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It seems fitting that as Evolve Family Law marks its first anniversary as an employee ownership trust Friday 23 June is EO Day, promoted by the Employee Ownership Association.   In this blog, founder and family law specialist, Robin Charrot, takes a look back at the last 12 months and assesses what being an employee-owned company has meant for Evolve Family Law and its employees and clients. As one of the first law firms in the North West to become an employee-ownership trust, he also answers some of the frequently asked questions on the benefits of employee-owned companies.   For expert family and private client advice call our team or complete our online enquiry form.   What is an employee ownership trust? The simplest way to explain employee ownership trust to our clients is that Evolve Family Law is the ‘John Lewis’ of the legal world; all our employees are owners and partners in the business. Each employee still gets their salary each month but every member of the team is incentivised to make a success of the firm that they part own. If the firm does well, all of the employee-owners benefit financially. That applies to everyone; whether they are a family law solicitor, private client paralegal, or legal administrative assistant.   Does employee ownership trust bring any benefits to clients? The ethos of Evolve Family Law is excellent client service with the client put first and foremost. Evolve did not convert to an employee ownership trust lightly as we wanted to make sure it would add value for our clients as well as to our employees. It has, because although we were always a friendly bunch of people, everyone now has a direct interest in the long-term growth and success of the firm, and the best way to succeed and grow is for everyone to treat our clients well, to make them feel valued, and to get great results for them at competitive prices. With employee ownership trust status there is a real buzz about the office. There is confidence and ambition in the air. When we achieve success for a client, and particularly when they add to our collection of 5-star Google and Trustpilot reviews, the whole office feels a sense of achievement. With everyone being an owner, we can all speak up and suggest improvements to the way we do things. That may not sound very progressive but it is a cultural sea change when our legal assistants can be at the forefront of driving change to make us more efficient in our client service. It makes sense that our apprentices are coming up with great ideas as they are the future of the firm and know, from doing the hard work, how we can improve our systems and services for clients. Working for an employee-owned company Over the last 12 months Evolve Family Law has rapidly expanded with the recruitment of 3 extra family law solicitors to meet the growing demand for our services. We think that employee ownership trust status has helped us recruit some great new solicitors who were interested in joining Evolve partly because of the opportunity of working in an employee-owned company where their voice would be heard and they would not just be a ‘pen pusher’ but an owner with a future in the firm. One of the things that family law clients hate is if a solicitor leaves a law firm and they have to change solicitor. We hate that as well although accept that sometimes people have to leave us for family or other reasons. We believe that becoming an employee ownership trust helps gel us as a team and that one of the significant benefits for both Evolve and our clients is staff retention as everyone has a say, makes a difference in the business, and financially benefits from the firm doing well. That isn’t something that you get in most law firms. [related_posts] A founder’s perspective on Evolve converting to an employee ownership trust Evolve was founded by solicitors Louise Halford and Robin Charrot in 2015 after both decided that they wanted to set up a niche family and private client law firm with a difference. After both working in large commercial law firms in Manchester and Cheshire it was a refreshing change to start from scratch to create a firm that they were both immensely proud of. Robin Charrot says ‘ Evolve was rather like my fourth child – carefully cossetted with vast amounts of time spent in helping it grow. As a founder member with Louise, it has been a privilege to watch Evolve develop into the firm it is today. The easiest thing would have been to have done nothing – just stay as the ‘bosses’ and not ‘evolve’, or ‘sell out’ to a bigger law firm, or Private Equity. We knew that wasn’t the best option for our clients or the firm’s loyal employees. The last 12 months have been transformative for all of us. I no longer see Evolve as ‘my baby’ but as the product of co-parenting by the team at Evolve. The decision to become an employee-owned company has secured Evolve’s long-term future as one of the premier North West law firms and we have the Employee Ownership Association to thank for helping us on our journey to becoming an employee ownership trust’.  Louise Halford adds ‘ When you set up a law firm you feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to your employees and your clients. That’s why becoming an employee ownership trust was such a big deal to me. I wanted to secure the firm’s future so that in 20 or 30 years the sons and daughters of our current clients can come to us for their prenuptial agreements and estate planning advice. To me, the best way to secure the future of Evolve and make sure that we adapted to change was to trust our employees. The last 12 months have proved that we were right to place our trust in them and the support of the Employee Ownership Association’.      For expert family and private client advice call our team or complete our online enquiry form.

