Contact form lets you choose an office and a time to be called. The firm says it still does publicly funded (legal aid) children work. Contact the firm to ask about first appointment terms.
Office
Carlton Tower, 34 St Paul's Street, Leeds, LS1 2QB
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Jones Myers is a family law only firm that Peter Jones set up in Leeds in 1992, according to its website, and Leeds is still its head office, with branches in Harrogate and York. The firm says it was one of the first practices in the region to focus on family law alone. Richard Peaker leads divorce and finance and Kate Banerjee leads the children team, according to the Leeds page. The work runs from complex money cases with businesses and trusts to children disputes, and the firm says it still takes publicly funded children work. Suits families at either end of the budget scale.
Founded in 1992
Also worth knowing
The firm says it is among those still taking publicly funded children law work.
Lawyers
The firm's lawyers work across its Leeds, Harrogate and York offices, so ask who will handle your case in Leeds.
Richard Peaker, Solicitor and Director, Head of the Divorce and Finance Team
Kate Banerjee, Solicitor and Partner, Head of the Children Team
Meggie Chan, Solicitor
Lindsey Cross, Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
High value and complex financial cases
International family law
Child arrangements
Publicly funded children cases
Domestic abuse
Prenuptial and cohabitation agreements
Family mediation
Collaborative family law
Office
Carlton Tower, 34 St Paul's Street, Leeds, LS1 2QB
Contact by phone or email. The firm publishes a costs page. Contact the firm to ask about first appointment terms.
Office
Park House, Park Square West, Leeds, LS1 2PW
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Lake Legal is a family law boutique on Park Square West, led by managing partner Claire Glaister. The firm says it focuses on high value and complex cases, including business and trust assets, cross border money and nuptial agreements. Senior solicitor Sam Haslam is also a mediator, and the firm offers arbitration and private FDR hearings as other routes to a settlement. It has one office, in Leeds. Suits people with significant assets who want a small, senior team and options outside court.
Founded in 2009
Also worth knowing
Senior solicitor Sam Haslam is also a mediator, and the firm offers arbitration and private FDR hearings.
Contact by phone. Contact the firm to ask about first appointment terms and legal aid.
Office
Elizabeth House, 13-19 Queen Street, Leeds LS1 2TW
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Clarion is a Leeds based firm on Queen Street whose family team sits within a wider business and private client practice. Its family lawyers include partner Maisie Huynh and Rachel Spencer Robb, who has more than 25 years' experience in family law, according to the firm. The work leans towards wealthy individuals, business owners and professionals, with complex financial settlements, nuptial agreements and children cases. The firm says the team won the family law award at the Modern Law Private Client Awards 2025. Suits business owners whose divorce touches company shares or family wealth planning.
Also worth knowing
Spencer Robb has more than 25 years' experience in family law, her profile says.
Lawyers
Rachel Spencer Robb, Family Lawyer
Maisie Huynh, Partner, Family Law
Rosie Day, Associate
Grace Parker, Family team
Sarah Collins, Family Paralegal
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and civil partnership dissolution
Financial settlements
Complex and high value financial cases
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Children cases
Cohabitation and unmarried couples
Domestic abuse
Family mediation
Office
Elizabeth House, 13-19 Queen Street, Leeds LS1 2TW
Best for Wealthy or internationally mobile families with assets in more than one country
Adrian Clossick co-founded the Leeds divorce and family department in 2009 and is a former regional chairman of Resolution, according to his profile.
His profile lists accreditations in high net worth ancillary relief, emergency remedies and cohabitation, and says he is a trained collaborative lawyer.
Lisette Dupré joined the Leeds team in 2022 and became a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers that year, the firm reported in January 2023.
Enquiries by phone, email or WhatsApp, followed by an initial meeting. Contact the firm to ask about fees for the first meeting.
Office
9 Bond Court, Leeds, LS1 2JZ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Stewarts is a disputes firm with offices in London and Leeds, and its Leeds divorce and family team dates from 2009, when partner Adrian Clossick co-founded it, according to his profile. The firm says its Leeds lawyers act for high net worth clients in the UK and overseas, often with international assets or cross border issues. Partner Lisette Dupré, who joined in 2022, focuses on jurisdiction questions, the firm says. The firm says its Leeds lawyers are Resolution members. Suits wealthy or internationally mobile families. First contact is by phone or email, followed by an initial meeting.
Leeds family team founded in 2009
Also worth knowing
The firm says its Leeds family lawyers are members of Resolution.
