Free, no obligation first consultation, booked online or by phone, according to the firm. Legal aid is not mentioned on the Liverpool family page, so ask the firm.
Office
100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9QJ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Weightmans is a national firm whose family team is run from Liverpool, where partner Fiona Davidson heads the local team and manages the national one. She has practised only family law for more than 20 years and is a trained collaborative lawyer, her profile says. Partner Carole Atkinson, a Deputy District Judge since 2001, handles high net worth cases involving trusts, family businesses and pensions. The team also covers children, cohabitation, prenups, mediation and one couple, one lawyer advice. It suits people with substantial or complicated assets. The firm offers a free, no obligation first consultation.
Also worth knowing
The firm says its family team won Family Team of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards in 2022.
Lawyers
Fiona Davidson and Carole Atkinson are both active Resolution members and trained collaborative lawyers, according to their profiles.
Fiona Davidson, Partner, Head of Family (Liverpool)
Best for People with business, pension or overseas assets, or a surrogacy arrangement
Beverley Jones, Partner and Head of Family in Liverpool, has been recognised in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners every year since 2014, her profile says.
Her profile shows a Legal 500 Leading Partner listing for 2027.
Ruth Kearns is a member of the Law Society's Family Law Advanced accreditation panel and a trained collaborative lawyer, according to the firm.
Phone or online enquiry with a call back at a convenient time. Video meetings can be arranged. Ask the firm whether your case could be funded by legal aid.
Office
The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9QJ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
JMW is a Manchester based full service firm with a family team in its Old Hall Street office. Partner Beverley Jones heads family in Liverpool and handles divorce involving businesses, pensions, trusts and overseas assets, complex children cases, and surrogacy and parental orders, her profile says. Partners Pauline McNamara and Ruth Kearns focus on divorce and money, and Ruth Kearns is a trained collaborative lawyer. The wider team covers prenups, cohabitation, domestic abuse and international cases. It suits people with business or overseas wealth. Enquiries get a call back at a time that suits.
Also worth knowing
Pauline McNamara joined the Liverpool family team in 2024 and has been ranked by Chambers and Partners since 2017, her profile says.
Lawyers
Beverley Jones, Partner, Head of Family (Liverpool)
Best for Families dealing with high risk children issues or domestic abuse
The firm says Chambers and Partners 2026 ranks its family team Band 2 in the North West.
Dr Emma Palmer, Head of Family, is in Chambers and Partners' Band 1 for individual lawyers in the North West, and Band 3 nationally for complex care work, the firm says.
The Liverpool family page shows the Law Society's Family Law and Children Law accreditation logos and the Resolution First for Family logo.
Callback request or online enquiry, then in person or remote appointments. Legal aid is not mentioned on the Liverpool family page, so ask the firm.
Office
4 St Paul's Square, Liverpool, L3 9SJ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
MSB Solicitors is a full service firm whose main office is in Liverpool, and its Liverpool family page names 14 lawyers and staff. Head of family Dr Emma Palmer focuses on complex, high risk children cases, working with partners Daniel Pierce, Nicola Harris and Pippa Tudor. The team covers divorce and money, children, domestic abuse injunctions, honour based abuse, surrogacy, adoption and international cases. The firm says Chambers and Partners 2026 ranks its family team in the North West. It suits families with difficult children issues or abuse concerns. First contact is a callback request.
Also worth knowing
The firm lists honour based abuse and harmful practices as a separate service.
Lawyers
The family team works across MSB's offices, so ask which lawyer is based in Liverpool.
Confidential consultation requested by phone, email or online form. Legal aid is not mentioned, so ask the firm.
Office
The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9QJ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Hall Brown describes itself as a family law only firm from Manchester, and its Liverpool office in The Plaza on Old Hall Street opened in January 2026. The office is led by partner Natalie Dickson, who has practised family law in Liverpool for more than 15 years, her profile says. Her work includes divorce involving companies, trusts and offshore assets, nuptial and cohabitation agreements, and children cases, including relocation. The wider firm also covers domestic abuse, international cases, mediation and arbitration. It suits people with high value or complicated finances. Ask for a confidential consultation by phone, email or the online form.