Evolve is expanding again with the arrival of Eluned Roberts, a specialist family and collaborative lawyer with a passion for helping couples split up amicably. She is trained to offer an amicable divorce service involving one lawyer acting for separating couples, through a process referred to as ‘Resolution Together’.   Educated and having worked in Chester and North Wales, Eluned aims to continue to help her Chester and North Wales-based clients, as well as promote Resolution Together and collaborative law as options for separating couples looking for amicable divorces in Cheshire and the Greater Manchester area.   At Evolve Family Law, we believe it is important that you know how our family lawyers work, so we asked Eluned to answer some questions on why she decided to join Evolve Family Law and her career plans and ambitions:   Why Evolve Family Law? As a specialist family law solicitor, I knew that I wanted to find a niche family law firm to join and progress my career at. I wanted to find a family law firm that wasn’t too big or too small and one that would give me the freedom to promote amicable divorces, through Resolution Together and through supporting me in my collaborative family law practice. I also hope to train as a mediator in the future, so that I can offer clients the whole spectrum of approaches to best suit their needs and circumstances.   Evolve Family Law seemed the perfect fit – expert lawyers who are a friendly bunch of people, genuinely committed to doing what is right for their Cheshire and Greater Manchester clients   The route to family law I have always wanted to be a family law solicitor and have been lucky enough to have been practising family law throughout my legal career. I have worked in regions across the North West, including North Wales, Greater Manchester, and then Chester.   I specialise in relationship breakdowns, including married and unmarried couples. I help resolve children and parenting disputes, as well as reaching financial resolutions and when necessary, securing financial court orders.   Eluned’s approach to family law As a member of Resolution, the largest organisation for family lawyers in the UK, I wholeheartedly believe in the ethos of the Resolution Code of Practice, namely that wherever possible, disputes should be resolved in a constructive and non-confrontational way.   The Resolution code epitomises how I practice family law, with an emphasis on sensitive and pragmatic advice that aims to help separating couples build on what they can agree on and resolve any stumbling blocks, whether that is a disagreement on child arrangements or aspects of a financial settlement, such as how to approach  Occupation of the family home, sharing of pensions or valuing a family business.   I love my work as a family law solicitor as I am passionate about helping people through difficult times in their lives. I believe in offering separating couples the power to make an informed decision on what the right approach is for them and their family when separating.   Whilst I offer an amicable divorce service through the Resolution Together model, I am also a realist and am committed to doing what is best for clients. It is not always appropriate for couples to engage in ‘talking solutions’ such as mediation, collaborative law, or having one lawyer act for both using the Resolution Together model, for example, if there has been any domestic abuse.   I work hard to represent clients going through lawyer-led negotiations and court proceedings to ensure that they achieve a fair and positive outcome, whilst always advising on proportionate and constructive approaches. I pride myself on my ability to draft well-reasoned and bespoke proposals for settlement that help encourage a pragmatic resolution. I am also accomplished at analysing finances and identifying when experts need to be instructed to resolve disputed issues, such as when dealing with pensions or valuing an asset such as a business or farm.   What is Resolution Together? Resolution Together is the name given to the relatively new process of one family lawyer acting for both husband and wife who want to obtain a no-fault divorce, financial court order, and, if they have children together, a child arrangement order or parenting plan.   Traditionally, the husband and wife or both civil partners would instruct their own family law solicitors to advise them separately on divorce, finances, and child arrangements matters. There can be huge benefits to a couple in having one family lawyer to advise on an amicable divorce and represent them both. The family solicitor can advise the couple in the same room on the law and the possible outcomes and help them reach an agreement. This can speed up the process and reduce costs. Once an agreement is reached, the amicable divorce lawyer can draft the legal paperwork for the couple, for them both to sign and send to the court for approval.   What gets you up in the morning? At least one double espresso, with a few more strong coffees throughout the morning – I am not a morning person and caffeine is definitely my saviour/vice.   It sounds cheesy, but I love my job and once the caffeine has kicked in and I’ve got the kids to school and nursery, I look forward to what the day brings in work. I enjoy getting to know clients and doing everything I can to help them achieve outcomes that enable them to move forwards to a new chapter in their lives.   I am so excited to join Evolve and be able to work alongside like-minded colleagues who care about their clients as much as I do.   Is there life outside Evolve Family Law? Working in family law can be emotionally draining so it is really important to be able to switch off from work. I love binge-watching a good Netflix series for some escapism or getting out and about in the Cheshire countryside by indulging in a hill walk with an audiobook, accompanied by my golden retriever. He brightens everyone’s day with his smile!   I also enjoy our family holidays around the UK in our caravan, with our two young children and of course our dog.   Whilst I am not very sporty (unlike my husband, who is training for an Iron Man this year) I have grown up always having played hockey. I intend to return to the hockey field soon, but am currently making the most of quality family time at weekends whilst our children still think their parents are cool enough to spend time with!   For expert advice on family law call our team of specialist lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.