Best for People who want a family only firm and contact outside office hours
Senior partner Julian Hawkhead is accredited in advanced financial provision under Resolution's Specialist Accreditation Scheme, according to the firm's Leeds page.
The Leeds page shows Law Society Family Law Advanced and Children Law accreditation and Institute of Family Law Arbitrators membership.
The firm says its Yorkshire team is ranked Tier 2 in The Legal 500 2027 and Band 2 by Chambers and Partners UK 2027.
Free, no obligation callback booked online. Office meetings by appointment only, in person or remote. Fixed fee divorce for simpler cases. The firm says it can't offer legal aid.
Stowe Family Law is a national family only firm, founded in 1982 according to the firm, with a Leeds office in Yorkshire House on Greek Street. The Leeds lawyers sit within a Yorkshire group of partners, associates and solicitors, including partners Katie Kilburn and Angela Sussens. They cover divorce and money, children cases including those involving social services, cohabitation, fertility law and domestic abuse. Phone lines open into the evening and at weekends, and a free callback can be booked online. The firm says it can't offer legal aid. Suits people who want a family only firm with long contact hours.
Founded in 1982
Also worth knowing
Phone lines run from 8:30am to 7pm on weekdays and from 9am to 5pm at weekends, the Leeds page says.
Lawyers
Many of the firm's lawyers cover more than one region, so ask who will handle your case from Leeds.
Julian Hawkhead, Senior Partner
Katie Kilburn, Team Leader Partner, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester
Angela Sussens, Partner, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester
Cheryl Grace, Partner, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester
Best for Separating couples who want to try mediation before court
Laura Clapton is a co-founder, a former chair of Resolution (North and West Yorkshire) and now on Resolution's national committee, according to her profile.
Clapton is an accredited family mediator and Kelly Walters is an integrated family mediator, the firm says.
The firm offers family mediation, arbitration and private FDR hearings alongside court work.
Free initial family law consultation, normally by phone, of about 15 minutes. Fixed fees available in some cases. Contact the firm to ask about legal aid.
Office
4 Park Place, Leeds, LS1 2RU
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Consilia Legal is a Leeds family and employment firm on Park Place, co-founded by director Laura Clapton, who is also a family mediator and a former chair of Resolution in North and West Yorkshire, according to her profile. The family side handles divorce and money, including high value cases and pensions, children matters, nuptial and cohabitation agreements and adoption. Mediation, arbitration and private FDR hearings are offered alongside court work. First contact is a free phone consultation of about 15 minutes, and fixed fees are available for some work. Suits people who want a local firm with mediation in house.
Also worth knowing
Clapton was named a Recommended Family Lawyer in Spear's Family Law Indices in July 2025, her profile says.
Lawyers
Laura Clapton, Director, Family Solicitor and Mediator
Kelly Walters, Senior Associate Family Solicitor and Integrated Family Mediator
The firm aims to reply by the next working day, then arrange a call and, if needed, a full appointment. Lines open 8am to 6pm on weekdays. Contact the firm to ask about legal aid.
Office
4 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4BZ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Irwin Mitchell is a national firm with a family team at its Wellington Place office in Leeds, which the firm says covers West and North Yorkshire and parts of the North East. Partner Helen Revill has been in the firm's family team since 1995, according to her profile, and works across its Leeds, Sheffield and North Yorkshire offices. The work covers divorce and money, children cases including relocation and abduction, surrogacy, adoption and nuptial agreements. The firm says enquirers hear back by the next working day. Suits people who want a large firm with wider legal support on hand.
Also worth knowing
The firm aims to reply to new enquiries by the next working day, it says.
Lawyers
Helen Revill, Partner, Family
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
Child arrangements
Child relocation and abduction
Adoption and special guardianship
Surrogacy
Cohabitation disputes
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Separation agreements
Domestic abuse protection
Office
4 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4BZ
Other details
Other offices
National network, including Sheffield, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and London
Legal aid may be available for domestic abuse, child arrangements and care proceedings, the firm says. It runs a legal enquiries helpline and free legal advice clinics. Fees page published.
Office
Duke House, 54 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 2EE
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Ison Harrison is an employee owned Yorkshire firm that, it says, grew from a Leeds practice founded in 1978, with its head office at Duke House on Wellington Street. It says it has one of the largest family law teams in Leeds, and its family pages name more than 20 lawyers and support staff, with Sarah Laughey as director and head of private family law. The team covers divorce and money, children cases and care proceedings. Legal aid may be available for domestic abuse, child arrangements and care cases, the firm says. Suits families who need legal aid or a local branch.
