Before you contact a lawyer
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Get support from a lawyer who works with family law matters.
Book a ConsultationBefore the consultation
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You need a clean family law document pack before a first consultation.
Spouses, parents, mediators, and advisers preparing divorce settlement discussions need marriage, property, income, debt, child, maintenance, pension, and draft-agreement records organised.
Not For
- Drafting legal documents, choosing a legal route, or making binding decisions without tailored advice.
Documents
- Marriage certificate
- Antenuptial contract
- Settlement drafts
- Asset list
- Debt list
- Bank statements
- Pension records
- Child expense records
- Identity records
- Authority records
- Official records
- Financial records
- Correspondence
- Question list
Timeline
- Before consultation: collect identity, authority, core matter, official, and money records.
- During review: confirm controlling records, missing documents, and next route.
- Afterwards: save final versions and calendar next dates.
- Ongoing: update the document index as records change.
Tips
- Send documents in date order.
- Keep draft and final versions separate.
- Name who has authority to instruct the lawyer.
- Ask what can be handled remotely and what needs original documents.
Warning Signs
- Authority to sign or instruct is unclear.
- An official deadline or filing date is close.
- Records conflict with each other.
- A document is being pushed for urgent signature.