Evolve is delighted to announce that family law solicitor Ellie Stokes has joined the team at Evolve Family Law.   Ellie previously worked in Staffordshire where she maintains strong ties and plans to continue to work with family law clients in Staffordshire as well as with new clients in Cheshire and the Greater Manchester area.   As a new recruit who professes to enjoy quizzing, we quizzed Ellie about her reasons for joining Evolve Family Law and her career plans:   Why Evolve Family Law? I was looking to join a niche family law practice in the North West and Evolve Family Law fit the bill as I wanted the opportunity to gain experience from senior family lawyers. With founders Robin Charrot and Louise Halford’s nearly 50 years of combined legal experience and the friendly supportive team at Evolve, I had no hesitation in saying yes to the move.   The first week at Evolve has already been insightful and I feel like I am learning so much directly from my colleagues. Judging from my first week, I just know I am going to learn so much and enjoy the variety of family law work at Evolve.   Your path to becoming a solicitor? My working life started at McDonalds flipping burgers but with a degree in International Management with Spanish I knew that I needed to find a career that suited a tidy and organised mind whilst allowing me to get to meet people. A career in law seemed to combine the two. Time spent as a legal intern in the USA working at the California Innocence Project confirmed that qualifying as a solicitor was the right career path for me. The internship was challenging and combined both legal know-how with helping those incarcerated who had nowhere else to turn to for help. I learned a lot and think that my time in the USA made me the advocate that I am today; feisty and prepared to stand up for what is right. Why family law? Whilst training as a solicitor, I worked in a variety of departments, some of which I enjoyed, others less so. However, I was still yet to find an area of law which I found resonated with me most as a person. Just by chance, I was asked to sit behind a barrister on a contested final hearing in relation to an application for a child arrangement order. Within 15 minutes of that hearing, I knew family law was for me and luckily, I was able to do my final seat in family law and qualify as a family solicitor. I’ve always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives in my work or making people’s lives easier during potentially the most awful times of their lives. I feel like family law fits the bill in that sense. What areas of family law do you specialise in? I advise on the full range of family law because I love the variety but I have particular expertise in financial claims on relationship breakdown and in helping resolve the financial and property claims of non-married couples, LGBTQ+ partners, and married and civil partners. As a family lawyer, I am keen to get the message across that your legal rights are very different if you are in a cohabiting relationship rather than if you are married or in a civil partnership. Cohabitees have to rely on property rights. However, if you are married or in a civil partnership the court has wide discretion to make orders that meet your needs rather than orders based on property and trust law. In the LGBTQ+ community, there is a particular need to understand your family law rights and options, such as the use of cohabitation agreements, civil partnership and prenuptial agreements, as well as the need for specialist children law advice on topics such as parental responsibility for your children or achieving parenthood through international surrogacy. In every family law matter, you are helping someone at an important point in their life whether that is: New relationships – with cohabitation agreements, declarations of trust, prenuptial agreements, or changes to their Will Extending the family – with advice on parental responsibility and child arrangement orders, surrogacy, and parental orders Relationship breakdowns – by trying to help couples reach a property or financial resolution that works for them by providing constructive legal help focussed on what can be agreed to enable both of them to move on with their lives What gets you up in the morning? Other than my 5 alarms, a large cappuccino is my answer to getting going and seated at my desk. Once I am at work, I am kept busy with lots of client calls, meetings, document preparation, and court hearings. No 2 days are ever the same and that is what makes life as a family law solicitor so interesting. I’m at the start of my career but I look forward to the day when I am advising on international surrogacy using my Spanish language skills as I have a keen interest in this subject.  Until then I generally find myself knee-deep in financial disclosure trying to unravel complex financial paperwork. For example, when 1 party to a marriage or civil partnership has moved money or assets or is a director and shareholder in a family business and there is a need to understand movements and discrepancies in a director’s loan account.   Is there life outside Evolve Family Law? There is definitely life outside of Evolve and family law. Whilst I live in Staffordshire, I am an ardent Liverpool football fan and I get to all the matches I can. I combine my love of football with being a lead guitarist in a local band and being a quiz buff. My claim to fame is winning ITV’s tipping Point and being cast for ITV’s The Chase. My ultimate quizzing goal is to be an Egghead though I have got some way to go in achieving that ambition.   For expert advice on family law call our team of specialist lawyers or complete our online enquiry form. [related_posts]