Founded in 1978
Also worth knowing
The firm says legal aid may be available for domestic abuse, child arrangements and care proceedings.
Lawyers
The family team works across many Yorkshire branches, so ask which lawyer will handle your case from Leeds city centre.
Sarah Laughey, Director and Head of Private Family Law
Nigel Bowman, Partner
Abbie Churchill, Partner and Family Solicitor
Nigel Monaghan, Partner and Solicitor
Ellen Morley, Paralegal
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and dissolution
Financial settlements
High net worth divorce
Child arrangements
Care proceedings
Special guardianship
Grandparents' rights
Domestic abuse injunctions
Forced marriage protection
Cohabitation disputes
Prenuptial agreements
Office
Duke House, 54 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 2EE
Other details
Other offices
Chapel Allerton, Crossgates, Garforth, Guiseley, Morley, Otley and Pudsey in Leeds, plus Barnsley, Bingley, Castleford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Ilkley, Pontefract, Wakefield and York
The firm can check legal aid eligibility and apply for it. Free advice through public funding for parents in care cases, it says. Fixed fees for help with form filling, and one off advice available.
Office
Oxford House, Oxford Row, Leeds, LS1 3BE
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Henry Hyams is a Leeds city centre practice on Oxford Row with family law as one of its core departments, alongside crime and civil work. The family team handles divorce and money, children disputes, injunctions, adoption and care proceedings for parents and relatives. Chartered legal executive advocate Mandy Arkell is admitted to the Law Society's Children Law scheme, according to the firm. It can apply for legal aid for eligible clients and says public funding is available to parents once care proceedings are considered. Suits families on legal aid and parents facing social services involvement.
Also worth knowing
Solicitor Helen Camidge was admitted in 1987 and joined the firm in 2009, her profile says.
Lidgett Lane, Garforth, east Leeds: a branch of a Wakefield firm, which also has offices in Ossett and Sherburn in ElmetGeneral practice with a family team
Thornton Jones is a Wakefield based firm with a branch on Lidgett Lane in Garforth, on the eastern edge of Leeds, where family law is one of its listed services. The family team is led by director Steven Eldridge and head of family law Jane Auty, and partner Shelley Wales, whom the firm describes as an accredited mediator, runs its dispute resolution work. Besides court work it offers mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and the one lawyer model. The firm says it offers initial consultations and explains fees at the start. Suits people in east Leeds who want to try settling first.
Also worth knowing
The Garforth office lists divorce, family dispute resolution and nuptial agreements among its services.
Lawyers
The family team works across the firm's offices, so ask who can see you in Garforth.
Steven Eldridge, Director of Family Law
Jane Auty, Partner and Head of Family Law
Shelley Wales, Partner and Head of Family Dispute Resolution
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 Leeds 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.
Getting divorced in England and Wales
Blame has gone from divorce. Since 6 April 2022 you, your spouse or both of you together tell the court the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and the court must take that statement as conclusive. Nobody has to prove adultery, unreasonable behaviour or years spent apart. Civil partnerships end under the same rules.
You can't apply until you've been married for a year. Before then, your choices are a separation or an annulment. A judicial separation is also no fault: you state that you want to be separated, there's no one year bar, and there's no 20 week wait.
Step
What happens
Application
Apply online, paying by debit or credit card, or by post. You can apply alone or jointly. Solicitors use a MyHMCTS account. The £628 fee isn't refunded once the court issues the application
Waiting period
At least 20 weeks, counted from the date the court issues the application, before you can apply for the next step. A good time to work on the finances and the children's arrangements
Conditional order
What used to be called the decree nisi. You apply once the 20 weeks have passed
Final order
The earliest you can apply is 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after the conditional order. This is what ends the marriage. Leave it more than 12 months and you'll need to explain the delay
If you're on benefits or a low income, help with fees may cover some or all of the fee. On a joint application, both of you have to apply for help, or the full £628 is payable.
Sorting out money, the home and pensions
The final order ends the marriage, not the financial ties. Claims over money and property stay open until a court makes a financial order.