Also worth knowing
The firm says it handles family law only.
Lawyers
The Liverpool office is new, so ask whether other Hall Brown lawyers will work on your case.
Contact by phone, email or online form. First appointment terms and legal aid are not stated, so ask the firm.
Office
Horton House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 3YL
Other numbers
Liverpool office 0151 600 3000 (the number above is for family enquiries)
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Brabners is an independent North West full service firm with family lawyers in its Exchange Flags office. Partner Helen Marriott, who heads the firm's personal services group, handles high value and complex divorce, and partner Richard Rigg advises on marriage breakdown and protecting wealth. Team head Cara Nuttall leads on children work. The team also covers international divorce, relocation and abduction, fertility and surrogacy, cohabitation and nuptial agreements, and the firm says it includes arbitrators and collaborative lawyers. It suits people with substantial wealth or cross border issues. Contact is by phone, email or online form.
Also worth knowing
The firm says its family team includes qualified arbitrators and collaborative lawyers.
Lawyers
Brabners' family lawyers work across its offices, so ask who will handle your case from Liverpool.
Cara Nuttall, Partner, Head of Family
Helen Marriott, Partner, Practice Group Head (Brabners Personal)
Cotton Exchange, Liverpool city centre, plus Allerton, Woolton, Crosby, Prescot and BirkenheadFull service firm
Best for Parents facing social services involvement or needing legal aid
Jo-anne Lomax is an accredited member of the Children Panel and is accredited under Resolution's Specialist Accreditation Scheme, according to her profile.
The firm says nine of its solicitors hold the Law Society's Children Law Accreditation, with partner Andrew Perrigo heading the children team.
The firm says it has close ties with the Legal Aid Agency and can grant legal aid immediately where needed.
Call, email, WhatsApp, online form or callback booking. The firm checks legal aid eligibility and says it can grant legal aid immediately where needed. First consultation terms are not stated.
Office
Cotton Exchange, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9LQ
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Morecrofts is a Merseyside firm with six offices, from the Cotton Exchange in the city centre to Allerton, Woolton, Crosby, Prescot and Birkenhead. Family law is a core service. Its children team, headed by partner Andrew Perrigo, handles care proceedings, special guardianship and adoption, and the firm says nine of its solicitors hold the Law Society's Children Law Accreditation. Partner Jo-anne Lomax heads the divorce and domestic abuse teams. It suits families on any budget, including those who need legal aid. The firm checks legal aid eligibility and says it can grant it immediately where needed.
Also worth knowing
Some of its divorce lawyers are trained mediators and collaborative lawyers, the firm says.
Lawyers
Morecrofts' family lawyers work across its six Merseyside offices, so ask which office your lawyer is based in.
Andrew Perrigo, Partner, Head of Children Team
Jo-anne Lomax, Partner, Head of Matrimonial and Domestic Abuse Teams
Rachel Burns, Partner
Angela Eaton, Partner
Eleanor Cockrell, Partner
Rhea Munro, Partner
Stephanie Davidson, Senior Associate Solicitor
Claire Johns, Associate Solicitor
Ruth Allanson, Associate Solicitor
Areas of family law handled
Care proceedings
Pre-proceedings meetings
Special guardianship
Adoption
Child arrangements
Divorce and separation
Financial arrangements and consent orders
Prenuptial agreements
Cohabitation agreements
Civil partnerships
Domestic abuse
Office
Cotton Exchange, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9LQ
Best for Parents and relatives in care proceedings
Suzanne Daley, Partner and Head of Family, has been an accredited member of the Children Panel since 2014 and is a trained mediator, according to her profile.
The firm says its family solicitors all hold the Law Society's Children Law Accreditation.
Some team members are Resolution members, according to the firm.
Informal chat by phone, email or Microsoft Teams. The firm says legal aid may be available in certain circumstances.