At Evolve Family Law we believe in being upfront about charges. That helps you and us. Being open about legal charges means you know how much your family lawyer or private client solicitor is charging you. In this article, founder Robin Charrot offers insight into some of the outmoded charging structures used by most law firms and explains how the Evolve pricing philosophy is different. For expert advice on divorce and family law call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form. Units of time For work that is charged on a ‘time spent’ basis, all other law firms that Evolve’s lawyers have ever come across charge per hour, but using 6-minute ‘units’ of time. So, if a phone call takes 2 minutes you get charged for 6 minutes of your solicitor’s time and with a 7-minute call you get charged for 12 minutes of your lawyer’s hourly rate, and so on. That may strike you as unfair. We agree. Evolve has been charging in ‘units’ of 1 minute since we started in business set up our offices in Holmes Chapel and North Manchester. That means if something takes a minute, you only get charged for a minute of our time, with the charge based on our published hourly rates. Fixed fees or units of time billing At Evolve Family Law we offer some of our services on a fixed fee basis and other services are charged on a time-spent basis. Evolve was one of the first law firms in the country to publish our fixed fees and hourly rates on our website. Some of our family law and private client work is particularly suited to fixed fee charging, such as: Divorce Agreed financial court orders Standard Wills Lasting Powers of Attorney Preliminary advice on prenups or postnups For a full list of our fixed-fee services take a look here. Other types of family law work are not possible to charge on a fixed fee basis. For example, some child arrangement order applications involve 1 or 2 hearings whilst others involve the instruction of experts and several more court hearings, such as a finding of fact hearings and a welfare hearing. Likewise, a contested divorce financial settlement hearing may take a day or a week of court time for the judge to decide on the appropriate financial court order because of the complexity of the assets and the parties’ circumstances. As every family situation is different it isn’t possible to devise a fair fixed fee structure for all types of family law work as the couples who decide to settle early or limit the points in dispute would be penalised as the fixed fees would need to encompass the whole range of straightforward or complex children law or financial court proceedings. In addition, it isn’t always readily apparent when first instructed, just how complicated matters are. For example, a spouse may try to hide assets in financial settlement court proceedings or a children’s law application for a child arrangement order may involve allegations of parental alienation. [related_posts] How does unit of time billing work? We welcome questions about how our fees work as we believe it is best to be clear and upfront about costs so you know how the unit of time billing works and can budget for legal services. Our family law solicitors and private client lawyers’ hourly rates are published on our website and contained in our client care information. Each minute is charged at the fee earners’ hourly charge-out rate. When you first contact us, you may have been recommended to a particular solicitor or you may be happy to be guided by us as to who would be best placed to help you so we match your needs with the most cost-effective fee earner for you. Although you will always have a named solicitor working for you, we make sure that if we can delegate work to a junior fee earner we do so. For example, whilst you may need the knowledge and experience of a specialist child abduction solicitor who has handled lots of complex children law proceedings there is no reason why they should be preparing a court bundle when it is cheaper for you if one of our junior solicitors or paralegals assists with this type of task. At Evolve Family Law we are acutely conscious that unit-of-time billing works to the advantage of slow solicitors who take their leisure over completing legal paperwork. We don’t operate like that. Whilst we deliver an excellent standard of legal help we don’t ponder whilst the clock ticks away. We are efficient because we know that our clients have a right to expect that when they are paying by the minute. Our efficiency and level of client service are rewarded not just in prompt payment but by clients recommending us to their friends and family. For expert help with divorce and family law call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.

