Family Law
If you are facing divorce, a dispute over your children, or a matter involving financial claims or domestic abuse, our family law team can help.
Whether you are at the beginning of a separation, dealing with an urgent application to protect yourself or your children, or working through the financial consequences of a relationship breakdown, you need a Family Law Solicitor who will be direct with you, fight for your position, and stay with you through a process that can be long and difficult. You can trust that we will provide you with the advice and representation you need in a caring, practical manner.
Founded in 2015, Law Lane Solicitors operates from offices in Stratford, High Holborn, and Croydon. Our family law department advises clients with assets between £500,000 and £5 million, where the stakes in financial remedy proceedings are high, and the importance of specialist advice is at its greatest. Director Salman Shah personally supervises all complex family matters, bringing more than 15 years of legal experience to every case. We also hold a Family Law accreditation from the Law Society.
We are one of the very few law firms in England and Wales with solicitors, solicitor-advocates, and barristers all under one roof. That means your matter can be taken from first advice through to a final court hearing without the disruption of referral to external counsel.
With a Trustpilot rating of 4.95 from over 1,200 client reviews, our reputation for honest, determined, client-centred representation is well established.
“I had an excellent experience with Law Lane Solicitors. The team was knowledgeable, responsive, and guided me through every step with clear communication and professionalism. They delivered strong results and made a complex process far less stressful. Highly recommended for anyone needing reliable legal support.” – Mr A – Trustpilot review
Our Family Law Services
We advise and act on the full range of family law matters, including:
- Divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships under the no-fault divorce procedure introduced in April 2022
- Financial remedy proceedings on divorce, including applications to the court for financial orders covering property, pensions, savings, and income
- Separation agreements and consent orders, recording agreed financial settlements and giving them legal force
- Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, where both parties receive independent legal advice, and the agreement is documented properly
- Child arrangements orders, determining where a child lives and the time they spend with each parent
- Prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders, where decisions about a child’s upbringing are disputed
- Child relocation disputes, including applications to take a child to live abroad or to another part of England and Wales
- Parental responsibility agreements and applications, particularly where parents were not married at the time of birth
- Non-molestation orders and occupation orders for the protection of victims of domestic abuse
- Applications which allow financial claims to be made on behalf of a child where the parents are unmarried
- Cohabitation disputes, including claims over shared property by unmarried couples
- Emergency applications and without-notice applications where there is an immediate risk of harm or asset dissipation
Why Choose Law Lane for Family Law?
Director Salman Shah leads our family team and has represented clients in some of the most demanding and emotionally charged family law cases. His experience covers the full spectrum of family disputes: from high-net-worth financial remedy cases to urgent child protection applications heard at short notice. He personally supervises every complex matter, so clients deal with someone who knows their case in detail rather than a succession of different faces.
Our in-house structure gives clients a genuine advantage in contested proceedings. When a case moves towards a final hearing, we do not pass your file to chambers and hope for the best. Our solicitor-advocates and barristers can represent you in court directly, maintaining continuity of advice and advocacy from the first letter to the last hearing. That matters in family law, where the factual detail of a client’s situation and the trust between lawyer and client are everything.
We understand that family law clients are often managing the legal process alongside the emotional impact of their situation. Our team treats every client with care, but we do not mistake compassion for passivity. When your interests need to be asserted firmly, we assert them. When negotiation is in your interests, we negotiate strategically. Our Trustpilot rating reflects what clients consistently tell us: they felt supported, they were told the truth, and we fought for them.
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Law Lane Solicitors is proud to be accredited under The Law Society’s Family Law Accreditation.
Free Family Law Surgery – Every Monday
Are you facing challenges with a family law matter and unsure of your rights or next steps? At Law Lane Solicitors we understand how sensitive and complex these issues can be, and we’re here to support you.
With extensive experience across a wide range of family law cases, we will be offering a free legal surgery every Monday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
To book an appointment, please call 020 7870 4870.
Frequently Asked Questions – Family Law
How do I get divorced in England and Wales?
Since 6th April 2022, divorce in England and Wales has been available on a no-fault basis, meaning that neither spouse needs to establish that the other has behaved badly or that they have been separated for a set period. One or both parties can make a sole or joint application to the court, stating that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. There is a minimum 20-week period between the application and the Conditional Order, and a further six weeks before the Final Order can be applied for. The whole process takes at least 26 weeks.
How do we divide our property and finances in a divorce?
The court has broad powers to order financial provision between divorcing spouses. Those powers cover the division of property, payment of lump sums, pension sharing, spousal maintenance, and other financial arrangements. The court starts from a principle of fairness, having regard to all the circumstances of the marriage, including each party’s contributions, financial needs, earning capacity, and the length of the marriage. There is no fixed formula, which is why specialist legal advice makes a genuine difference to outcomes.
Are pre-nuptial agreements legally binding?
Courts in England and Wales will give significant weight to a pre-nuptial agreement where both parties entered into it freely and with independent legal advice, where there was full disclosure of finances, and where the agreement was signed well in advance of the wedding. The court retains discretion to depart from the agreement if doing so would leave one party in a position of need, but a properly prepared agreement is far more likely to be respected than ignored.
How do we decide who our children live with?
Where parents cannot agree on where a child should live or the time they spend with each parent, either party can apply to the court for a child arrangements order. The court’s sole consideration is the welfare of the child, assessed against a checklist of factors that includes the child’s wishes and feelings, their physical and emotional needs, and each parent’s ability to meet those needs. Mediation is encouraged before any court application, and in most cases, a Mediator’s signed certificate is required before an application can be issued.
What is a non-molestation order and when can I apply for one?
A non-molestation order is a court order that prohibits a person from harassing, threatening, or intimidating you or your children. It is available to anyone in a qualifying relationship with the respondent, which covers current and former partners, family members, and those who share a child. The order can be obtained urgently without notifying the other person first, and breaching it is a criminal offence.
What is an occupation order?
An occupation order is a court order that regulates who has the right to occupy the family home. The court can require one person to leave the property, be excluded from an area around it, or be permitted to enter and remain. These orders are most commonly sought in situations involving domestic abuse, and the court considers the housing needs and resources of both parties as well as the risk of harm to the applicant and any children.
Can my former partner take my child abroad without my permission?
Removing a child from England and Wales without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility, or without the permission of the court, may be a criminal offence. If you believe your child is at risk of being taken abroad without your agreement, you can apply to the court urgently for a prohibited steps order to prevent the removal. If a child has already been taken, there are legal mechanisms, including international treaty arrangements such as The Hague Convention, through which we can pursue their return.
Do I have any financial claims if I was never married to my partner?
Unmarried partners do not have the same financial claims on separation as divorcing spouses. However, claims over property can be made through trust law where you have a beneficial interest. One party can also make an application on behalf of their child under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 for financial provision. We advise cohabiting couples on their position and on agreements that can document their respective interests before a dispute arises.
How much does family law advice cost?
Costs vary depending on whether matters are resolved by agreement, through mediation, or by contested proceedings. We offer an initial consultation at a fixed fee, during which we will assess your situation, give you a realistic picture of the likely process and timescale, and provide a costs estimate for the next steps.
Family Law Team
Ghulam Mustafa
BarristerView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Sarah Akram
Supervising SolicitorView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Manpreet Kaur
ParalegalView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Shahid Hussain
Legal ConsultantView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Accreditations & Memberships
