Thinking of divorce? The top ten tips to help you get the most from a free half hour session with our specialist lawyers

Here at Wards Solicitors, we know how overwhelming it can feel to contemplate separation and divorce, particularly when there are children involved.

That's one of the reasons we offer, where appropriate, a free initial half hour consultation to explain the divorce process clearly, outline all your options and help you make a plan for going forward.

To make sure you get the most out of this confidential and free, no-obligation session, making it as productive and useful for you as possible, we have drawn up our top ten tips as a guide:

1. Think ahead. When making your appointment, using our online divorce enquiry form, try to give us all the relevant information you can as accurately as possible. Things like when you got married, when your children were born and why you want to get divorced;
2. Email any essential documents to us before the meeting - for example, you may have a letter from your ex's solicitor you want us to see;
3. Be punctual and know what you want to say - in the free half hour available, we want to be able to give you as much relevant, tailored information and next steps advice as possible before we run out of time;
4. Come prepared. We'll probably need some additional information, although no paperwork will be needed at this stage, on things like the value of any property, any other assets you have, your income and your ex-partner's income;
5. Think about what you want regarding childcare arrangements. What would work best in terms of routine for you and your children?
6. List any specific questions you have but keep them to the end of the session as we'll probably answer most of them during the meeting anyway. Don't be afraid to ask about anything we haven't covered, though;
7. Bring a pen and paper to make a note of the main points we've discussed so you can go through them later;
8. Consider bringing someone with you to the meeting, either for moral support or just as an extra pair of ears to help you remember all the issues talked about;
9. Make a note of the name of the solicitor you have spoken to so you can contact them again if you'd like further help. We'll also keep all the details of our meeting with you in case you want to instruct us;
10. Think carefully about any advice we give you, even at this early stage. When you're stressed and upset, it can be difficult to take everything on board. Remember, we are here to help and divorce and family law is our area of expertise.

At the moment, we are offering our free half hour appointment where appropriate either by phone or Zoom call but face-to-face consultations may be available in certain circumstances.

Get in touch

Contact any member of Wards Solicitors' Family Law and Divorce team for help and information about family law or divorce-related issues or click here for more information about the range of fixed-fee packages we offer.