North West law firm Evolve Family Law has become an employee-owned business, in a deal supported by Brabners. The family law specialist, which was established in 2015 by Robin Charrot and Louise Halford, is now 100% owned by a newly established employee ownership trust (EOT) which will look after the interests of the firm’s 13-strong team. The deal will preserve the future independence of the £1m+ turnover business, which has offices in Holmes Chapel and Whitefield, with both founding directors continuing to play an active and long-term role in the firm as it pursues further growth under employee ownership. The transition to employee ownership was supported by the corporate team at leading independent law firm Brabners – led by employee ownership specialist Stephen Hadlow. Evolve acts for a wide range of UK and international clients, including high net worths, on family matters such as finances on divorce, cohabitee disputes, nuptial agreements, child arrangements (including relocation and abduction), wills, estate planning and probate. Employee ownership is one of the fastest growing business succession solutions in the UK, following the introduction of EOTs by the government in 2014. One in every 20 private company sales is now to an EOT, with Evolve Family Law joining a network of EOTs in the UK that includes Richer Sounds and Go Ape.   Robin Charrot, founding director at Evolve Family Law, said: “Over the past seven years, we’ve grown the firm sustainably while bringing new people into the fold to share in our success. Our priority has always been looking after our clients and co-workers rather than maximising profit, and that sentiment has been at the core of our decision to become an employee-owned business, which will provide a platform for everyone to contribute and benefit as Evolve grows in the future.   “Louise and I could have sold the firm to an outside party, but we decided that this would not provide the best outcome for our clients or our staff. We have no plans to step away from the business, so we’re looking forward to helping Evolve prosper under employee ownership while we continue to support clients with transparent, trusted advice for years to come.”   Stephen Hadlow, partner and employee ownership specialist at Brabners, said: “Employee ownership has become an increasingly attractive and popular option for business owners, particularly so since the pandemic. At a time when markets continue to consolidate, it offers a route for businesses to preserve their independence and culture, as well as create a long-term, sustainable pathway for succession. With businesses putting a greater focus on their employees, wellbeing and CSR, we’re expecting more and more firms to move to employee ownership models in the coming months.” James de le Vingne, chief executive of the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), said: “We congratulate our member Evolve Family Law on its transition to employee ownership; securing the ethos, values and culture of the business, as well as rooting jobs in the North West. Businesses that give employees a stake and a say in the business build trust and shared responsibility, uniting leaders and employees behind a common purpose, and leaving businesses in a better position to flex and adapt.” Read the EOA press release here: Family law specialist transitions to EO to ‘provide a platform for everyone to contribute and benefit’ as the business grows | Employee Ownership Association

We all fear some appointments, whether it is an appointment with a doctor or dentist, or meeting your family lawyer for the first time. In this blog, family law solicitor, Louise Halford, looks at how to get the most out of your first meeting with your family lawyer. For expert Divorce, Children and Financial Settlement advice call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form. In this article we look at: Choosing your family law solicitor Timing your appointment Company at your appointment Preparing for your appointment Talking to your family solicitor Choosing your family law solicitor Before your initial consultation with your family law solicitor, it is best to do some research on whether your family lawyer and the firm are the right fit for you. Just because a friend found a family solicitor wonderful in their divorce, it doesn’t mean they will necessarily be right for you, or that they are experts in the area of family law you need advice on. At Evolve Family Law, we believe in being proactive in helping you choose the right family solicitor for you. That’s why we publish information about the lawyers and our fee guide on our website. We will also speak to you to try and make sure there you are seeing the best solicitor for you at your initial consultation. That’s because family lawyers, just like consultants and surgeons, specialise in different areas of family law. If you need urgent advice about child abduction fears and child relocation orders you don’t want to see a solicitor who has a particular interest in international prenuptial agreements when the firm has expert children law and child abduction lawyers. Timing your appointment It is never too early to have an initial consultation. It can be helpful for you to learn about likely children or financial settlement options should you go ahead with a planned separation. That way you can make informed choices. Taking family law legal advice does not commit you to starting children law or financial court proceedings but it does help you work out the best options for you, through having the information you need to make informed decisions. [related_posts] Company at your appointment If you want to bring a friend or a family member to your appointment that should be fine with your family solicitor. Bringing someone with you can be really helpful as they can make sure that you are asking the questions you want answers to. They can also discuss the advice you received with you after the meeting. All family solicitors ask of you is; to choose the person who comes with you with care. That is because you may be discussing personal issues at your appointment. Your solicitor will not want you to feel inhibited and unable to be totally open about the reasons why you need help and legal advice. Also, a family friend or relative needs to be there as a support, rather than to take over the appointment to discuss their own family law problems or their own views on your relationship or family law issue. If they do that, it is frustrating for both you and your family lawyer solicitor as we both need to focus on you. Therefore, if you want company at your appointment, think about who will provide the best support to