Office
Suite 214, 2nd Floor, 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Bell Lamb & Joynson is a Merseyside and Cheshire firm whose family team works from its Chapel Street city centre office, Walton Vale and four other branches. Head of family Suzanne Daley has practised only family law since qualifying in 2005, her profile says, mainly care proceedings and other cases involving local authorities, including acting for children through their guardian. The team also covers divorce and money, child arrangements, adoption, grandparents' contact and domestic abuse. It suits parents facing social services involvement. The firm says legal aid may be available, and first contact is an informal chat.
Also worth knowing
The firm holds the Law Society's Lexcel accreditation.
Lawyers
The family team works across six offices, so ask which lawyer is based nearest to you.
Suzanne Daley, Partner, Head of Family
Gemma Stenson, Senior Associate
Richard Zacharias, Senior Associate
David Sykes, Associate
Aaron Williams, Associate
Millie Broadbent, Solicitor
Hannah Beardmore, Solicitor
Ruth Scarisbrick, Consultant
Areas of family law handled
Care proceedings
Representing children through their guardian
Child arrangements
Grandparents' contact
Adoption
Divorce and separation
Financial remedy proceedings
Prenuptial and cohabitation agreements
Domestic abuse
Change of name deeds
Office
Suite 214, 2nd Floor, 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG
Other details
Other offices
Liverpool North (39 Walton Vale), Maghull, Runcorn, Warrington, Ashton in Makerfield
Best for People who want a family only firm and contact outside office hours
Helen Miller is accredited under Resolution's Specialist Accreditation Scheme and holds the Law Society's Advanced Family Law accreditation, according to the firm.
Alexandra Martin leads the Liverpool child law team, the firm says.
Phone lines open until 7pm on weekdays and at weekends, according to the Liverpool page.
Free, no obligation callback booked online in a half hour slot. The firm says it doesn't offer legal aid at its Liverpool office. Office appointments by arrangement only; phone lines open evenings and weekends.
Office
2nd Floor, Edward Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AF
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Stowe Family Law is a national family only firm with a Liverpool office in Edward Pavilion on the Royal Albert Dock. Helen Miller, managing partner for the North West, leads it, senior associate Alexandra Martin leads the Liverpool child law team, and Samantha Lester works from Liverpool too. They handle divorce and money, children, cohabitation, nuptial agreements, fertility law and domestic abuse, with collaborative, mediation support and arbitration routes. It suits people who want a family only firm with evening and weekend phone lines. The firm says it doesn't offer legal aid at its Liverpool office. The first callback is free.
Founded in 1982, according to the firm
Also worth knowing
The firm says it was founded in 1982 and handles only family law.
Lawyers
Many of the firm's lawyers cover the whole North West, so ask who will handle your case from Liverpool.
Helen Miller, Managing Partner, North West (leads the Liverpool office)
Rebecca Finnigan, Team Leader Partner, North West
Jennifer Reddy, Partner, North West and Yorkshire
Alexandra Martin, Senior Associate, Head of Liverpool Child Law Team
Samantha Lester, Senior Associate Family Solicitor, Liverpool
Areas of family law handled
Divorce and separation
Financial settlements
Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
Child arrangements
Fertility law
Cohabitation agreements and disputes
Domestic abuse support
Collaborative divorce
Mediation support
Divorce arbitration
Office
2nd Floor, Edward Pavilion, Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AF
Other details
Other offices
Manchester, Hale, Wilmslow, Bolton and other offices nationally
Best for Families who may need legal aid, or a firm that does both private and public law
Sarah McCarthy, Partner and Head of Private Family Law, won Family Law Chartered Legal Executive of the Year at the Jordan Family Law Awards in 2021, her profile says.
She is a Resolution member and sits on the Liverpool Law Society Family Law Sub Committee, according to the firm.
Hannah Bickley, Head of Public Family Law, is described on the firm's site as a Chartered Legal Executive, and her profile says she is accredited on the Law Society's Family Law Advanced panel.
Call or send an online enquiry. The firm's legal aid page explains that legal aid covers care proceedings brought by social services and domestic abuse injunctions; ask whether your case qualifies. First consultation terms are not stated.
