How much does a divorce cost?

It depends almost entirely on whether you and your former partner can agree the finances, not on the divorce itself. The divorce application is largely administrative and carries a court fee. The cost sits in the financial settlement and any dispute about children. We agree the basis of our charges with you in writing before starting, and tell you when something is likely to change them. We would rather have an awkward conversation about money early than an awkward invoice later.

We were never married. Do I have any rights to the house?

Possibly, but far fewer than most people expect, and there is no such thing as a common law marriage no matter how long you lived together. If you are not on the deeds, your claim depends on what was agreed, what you contributed, and what you were led to believe. These cases turn on evidence, so anything in writing helps. If there are children, there may also be claims available on their behalf. Get advice before you move out, not after.

Can I get an appointment outside working hours?

Tell us what you need when you call. A lot of family law clients are working full time and would rather not explain to an employer why they need a morning off. We will do what we reasonably can to find something that works around your day.

Do I have to go to mediation before court?

In most cases involving children or finances you have to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, a MIAM, before you can apply to court. There are exceptions, including where there has been domestic abuse or where the matter is urgent. Mediation itself is not compulsory, only the meeting about it. We will tell you whether an exemption applies to you, and we can refer you to an accredited mediator where mediation looks like it would work.

Family law solicitors in Cannock

You do not have to have decided anything yet

Most people who call us are not ready to start anything. They want to know where they stand, what it might cost, and whether the thing they are worried about is as bad as it feels at two in the morning. That is a perfectly good reason to book an appointment.

You will not be asked to commit to a course of action in the first meeting. You will not be pushed towards court. What you will get is a straight account of your position, the options in front of you, and what each one is likely to involve in time and in money.

Our Cannock family team advises on divorce and separation, arrangements for children, financial settlements, cohabitation disputes, and agreements made before or during a marriage. We act for people across Cannock, Hednesford, Norton Canes, Heath Hayes, Great Wyrley, Rugeley and the villages around Cannock Chase.

If it turns out you do not need a solicitor yet, we will tell you that too.

Make an enquiry

How we help

We'll help you work through the key decisions, protect your position, and keep things moving.

< class="heading text- text-"> Arrangements for children

The single most common reason people in Cannock come to us. Where the children live, how much time they spend with each parent, holidays, schooling, and what happens when one of you wants to move. Most of these are settled without a judge ever seeing them, and that is very much the aim. Where agreement is genuinely not possible, or where there are welfare concerns, the court can make an order to resolve it.

< class="heading text- text-"> Divorce and separation

Since the no-fault rules came in, nobody has to blame anybody. The application itself is now handled online through the national court service and is largely administrative. The part that actually needs a solicitor is everything running alongside it: the finances and the children. Getting divorced does not settle either of those, and a surprising number of people find that out too late.

< class="heading text- text-"> Financial settlements

Dividing what you have built up together. In Cannock that usually means the family home, any mortgage on it, pensions, and debts, rather than complex investments or business holdings. Pensions are the asset most often overlooked, and for a couple in their forties or fifties a pension can be worth more than the house. We will make sure it is valued properly rather than waved through.

< class="heading text- text-"> Cohabitation and separating without marrying

There is no such thing as a common law marriage, however long you have lived together. If your name is not on the deeds, you may have far less protection than you assume, and the law here is genuinely harsh. We advise on what you can claim, on agreements that set things out before there is a dispute, and on claims made on behalf of children.

< class="heading text- text-"> Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

Worth considering if one of you is bringing property, a business, an inheritance or children from an earlier relationship into the marriage. These agreements are not automatically binding in England and Wales, but a court will usually follow one that was entered into properly, with both sides advised and enough time before the wedding. The timing matters, so speak to us early.

What actually happens

Don't leave financial matters until after the Final Order

The divorce process and financial settlement are dealt with separately. Getting your Final Order does not close off financial claims — your ex-spouse can still make claims against you months or even years later unless those claims are formally resolved in a sealed Consent Order. We strongly recommend getting financial matters sorted before applying for the Final Order.

You get in touch

Call the Cannock office on 01543 466 660 or send the form on this page. Tell us roughly what has happened and whether anything is urgent, such as a court date or a child being kept from you. You do not need to have documents ready.