help you to get the most out of your consultation. Preparing for your appointment Whilst you are welcome to just turn up to your phone, zoom or office appointment, it can help some people to prepare for the appointment. We don’t mean anything ‘too heavy’ by this. Just have a think about why you need advice and the background. For example, your family solicitor may want to know the date of your marriage or date of separation or when your children were born or the approximate date of when an incident occurred . It is surprising how easy it is to forget dates or to only remember the questions you wanted to ask your solicitor after your consultation. Lawyers like questions, so do bring a list of questions with you. Whilst a family lawyer may not be able to fully answer all your questions at a first meeting, they will be able to tell you what information they need to gather to fully answer your queries. Talking to your family solicitor An initial consultation with a family solicitor is a ‘two-way street’; your family lawyer needs to know a bit about you and about your family law query as well as your goals. Armed with that information a family solicitor can help you get the best out of an initial consultation. Consultations work best when you have the confidence to ask your questions. You therefore should not worry about whether your questions are too basic or whether your solicitor will think you should know the answers. Likewise, your lawyer may need to ask you some questions that you don’t think are very relevant to your family solicitor answering your questions. However, there are some questions that will help your lawyer understand the circumstances so your legal advisor can then work out how best to answer your questions as accurately and as thoroughly as possible. For expert Divorce and Financial Settlement advice call our team of specialist divorce lawyers or complete our online enquiry form.

When I am leaving the office after a busy day as a Manchester family lawyer I sometimes ponder where the day went as it doesn’t seem five minutes since I was opening the office up as part of my morning routine. That’s when my thoughts turned to answering a popular internet search question ‘what do family lawyers do?’ What is family law? To understand what a family lawyer does you need to know what family law entails. Most people assume that being a Manchester family lawyer is all about drafting divorce proceedings but that certainly isn’t the case as that is only one very small aspect of working life in family law.   Family law is something that you will probably come across in your life. That’s not a negative as many aspects of family law are a positive experience for families, such as: Buying your first house and asking a family lawyer to prepare a cohabitation agreement Getting engaged to marry and signing a prenuptial agreement so both you and your fiancé have peace of mind Having your first child through adoption or surrogacy and asking the family lawyer to secure an adoption order or parental order for your family.   Even something that can be a very negative and a traumatic life experience can end up with a positive outcome with the help of a family solicitor. For example: Separating from a partner and with the help of a family solicitor either agreeing a parenting plan for your child or securing a child arrangements order so that you and your child can enjoy an ongoing relationship with one another Getting the help you need to leave an abusive relationship with a controlling or violent partner through obtaining a non-molestation or occupation injunction order thus enabling you to make a fresh start and put a bad relationship behind you Going through the heartache of your child being taken abroad by the child’s other parent and through use of child abduction and children law proceedings securing the return of your child to the UK Separating from a husband or wife and not knowing where you stand financially and how you will achieve financial independence. Through financial disclosure gaining a better understanding of the family finances and securing a financial court order so that you can move into a new family home Meeting a new partner after a separation or divorce and asking your family lawyer to prepare a cohabitation agreement or a prenuptial agreement so that you can enter your new relationship confident that you have the right paperwork in place to protect you and your family.   These are just some of the things that family lawyers do. Family lawyers do tend to get a bad press on the basis that it is thought that they encourage warring parents and divorcing couples to go to court but that isn’t the case. There are many alternatives to making an application to court, such as: Solicitor negotiations with any financial agreement being converted into a separation agreement or an agreed financial consent order (without the need for anyone to go to court) Family mediation support so that if you are able to reach an agreement in family mediation your Memorandum of Understanding is converted into an agreed financial consent order with no need to physically go to a court hearing to secure the court order Family arbitration – this can be quicker and more flexible than traditional court proceedings. [related_posts] However, there will also be some family situations where urgent court applications are necessary. For example: If you are in an abusive relationship and you need the protection of an injunction order You are worried that your child is at risk of child abduction or will be taken abroad to live without your agreement You are concerned that your husband or wife is not giving financial disclosure of the family assets or is selling or transferring assets and that if you do nothing you won't receive a fair financial settlement. In that scenario a financial court application needs to be made to protect yours and your children’s best interests.   One thing that is certainly true is that no one day is ever the same in the life of a family lawyer; Monday could involve negotiating and drafting an international prenuptial agreement whilst Tuesday might be spent in court securing an injunction, financial or children law order. As for Wednesday, who knows? ​ Our Manchester and Cheshire Family Lawyers To speak to Robin Charrot at Evolve Family Law about any aspect of family law,  from separation and divorce proceedings, reaching a financial settlement or resolving child custody and contact  call Evolve Family Law or complete our online enquiry form. Our offices are located in Whitefield, North Manchester and Holmes Chapel, Cheshire but remote meetings by appointment by video call or telephone are also offered.