Office
Walker House, Exchange Flags, Liverpool, L2 3YL
Other numbers
0151 227 1429 (family and children law, Broudie Jackson Canter) (the number above is for private family law)
Full profile: lawyers, services and sources
About the firm
Jackson Lees is a Liverpool law group with two family teams at Walker House on Exchange Flags. Partner Sarah McCarthy heads private family law, covering divorce, money, children and special guardianship, and won a national Chartered Legal Executive of the Year award in 2021, her profile says. Legal aid family work runs under the Broudie Jackson Canter name. There, partner Hannah Bickley, whom the firm's site describes as a Chartered Legal Executive, heads public family law, acting for parents when social services are involved and for domestic abuse victims. It suits private divorce clients and parents in care cases alike.
Also worth knowing
The public family team runs a free family law drop in with the charity An Hour for Others, according to the firm.
Lawyers
Sarah McCarthy, Partner, Head of Private Family Law
Hannah Bickley, Partner, Head of Public Family Law
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 Liverpool that do family law as a main part of their work. We read each firm's own website in October 2026, checked it says it is regulated by the SRA, and wrote the descriptions ourselves. Accreditations and first consultation terms are as the firm describes them, so confirm them when you get in touch. Google ratings are shown with the date we checked them where we have them. You can look up any solicitor or firm on the SRA Solicitors Register.
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 applies in England and Wales, as published on legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, judiciary.uk, Cafcass, the Legal Aid Agency and HM Courts and Tribunals Service in October 2026.
Getting divorced in England and Wales
Since 6 April 2022 nobody has to prove who was to blame. One of you, or both together, tells the court the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and the court treats that statement as conclusive. Adultery, behaviour and years of separation no longer come into it. Ending a civil partnership works the same way.
You have to wait until you've been married for a year before you can apply. During that first year, separation or annulment are the routes open to you. Judicial separation is no fault too: you simply state that you want to be judicially separated. It has no one year bar and no 20 week wait, but it doesn't end the marriage.
Stage
What to expect
Application
Online with a debit or credit card, or by post on form D8. You can apply alone or jointly, and solicitors use a MyHMCTS account. The court fee is £628, and you won't get it back once the court has issued the application
Conditional order
You can apply once at least 20 weeks have passed since the court issued the application. Many couples use that time to work out the money and the children's arrangements
Final order
You can apply at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after the conditional order. The final order is what legally ends the marriage. Leave it longer than 12 months and you'll need to explain the delay
Those are minimum waits, so six months is about as quick as a divorce gets. The fee rose from £612 on 6 July 2026. Help with fees may be available if you're on benefits or a low income. On a joint application you both have to apply for help, otherwise the full fee is due.
Money, property and pensions after separation
A divorce doesn't divide anything. Unless a court order deals with the finances, claims can stay open. There are two ways to get one.
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 applying before the final order is usually simpler, and leaving it until after can have consequences, particularly for pensions
You can't agree: apply on Form A for the court to decide. The fee is £321. You'll usually have to attend a meeting about mediation first, unless an exception such as domestic abuse applies
How a contested case runs: a short first appointment with a judge, then a financial dispute resolution (FDR) appointment aimed at a settlement, and a final hearing where the judge decides if you still can't agree
Both fees went up on 6 July 2026, from £60 and £313.
What the judge weighs up. Section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 asks the court to consider all the circumstances, with the welfare of any child under 18 coming first. The list includes each person's income and earning capacity, their needs, the standard of living during the marriage, ages, how long the marriage lasted, any disability, what each person contributed, including caring for the home and family, and benefits such as pension rights that will be lost.
Pensions. A court can order a pension to be shared, but the order doesn't take effect until the divorce is final.
Thinking of remarrying? Apply for your financial order first. Once you remarry or form a new civil partnership, you can no longer apply for maintenance or a property order in your own favour against your former spouse.
Prenups. A prenup isn't automatically binding. The Supreme Court ruled in Radmacher v Granatino in 2010 that a court should give effect to an agreement each person entered into freely, understanding what it meant, unless it would be unfair to hold them to it.
