Family Law Solicitors

Any type of legal matter involving your family can be very distressing, particularly when conflict arises and emotions run high. The decisions and arrangements you make can have a significant impact on both you and your loved ones, and, in many cases, it can be difficult to resolve these matters without the involvement of a specialist family law solicitor.

At Biscoes, we aim to resolve family disputes in a non-confrontational and cooperative way and are here to provide the exact level of support and guidance you need. However, rest assured that if court proceedings become necessary, we will provide the expertise and experience you need to secure the right outcome for you and your family.

Our specialists can help and guide you from the beginning of a marriage with a pre-nuptial agreement, through to the end of a relationship with divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership. We also assist in cohabitation or separation disputes if you are not married, helping you to make arrangements for your children and providing support if you are the victim of domestic abuse.

We recognise that this can be an anxious and stressful time, and so we aim to make the legal process as smooth as possible.

Specifically, our family law expertise includes:

Child Arrangements
Child Arrangement Orders
Divorce and Separation
Divorce Financial Settlements
Civil Partnership Dissolution
Prenuptial Agreements
Postnuptial Agreements
Domestic Abuse
Fertility Law
Collaborative Law

Speak to our family law solicitors today

If you would like to contact one of our family law solicitors in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, please call 02392 660261. Alternatively, please fill out this simple contact form, and we will respond promptly.

Why work with our family law solicitors?

Biscoes has specialists in all areas, combining our family law services with other areas of the law to ensure that not only are your family needs solved, but their wider impact on you and your future can be accounted for.

Members of our team are part of Resolution, a national network of family law professionals who prioritise a constructive approach to working with families during events such as divorce and separation. We are also accredited by the Law Society for their expertise in Children Law, highlighting our expertise in handling any issues involving your children.

If you have any questions or concerns about your situation, you may want to have an initial discussion with one of our experienced family lawyers. Here, they can explain the process and advise you on the best approach to take in your own personal circumstances. We offer a first appointment for a discounted price of £250 + VAT (£300) where we can discuss your case and provide you with initial advice, both legal and practical, so you can take control of your situation.

We offer Collaborative Law, legal aid (where eligible), and in some cases, we can offer fixed fees. Our approach to costs is completely transparent, and at any stage of your legal service, we are happy to discuss costs with you.

Our priority is always to pursue the most fair and favourable outcome possible, endeavouring to help you reach a solution that feels appropriate and empowering for all of your family.

As a firm, we proudly hold the prestigious Lexcel accreditation, a testament to our excellence in legal practice management and outstanding client care.

Our family law services

Children arrangements

It is critical to have a structure in place to support your children in the event of a separation, or any other change to your family structure. During this time, you will naturally want what’s best for your children, but this can result in a disagreement between you and your former partner about what exactly that entails.

Wherever possible, our family law solicitors use Alternative Dispute Resolution to help parents come to voluntary and mutual agreements over how to co-parent. We will help you to reach a resolution and put together documentation that secures your arrangements in writing and will hold up in court, no matter what the future brings.

Sometimes it proves necessary to take matters to court, which we understand can be stressful. Our family law solicitors can help you prepare your case for court and assemble evidence and statements to back up your claim. We will represent you in court and ensure that you are fully informed and supported at each stage.

Child Arrangement Orders

A Child Arrangement Order may be necessary if one or more specific elements of a childcare arrangement cannot be agreed upon between you and your former partner. Specifically, the order will regulate where your child lives, when your child spends time with each parent, and what other types of contact may take place (including things like phone calls or emails).

If you cannot come to an agreement on your childcare arrangement, or you think your former partner has broken the terms of your Child Arrangement Order, our family lawyers can assist you as required.

Divorce and separation

Ending a relationship between you and your spouse or civil partner can be an emotionally draining experience. Biscoes’ divorce and separation solicitors can help you to navigate this difficult change and help you to protect your emotional and financial wellbeing.

You will be invited to explain your circumstances, and we will advise on the case as it lies ahead of you, including key milestones, potential difficulties you may want to consider, such as childcare, and financial implications. This will help you make informed key decisions and pursue your full legal rights.

Divorce financial settlements

When you and your partner separate, sorting your finances can be tricky. For many couples, they become a source of contention and make the divorce process more arduous, time-consuming, and possibly involve more legal fees. A financial order will outline who is entitled to what assets, including pensions, property, tenancy and savings.