Evolve Family Law is delighted to announce that it is expanding its Holmes Chapel, Cheshire office and Whitefield, North Manchester offices with the recruitment of experienced family and private client paralegal, Amber Morgan, in Holmes Chapel and specialist family law solicitor, Bethany Davies, in Whitefield. The continued growth in both offices is down to the rise in family law and private client enquiries in both Cheshire and Whitefield. At Evolve Family Law our ambition is to be seen as the ‘go to’ specialist family and private client law firm and with this continued growth we are proud to be establishing our reputation as one of Cheshire and North Manchester’s best and most trusted law firms.. Family and private client solicitors Evolve Family Law specialises in divorce proceedings, reaching financial settlements after a separation, resolving child custody and contact as well as private client matters. For help with your family and private client law needs call Evolve Family Law or complete our online enquiry form.   We are open and following the current government guidelines regarding appointments. When government guidance states that we can open our Covid-secure offices in Holmes Chapel and Whitefield these will be available for pre-booked appointments for those who wish to visit us. We will also offer remote appointments via phone and video call for those who prefer this option. When government guidance recommends work from home we will be doing so and will continue to offer remote appointments to our current and prospective clients. About solicitor Bethany Davies Bethany Davies combines an impressive legal pedigree with local connections to North Manchester. Partner, Robin Charrot, believes that is a winning combination for Bethany’s success at Evolve’s Whitefield office.   Bethany qualified as a solicitor in 2018 and since qualification she has specialised in family law with a renowned national law firm, working from its Manchester city centre offices. Her experience means she’s confident in resolving emotionally charged children law disputes and applying herself to the legal intricacies involved in complex financial court proceedings.   Bethany Davies has a particular interest in financial claims after a separation or divorce. Her experience includes: Representing high profile individuals in TOLATA and schedule 1 financial claims involving unmarried families with children and complicated litigation Divorce and financial proceedings involving pre-marriage acquired assets and inherited wealth Complex financial court proceedings centring upon divorce and business assets and company valuations Preparation of separation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements Children law and child arrangements order applications including cases where parental alienation was alleged requiring detailed investigation and assessment by the court.   About paralegal Amber Morgan Amber Morgan combines substantial legal experience with local connections to Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.  Partner, Louise Halford, says that Evolve Family Law are fortunate to welcome Amber to its Holmes Chapel office with Amber’s seven years’ experience of working in the legal sector and her wealth of practical and legal experience.   Amber Morgan’s experience in family and private client includes: Divorce proceedings Organising financial consent orders as part of divorce proceedings Securing court orders for unmarried families Representation in injunction and children law applications Will instructions and preparation Lasting Powers of Attorney Assisting with probate and the administration of estates including the issue of the grant of probate, inheritance tax forms, estate accounts and distribution of monies to beneficiaries.   Robin Charrot says: ‘I am delighted to welcome Bethany Davies and Amber Morgan to the team at Evolve Family Law. They are both great additions to our Whitefield, North Manchester and Holmes Chapel, Cheshire offices with their local connections, legal expertise and ‘can do attitude’ with an empathetic approach to their work. These are important attributes at Evolve Family Law as our ethos is all about offering our clients an excellent legal service at transparent cost pricing during what can be a difficult period in clients’ lives. The addition of Bethany and Amber means that Evolve can continue its ambitious plans for 2021 and offer expert and approachable family and private client legal advice from our North West offices’. ​ How can Evolve Family Law help? For help with your family and private client law needs call Evolve Family Law or complete our online enquiry form. We are open and following the current government guidelines regarding appointments. When government guidance states that we can open our Covid-secure offices in Holmes Chapel and Whitefield these will be available for pre-booked appointments for those who wish to visit us. We will also offer remote appointments via phone and video call for those who prefer this option. When government guidance recommends work from home we will be doing so and will continue to offer remote appointments to our current and prospective clients. [related_posts]