Unmarried couples. Living together gives you far fewer rights than marriage. GOV.UK calls the current protections for cohabitants very limited, and a partner has no automatic right to inherit if the other dies without a will. A Ministry of Justice consultation on reform ran from 5 June to 14 August 2026. No response has been published, and the law hasn't changed.
Children: court orders, Cafcass and what's changing in Merseyside
Most parents work out the arrangements themselves or with a mediator. When that fails, the family court can make:
A child arrangements order: where the child lives, who they spend time with, and other contact such as video or phone calls
A prohibited steps order: stops a parent doing something specific, such as taking the child abroad
A specific issue order: settles a single question, such as which school the child attends
You can apply online, where you have 28 days to finish once you start, or by post on form C100. The fee is £270, up from £263 on 6 July 2026, and help with fees may be available.
Mediation meeting first. Before applying you'll usually need to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM). Exemptions include evidence of domestic abuse, a child at risk of harm, an urgent or without notice application, and having tried a MIAM or another way of resolving things in the last 4 months. If you attend and your ex doesn't, you can still go ahead.
Cafcass. A Cafcass Family Court Adviser gives the court safeguarding advice in disputes between parents, and can be asked to write a report on what is safe and best for your child if the case goes past the first hearing.
Parental involvement. In disputed cases the court still presumes that each parent's involvement will further the child's welfare, unless the evidence shows otherwise. Involvement doesn't mean a set share of time. The government wants to scrap the presumption through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, but the bill hasn't finished its passage through Parliament and isn't law.
The Child Focused Court in Liverpool. Children cases in some parts of England and Wales now run under the Child Focused Court model, which was called Pathfinder during its trial. When the Ministry of Justice announced the national rollout on 17 March 2026, Cheshire and Merseyside was named in the first wave, funded for the 2026 to 2027 financial year. It isn't running in Liverpool yet, and Cafcass doesn't list Merseyside among the courts already using the model. A GOV.UK Find a grant notice from the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, issued at the Ministry of Justice's request, gives 17 November 2026 as the go live date for the court's domestic abuse adviser service across Merseyside and Cheshire. That is the date for the adviser service, not a confirmed start date for the court model, so ask whether your case will be dealt with the new way.
The law stays the same under the model. What changes is the process:
Information about your child is gathered at the start rather than over several hearings
Cafcass or the council writes a Child Impact Report, giving the court an early view of how the dispute affects your child
Children get earlier chances to say what they want and how they feel
The court works more closely with the police, councils and domestic abuse services, including Independent Domestic Violence Advisers
The Ministry of Justice says pilot cases were resolved up to seven and a half months faster.
Domestic abuse: protection orders in Liverpool
If someone is hurting or threatening you or your children, you can ask the family court for an injunction. Neither order below carries a court fee.
Non-molestation order: protects you or your child from being harmed or threatened by the abuser
Occupation order: sets out who can live in the family home, or come into the area around it
Apply on form FL401, online, by email, by post or in person. In an emergency you can ask the court to make an order without warning the other person first. This is called a without notice application.
No Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in Merseyside. These newer orders protect against all forms of domestic abuse, and there's no fee to apply, but they're only being piloted in a handful of areas. Merseyside isn't one of them. A victim can only apply to the family court for one if the person they need protection from lives in Greater Manchester, Croydon, Bromley or Sutton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland or Stockton-on-Tees, or North Wales. If that person lives in Liverpool or elsewhere in Merseyside, a non-molestation or occupation order is the route.
The legal aid financial 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.
Paying for help: mediation vouchers and legal aid
Mediation vouchers. The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme pays a one off contribution of up to £500 per case towards mediation sessions, once your mediator confirms you're eligible. Your case must involve a dispute about a child. A money dispute can qualify, but only alongside a dispute about a child, so purely financial cases are excluded. The voucher doesn't cover the MIAM, and you can only claim once per case. GOV.UK describes the scheme as time limited, and the Ministry of Justice has confirmed it continues for the 2026 to 2027 financial year.
