government announced in March 2026 that the model will be rolled out across England and Wales.
Parental involvement. In contested cases the court still presumes that each parent being involved in the child's life will further the child's welfare, unless shown otherwise. That's about involvement, not a set split of time. The government intends to remove the presumption through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, but the bill is still in the House of Lords and isn't law.
Child maintenance. This is separate from the court. If you use the Child Maintenance Service, Direct Pay has no collection fees, while Collect and Pay adds 20% to the paying parent's payment and takes 4% off what the receiving parent gets.
Protection from domestic abuse in Birmingham
If someone is harming or threatening you or your children, you can ask the family court for an injunction. There's no court fee for either order.
Non-molestation order: protects you or your child from being harmed or threatened by the abuser
Occupation order: decides who can live in the family home, or enter the area around it
The application is on form FL401, which you can make online, by email, by post or in person. In an emergency you can ask for an order without the other person being told first, known as a without notice application.
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders aren't available here yet. These newer orders are only being piloted in a few areas, and the West Midlands isn't one of them. You can only apply for one if the person you need protection from lives in Greater Manchester, the London boroughs of Croydon, Bromley or Sutton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland or Stockton-on-Tees, or North Wales. If they live in Birmingham, apply for a non-molestation or occupation order instead.
For protection from abuse, the legal aid financial limits can be relaxed, and Civil Legal Advice can help on 0345 345 4345. If you're in immediate danger, call 999.
Mediation and legal aid
Mediation vouchers. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme gives a one off contribution of up to £500 per case towards mediation sessions, if your mediator confirms you're eligible. The case has to involve a dispute about a child. A money dispute qualifies only where there's a child dispute as well, so purely financial cases are out. The voucher doesn't pay for the MIAM, and you can only claim once per case. GOV.UK calls the scheme time limited, and the Ministry of Justice has confirmed funding for the 2026 to 2027 financial year.
On a low income, legal aid can pay for mediation. If both parents qualify, it covers the MIAM, the sessions and the consent order application. If only one does, it covers the MIAM and first joint session for both, then only the eligible parent's further costs.
Legal aid for family cases. It's limited, but you might get it for advice on divorce, money or children if you've been in an abusive relationship, usually with evidence from the courts, police, social services, a health professional, a refuge or a support service. It also covers protection from abuse or forced marriage, and cases where a child may be taken into care.
Means test
Usual limit from 6 April 2026
Gross income
£2,657 a month for you and your partner, unless you get a qualifying benefit such as Universal Credit
Disposable income
£733 a month
Savings and assets
£8,000, with equity in your home counted only above £100,000
Exceptions
Limits can be relaxed in domestic abuse and forced marriage cases. There's no financial test for children in care cases or for international child abduction (a child taken out of or brought into the UK)
Only some firms do legal aid family work, so ask when you call. On this list, Anthony Collins says it offers legal aid for care proceedings and, where clients qualify, for children, money and injunction cases, and Cartwright King says it acts for parents in care proceedings on legal aid.
Family courts and free help in Birmingham
The main family court for the city is at Priory Courts on Bull Street. Always check the court named on your paperwork before a hearing.
Court
Address
Family work
Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre
Priory Courts, 33 Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6DS
Divorce and civil partnership, financial remedy, child arrangements (including its Pathfinder private law work), care proceedings, adoption, domestic abuse, forced marriage and FGM protection
Contested money cases are handled by the Financial Remedies Court, which is organised in zones. Birmingham is in the West Midlands zone, which also sits at Coventry, Wolverhampton, Telford, Dudley, Walsall, Stafford, Stoke, Hereford and Worcester.
Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4345, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm. You can ask it to call you back
Legal aid checker: GOV.UK's online tool tells you whether legal aid may cover your problem
Check a solicitor: search the SRA Solicitors Register before you instruct anyone
Birmingham family law: common questions
How long does a divorce take?
Roughly six months as a minimum. You wait 20 weeks after the court issues the application before applying for the conditional order, then at least 43 days before applying for the final order. Many take longer because the money is still being agreed, and it's usually best to have a financial order in place before the final order.
Does getting divorced settle our finances?
No. Money and property need a separate court order. If you agree, the court can approve a consent order, with a £62 fee. If you can't agree, you can apply for the court to decide, with a £321 fee. Apply before you remarry, or you can lose your own claims.
What is the Child Focused Court, and does it apply in Birmingham?
It's a new way of running children cases, once called Pathfinder, and Birmingham and Solihull already use it. Information about your child is gathered at the start, Cafcass does safeguarding checks and calls you, and a Child Impact Report tells the court early how the dispute is affecting your child. The aim is fewer hearings and a quicker result.
Can I get a Domestic Abuse Protection Order in Birmingham?
Not at the moment. They're only being piloted in a few areas, and the West Midlands isn't one. If the person you need protection from lives in Birmingham, apply to the family court for a non-molestation order or an occupation order instead. There's no court fee for either.
Do I have to try mediation before going to court?
Usually you have to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before applying about children or money. There are exemptions, including evidence of domestic abuse, a child at risk of harm and urgent cases. You don't have to agree to mediate, and if your ex doesn't turn up you can still apply.
Can I get legal aid for a family case?
Possibly. It's mainly for protection from abuse or forced marriage, for divorce, money or children advice if you've been in an abusive relationship and can show evidence, for mediation on a low income, and for cases where a child may be taken into care. Care cases have no financial test. Call Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 or use the GOV.UK checker.
We lived together but never married. What are our rights?
Far fewer than a married couple's. Cohabitants have only very limited protections when a relationship ends, and no automatic right to inherit if a partner dies without a will. The government consulted on reform in summer 2026, but the law hasn't changed.