If you've reached an agreement: send it to the court to be approved as a consent order. The fee is £62. The court can't approve it before the conditional order, and it only takes effect once the final order is made. GOV.UK says asking before the final order is usually simpler
If you can't agree: apply for a financial order and a judge decides. The fee is £321. You'll normally have to go to a mediation information meeting first, unless an exception such as domestic abuse applies
How a contested case runs: a short first appointment, then a financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment where the judge helps you try to settle, then a final hearing if you still can't
Both fees went up on 6 July 2026, from £60 and £313.
What the judge weighs. Under section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 the court looks at all the circumstances, and the welfare of any child under 18 comes first. It then considers each person's income and earning capacity, financial needs, the family's standard of living, your ages, how long the marriage lasted, any disability, and what each of you put in, including looking after the home and family. Lost benefits, such as a share of a pension, count too.
Pensions. The court can make a pension sharing order on the divorce, but it only takes effect when the divorce is final.
Don't remarry first. If you remarry or form a new civil partnership before applying, you lose the right to claim maintenance or a property order for yourself from your former spouse.
Prenuptial agreements. They don't bind a court automatically. Since Radmacher v Granatino in the Supreme Court in 2010, a court should give effect to an agreement each of you entered freely, understanding what it meant, unless holding you to it would be unfair in the circumstances.
Unmarried couples. Living together gives you nowhere near the rights of marriage. GOV.UK describes the protections for cohabitants as very limited, and a partner has no automatic right to inherit if the other dies without a will. A Ministry of Justice consultation on change closed on 14 August 2026. No response has been published and the law hasn't changed.
Children cases and the Child Focused Court in Leeds
Most parents agree arrangements themselves or through mediation. If you can't, the family court can make:
A child arrangements order: who the child lives with, who they spend time with and other contact, such as phone calls
A prohibited steps order: stops a parent doing something specific, such as taking the child abroad
A specific issue order: decides a single disputed question, such as the choice of school
You can apply online, with 28 days to finish once you start, or by posting form C100 and 3 copies. The fee is £270, up from £263 on 6 July 2026, and help with fees may be available. You'll usually have to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) first. The exemptions include evidence of domestic abuse, a child at risk of harm, an urgent or without notice application, and a MIAM or other attempt to settle in the last 4 months. If you attend and your ex doesn't, you can still go ahead and apply.
How children cases run in Leeds. The family courts in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield all use the Child Focused Court model, which was called Pathfinder during the trial. It doesn't change the law. It changes what happens to your case, and what you'll be asked to do:
Information first, hearings later. Rather than finding things out over a run of hearings, the court gathers what it needs about your child near the start
An early call from Cafcass. Where the court asks Cafcass to work with your family, Cafcass runs safeguarding checks with the police and the council, sends you information about its role, and a Family Court Adviser arranges a call to understand your family and how the dispute is affecting your child
A Child Impact Report. Written by Cafcass or the council, it gives the judge an early understanding of how the dispute is affecting your child
Your child gets a say sooner. Children have earlier opportunities to explain their wishes and feelings
Abuse comes to light earlier. The court works more closely with the police, the council and local domestic abuse services, including Independent Domestic Violence Advisers
Fewer hearings. The aim is a shorter case and fewer families coming back to court. The Ministry of Justice says cases in the pilot areas were resolved up to seven and a half months faster
For parents, the practical point is to be ready early. Have your concerns and your proposals clear before Cafcass calls, and raise any safety worries at that stage rather than saving them for a hearing. In March 2026 the government announced the model will be rolled out across England and Wales.
Parental involvement. In a contested case the court still presumes that each parent's involvement in the child's life will further the child's welfare, unless the evidence shows otherwise. Involvement doesn't mean any particular split of time. The government plans to remove this presumption through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, but the bill is in the House of Lords and isn't law yet.
Child maintenance. This runs outside the court. Through the Child Maintenance Service, Direct Pay carries no collection fees. Collect and Pay adds 20% to what the paying parent pays and takes 4% from what the receiving parent gets.
Domestic abuse: protection orders in Leeds
If you or your children are being harmed or threatened, you can apply to the family court for an injunction. Neither of the two main orders has a court fee.
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 come into the area around it
You apply on form FL401, online, by email, by post or in person. In an emergency you can ask for an order without the other person being told beforehand. This is called a without notice application.
West Yorkshire isn't a Domestic Abuse Protection Order pilot area. These newer orders are being trialled in only a few places. A victim can apply to the family court for one only if the person they 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. Leeds and the rest of West Yorkshire aren't on that list, so if the abuser lives here, a non-molestation or occupation order is the route.