Biscoes’ divorce and financial settlements solicitors provide commercially and financially-minded family law advice to help you organise your parting financial arrangements. If you believe you are receiving an unfair settlement, then we can negotiate the terms and define your rights, or, if you would like your voluntary agreement preserved in legal terms, we can draft and establish a financial settlement on behalf of you and your former spouse.

Civil partnership dissolution

We understand the need to dissolve your civil partnership on clear terms, particularly when there are high financial stakes, shared properties, or children involved.

We have the expertise and experience to advise you on the right way to proceed with your civil partnership dissolution, providing and reviewing documentation where appropriate and ensuring that all elements of your shared household are considered and accounted for.

Prenuptial agreements

While they may not seem like the most romantic gesture, prenuptial agreements, sometimes called prenups, are a useful tool for establishing what will happen in the event of divorce.

There are a range of reasons that can inspire a couple to write up a prenup, and our prenuptial agreements solicitors can ensure that a full financial disclosure has been made, and all outcomes of the future are considered and accommodated within fair, legally sound protective clauses.

Postnuptial agreements

Postnuptial agreements (or postnups) are less common than prenups but no less effective at controlling the finances shared between a married couple. Our family solicitors can help you perform a financial audit at any stage of your marriage and draw up an appropriate legal document that will hold up in court and include provisions for the future of your partnership.

Domestic abuse

There are many forms of intimidation, isolation, and violence that can constitute domestic abuse. We understand that it can be intimidating to speak about your experiences, so we provide a safe and private environment for you to speak to friendly, highly trained domestic abuse solicitors about your experiences and the legal support that we can offer you.

Once you take the initial step to reach out, we will often work alongside domestic abuse support workers to take appropriate initial action that is the safest option for you and your family. Where appropriate we will ask the Court for injunctions and protective orders in total confidence, allowing you to decide what steps you want to take with us to protect your financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

Fertility law

The legal matters related to assisted reproduction and fertility treatments are not as commonly known or understood as other aspects of family law. When you begin to consider a fertility journey, you are strongly advised to contact a solicitor for family legal advice.

The legal rights and obligations that must be followed with regard to treatments such as IVF, IUI, surrogacy, and egg/sperm donation are strict and protective. It's also critical to determine legal parenthood, which requires more attention than traditional child law, as disputes can arise over unclear ethical considerations.

Alternative fertility journeys can be joyful but also frustrating and stressful, so to discuss legal parenthood agreements, fertility and surrogacy agreements, and parental rights after IVF or IUI treatments, contact our family law solicitors who will help to minimise the stress involved

Collaborative law

The key appeal of collaborative law as a way to resolve disputes is that it is a fully voluntary process that is determined by the involved parties. Our collaborative law solicitors can host and mediate meetings, separately representing the involved parties but using unified legal comprehensive practices, in the pursuit of resolving issues relating to the breakdown of a relationship. This is usually less expensive and faster than other traditional legal routes to dispute resolution.

Frequently asked questions about our family law services

How does Alternative Dispute Resolution work in family law?

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is intended to provide disputing sides with a means to find a resolution outside of Court whilst still benefitting from some legal structure. ADR for family law will typically take one or more of the following three forms:

Mediation, whereby you and your family members are invited to a meeting hosted by a third-party mediator who assists in finding a resolution that everyone agrees on
Negotiation, where the voluntary dialogue between the involved parties is encouraged to work together, and;
Collaborative Law, which sees both parties, along with their legal representatives working together as a team to resolve disputes without having to go to court

There are many benefits to ADR over Court proceedings when it comes to family law. Not only does it keep costs down and most often get the disputes resolved faster, but it is an entirely voluntary process that keeps the power and decisions in the hands of the involved parties.

How much does a divorce cost and who pays?

As of 2025, the Court fee that initiates the divorce application is £612. Alongside this, you will also need to consider the legal fees for securing specialist advice. Typically, the divorce cost and legal fees will be split in an arrangement between you and your former spouse.

It’s important to note that under the recently updated divorce process rules, you can no longer claim for costs as part of your financial divorce settlement.

Can I get a divorce if I have ongoing proceedings or issues regarding children?

Your divorce can proceed regardless of ongoing issues with regards to child law. If it becomes necessary, then separate Court proceedings may be initiated to resolve the decisions over shared children if one cannot be reached through divorce proceedings.

Biscoes family law solicitors tailor their approach to fit each client and ensure that all of your needs are addressed. If you are balancing more than one legal proceeding, we will ensure that you are supported to make decisions across the board and understand how one case could impact another.