Your first appointment

At Commerce House on Ridings Park. Allow an hour. If you have any of these to hand they are useful, though none is essential: mortgage statements, pension statements, payslips, and any letters from the other side or a court. If you have none of it, come anyway.

We tell you where you stand

A plain account of your position, the realistic outcomes, and the ones that are not realistic. If somebody has told you something that is wrong, this is where we correct it. You leave knowing what happens next.

How costs work

We agree the basis of our charges with you upfront and in writing before any work starts, and we tell you when something is likely to change the cost. Clear pricing agreed upfront, so you will not get an invoice that surprises you.

Keeping in touch

You get a named person, not a case number. Email, phone, or an appointment if you would rather talk it through face to face. We will tell you when there is nothing to report, because silence in a family case is its own kind of stress.

Family law at our Cannock office

Our office is at Commerce House on Ridings Park, just off Eastern Way. It is not in the town centre, and that is deliberate. There is free parking on site.

That sounds like a small thing. It is not. A first family law appointment is usually something you attend alone, often straight from work, often after a bad few weeks. Not having to find a space, feed a meter, or watch the clock is one less thing. It is also why clients from Hednesford, Norton Canes, Heath Hayes, Great Wyrley and Rugeley tend to find us easier to reach than a town centre firm.

What family work here usually involves

Compared with our Sutton Coldfield clients, settlements here far more often come down to three things: the family home, the mortgage on it, and the pensions. Business interests and inherited property feature less. That does not make these cases simpler. It makes the pension more important, because when there are only two or three assets on the table, getting one of them wrong is not a detail.

Most family matters never see a courtroom at all. Divorce applications are handled centrally through the national online service, with no hearing unless something is disputed. We will tell you at your first appointment which category you are likely to be in, because it changes both the timescale and the cost.

Why people in Cannock choose us

Free parking, sensible appointments

Commerce House is off Eastern Way with parking on site. No town centre, no meter, no rushing.

Children work is our largest caseload here

Arrangements for children are the most common reason people in Cannock come to us. We settle the great majority without a judge.

Costs agreed upfront

We set out the basis of our charges in writing before work starts, and flag anything that changes them. Clear pricing agreed upfront.

A named person

You deal with a solicitor, not a call centre. You will know who is handling your matter and how to reach them.

Four offices, one team

Cannock, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield and Dudley. If another office is more convenient on a given day, that is easily arranged.

Straight answers early

If your expectations are out of line with what a court would do, we will tell you at the first appointment rather than a year in.

Common questions from Cannock clients

If you are not sure where to start, these cover what people ask us most often before they get in touch.

Will we have to go to court?

Probably not. A divorce application is handled centrally through the national online service and needs no hearing at all unless something is disputed. Arrangements for children and financial settlements are usually agreed between the parties through their solicitors, and only reach a judge where agreement genuinely is not possible or where there are welfare concerns. Most of our Cannock clients never see the inside of a courtroom. At your first appointment we will tell you honestly which category yours is likely to fall into.

Is there parking at your Cannock office?

Yes, free parking on site. Commerce House is on Ridings Park, just off Eastern Way, so you are not looking for a space in the town centre or watching a meter. We mention it because it comes up constantly. A first appointment about your family is stressful enough without the twenty minutes beforehand being stressful too. The office is straightforward to reach by car from Hednesford, Norton Canes, Heath Hayes, Great Wyrley and Rugeley.

How long is this going to take?

The divorce itself has a statutory minimum of about six months: twenty weeks before you can apply for the conditional order, then six weeks and a day before the final one. Everything else depends on agreement. Where a couple broadly agrees on the finances and the children, matters are often wrapped up inside that same six months. Where they do not, and particularly where a case ends up before a judge, a year or more is realistic. The single biggest factor in the timescale is not the law. It is whether both people are willing to negotiate.

Your Family Law Experts

Our Family Law team is here for people, not just cases. Approachable, compassionate, and focused on securing the best possible outcomes for you and your loved ones. Combining specialist expertise with clear, practical advice, they guide you through life's most challenging moments with sensitivity, integrity, and unwavering professionalism.

Joanne Vernon

LL.B. (Hons)

Associate Director, Head of Family Law

Sara Anderson

LL.B. (Hons)

Associate Director

Maisie Watts

LL.B. (Hons), LL.M.

Solicitor

Aisha Quereshi

LLB (Hons)

Solicitor

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