Legal aid can also pay for mediation if you're on a low income. Where both parents qualify, it covers the MIAM, the mediation sessions and the consent order application. Where only one does, it covers the MIAM and first joint session for both, then the eligible parent's further costs only.
Family legal aid. It isn't available for most private disputes, but you might get it for advice on divorce, money or children if you've been in an abusive relationship. You'll usually need evidence, for example from the courts, police, social services, a health professional, a refuge or a domestic abuse 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
Disposable income
£733 a month
Savings and assets
£8,000, with home equity counted only above £100,000
Exceptions
Limits can be relaxed in domestic abuse and forced marriage cases. There's no financial test when a child is in care or being taken into care, or in international child abduction cases (a child taken out of or brought into the UK)
Not every firm does legal aid family work, so ask before you book. On this list, Morecrofts says it checks eligibility and can grant legal aid straight away where it's needed, Bell Lamb & Joynson says legal aid may be available in certain circumstances, and Jackson Lees does its legal aid family work under the Broudie Jackson Canter name, covering care proceedings and domestic abuse injunctions, the firm says.
The family court and free help in Liverpool
Family cases for the city are heard at Vernon Street. Your court papers will name the court dealing with your case, so check before any hearing.
Court
Address
Family work
Liverpool Civil and Family Court
35 Vernon Street, Liverpool, L2 2BX
Divorce, financial remedy, arrangements for children, adoption, domestic abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation protection
Family enquiries, including C100 applications, go to [email protected], or call the national contact centre on 0300 123 5577, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm. HMCTS warns that fraudsters copy court phone numbers and email addresses to ask for payment, so if a call or email asking for money doesn't feel right, don't pay.
Contested money cases go to the Financial Remedies Court, which works in zones. Liverpool is in the Cheshire and Merseyside zone, which also sits at Birkenhead, St Helens, Crewe and Chester.
Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4345, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 12:30pm. You can ask to be called back
Legal aid checker: the GOV.UK tool tells you whether legal aid might cover your problem
Check a solicitor: look up any firm or solicitor on the SRA Solicitors Register before you instruct them
Liverpool family law: common questions
How quickly can I get divorced?
In about six months at the earliest. You can't apply for the conditional order until 20 weeks after the court issues your application, and you can't apply for the final order until at least 43 days (6 weeks and 1 day) after that. Plenty of divorces take longer while the money is agreed, and it's usually wise to have a financial order in place before the final order.
Will the divorce sort out our house and savings?
No. The finances need their own court order. If you agree, the court can approve a consent order, and the fee is £62. If you don't, you can apply on Form A for a judge to decide, with a £321 fee. Make the application before you remarry, or you can lose claims in your own favour.
Is Liverpool a Child Focused Court area?
Not yet. Cheshire and Merseyside is in the first wave of the national rollout announced in March 2026, but the model isn't running in Liverpool now, and Cafcass doesn't list Merseyside among the courts using it. A Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner funding notice on GOV.UK gives 17 November 2026 as the go live date for the linked domestic abuse adviser service. Until the model begins, children cases here follow the usual process.
Can I get a Domestic Abuse Protection Order in Liverpool?
No. They're only being piloted in a few areas, and Merseyside isn't one of them. If the person you need protecting from lives in Liverpool, apply to the family court for a non-molestation order or an occupation order. There's no court fee for either, and you can ask for an emergency order without notice.
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. You don't have to if, for example, there's evidence of domestic abuse, a child is at risk of harm or the case is urgent. If you attend and your ex doesn't turn up, you can still apply.
Will legal aid pay for my family case?
It might. It's mainly for protection from abuse or forced marriage, advice on divorce, money or children if you've been in an abusive relationship and can show evidence, mediation on a low income, and cases where a child may be taken into care. Care cases have no financial test. Call Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 or try the GOV.UK checker.
We lived together for years. Do I have the same rights as a wife or husband?
No. 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 changes in summer 2026, but the law is the same as before.