Legal aid limits can be relaxed for protection from abuse, and Civil Legal Advice can help on 0345 345 4345. If you're in immediate danger, call 999.
Mediation and legal aid
Mediation vouchers. Under the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, an eligible case can get a one off contribution of up to £500 towards mediation sessions, once your mediator confirms you qualify. There has to be a dispute about a child. A money dispute only counts if there's a dispute about a child as well, so cases about money alone don't qualify. The voucher doesn't cover the MIAM, and there's one claim per case. GOV.UK describes the scheme as time limited, and the Ministry of Justice has confirmed funding for the 2026 to 2027 financial year.
If you're on a low income, legal aid can pay for mediation. When both of you qualify, it covers the MIAM, the sessions and the application for a consent order. When only one of you does, it pays for the MIAM and the first joint session for both of you, and after that only the eligible person's costs.
Legal aid for family problems. It's restricted. You might get it for advice on divorce, money or children if you've been in an abusive relationship, usually with evidence from a court, the 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
The limits can be relaxed in domestic abuse and forced marriage cases. There's no financial test for children in care cases or international child abduction (a child taken out of or brought into the UK)
Not every firm does legal aid family work, so ask at the start. On this list, Ison Harrison says legal aid may be available for domestic abuse, child arrangements and care proceedings, Henry Hyams says it can apply for legal aid for eligible clients and that parents in care cases can get public funding, and Jones Myers says it still takes publicly funded children work.
Family courts and free help in Leeds
The Combined Court Centre on Oxford Row handles divorce, money, children and domestic abuse cases, as well as adoption, forced marriage and FGM protection. The magistrates' court on Westgate handles child arrangements cases. Check the court named on your paperwork before you travel.
Court
Address
Family work
Leeds Combined Court Centre
The Courthouse, 1 Oxford Row, Leeds, LS1 3BG
Divorce, financial remedy, child arrangements, adoption, domestic abuse, forced marriage and FGM protection
Leeds District Magistrates' Court and Family Court
Westgate, Leeds, LS1 3BY
Child arrangements cases
In October 2026 the court finder page for Westgate warned that parts of the building were closed and attendance was limited because of partial flooding, so check it before a hearing there. The Combined Court Centre's counter works by appointment only.
Contested money cases go to the Financial Remedies Court. Leeds is in its North and West Yorkshire zone, which also covers Bradford, Harrogate, Huddersfield, York, Wakefield, Scarborough and Skipton.
Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4345, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm. You can ask for a call back
Leeds Citizens Advice and Law Centre: the city's Citizens Advice, which is also a Law Centres Network member
Legal aid checker: the GOV.UK tool tells you whether legal aid may cover your problem
Check a solicitor: search the SRA Solicitors Register before you instruct a firm
Leeds family law: common questions
How long does a divorce take?
About six months at the very least. You wait 20 weeks from the court issuing the application before you can apply for the conditional order, then at least 43 days before you can apply for the final order. Many take longer while the finances are agreed, and it's usually wise to have the financial order in place before the final order.
Does the divorce settle our money and property?
No. Finances need their own court order. If you agree, the court can approve a consent order, for a £62 fee. If you can't, a judge can decide, for a £321 fee. Make your application before you remarry, or you can lose your own claims.
What does the Child Focused Court mean for parents in Leeds?
Leeds is part of the West Yorkshire area that already uses it. The law is the same, but the court gathers information about your child at the start. Cafcass runs safeguarding checks and calls you, and Cafcass or the council writes a Child Impact Report so the judge knows early how the dispute is affecting your child. Expect fewer hearings, and be ready to raise any concerns early.
Can I get a Domestic Abuse Protection Order in Leeds?
No. They're only being piloted in a few areas, and West Yorkshire isn't one of them. If the person you need protection from lives in Leeds, apply to the family court for a non-molestation order or an occupation order. Neither has a court fee.
Do I have to go to mediation before court?
Usually you must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before applying to court 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 afterwards, and if your ex doesn't turn up you can still apply.
Can I get legal aid for a family case in Leeds?
Possibly. It's mainly for protection from abuse or forced marriage, for advice on divorce, money or children if you've been in an abusive relationship and have evidence, for mediation on a low income, and where a child may be taken into care. Care cases have no means test. Call Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 or use the GOV.UK checker.
We lived together but never married. What rights do we have?
Far fewer than married couples. The law gives cohabitants only very limited protections when they split up, and no automatic right to inherit if a partner dies without a will. The government consulted on reform in summer 2026, but nothing has changed yet.
