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Family law solicitors in Dudley

Our Dudley office is at Castle Court, covering Dudley, Brierley Hill, Kingswinford, Halesowen and Stourbridge.

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Call: 0121 550 0010

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divorce

Straight answers, and no pretending it is simpler than it is

Family law is full of things people are told confidently that turn out to be wrong. That living together for long enough gives you rights. That a father automatically gets half the time. That whoever leaves the house loses it. That once you are divorced, that is the money settled. Every one of those is wrong, and acting on any of them costs people real money and real time.

What we try to do first is get you to an accurate picture. Not a comforting one and not an alarming one, just an accurate one, because almost every decision you make from here depends on it being right.

We advise on arrangements for children, separation where you were never married, divorce, financial settlements, and protective orders where somebody is at risk. We act for people across Dudley, Netherton, Sedgley, Brierley Hill, Kingswinford, Halesowen, Stourbridge and the surrounding Black Country.

If something is urgent, say so when you call. Some of what we do needs to happen in days rather than weeks.

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What we deal with

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

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

Who the children live with, how often they see the other parent, holidays, schools, and what happens when one parent wants to move away or stops sticking to what was agreed. There is no automatic split and no default formula. The court asks what is in that child's interests, and it strongly prefers parents to reach an arrangement between themselves. Most do.

< class="heading text- text-"> Separating when you were never married

A larger part of our Dudley work than at our other offices, and the area where people are most often misinformed. There is no common law marriage. Living together for twenty five years and raising children together gives you no automatic claim on a house in your partner's sole name, and no maintenance for yourself. What you may have is a claim based on what was agreed, what you paid towards, or what you were promised. Take advice before you agree to anything or move out.

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

No fault, no blame and no defending it. The application is made online through the national service and takes around six months at minimum. It is largely paperwork. The thing to understand is that the divorce itself settles nothing financial. Without a separate court order, a former spouse can bring a financial claim against you years later, including against money you earn after the marriage ends.

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

Dividing the house, the mortgage, pensions, savings and debts. In most Dudley cases the house and the pensions are the whole picture, and the hard question is not how to divide things fairly in theory but whether there is enough to rehouse two people instead of one. That is a practical problem before it is a legal one, and we would rather work through it honestly with you.

< class="heading text- text-"> Protective orders

Where there is abuse or a real risk of harm, the court can make a non-molestation order or an occupation order, and can do it quickly, sometimes the same day and sometimes without the other person being told in advance. If you are frightened of someone, this is not a last resort and you do not need to wait until something worse happens.

Talk to a family solicitor in Dudley

Call 0121 550 0010 or use the form. A couple of sentences is enough to start. If there is a court date, a deadline, or you are worried about your safety, say so and we will treat it as urgent.

Unit 10, Castle Court 2, Castlegate Way, Dudley, DY1 4RH.

What to expect from us

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.

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Call or send the form

0121 550 0010, or the enquiry form on this page. Tell us briefly what has happened. If there is a hearing, a deadline, or a safety concern, put that first and it will be treated as urgent rather than joining a queue.

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Your first appointment

At Castle Court on Castlegate Way. Around an hour. You do not need documents to have a useful first meeting, though bring what you have.

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An honest assessment

Including where your expectations are unrealistic, if they are. Being told early that a particular outcome is not achievable is worth far more than being encouraged towards it for a year. If you have a strong case we will say that too.

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What things cost

The basis of our charges is agreed with you in writing before any work starts. Clear pricing agreed upfront. Where the cost of pursuing something is likely to outweigh what you would gain, we will say so rather than let you find out.

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Staying in touch

A named solicitor, contactable directly, who will keep you updated including when there is nothing to report. Family matters have long quiet stretches and not knowing is its own kind of stress.

Dudley, and the ground we cover

Our office is at Unit 10, Castle Court 2 on Castlegate Way, just off the ring road and close to the Castle and the Zoo, with the retail park either side. It is easy to reach by car from Netherton, Sedgley, Brierley Hill, Kingswinford, Halesowen and Stourbridge, and well served by buses into Dudley town.

Two things come up more often at this office than at our other three, and they are worth naming because both are areas where people are routinely given bad information.

Cohabitation, and whether the money stretches

A great many couples here have been together for decades, raised children, and paid towards a home that is in one name. They arrive believing that time alone has earned them a share. It has not. There is no common law marriage in England and Wales and there never has been. What may exist is a claim built on what was agreed, what was paid towards, or what was promised and acted on. Those claims turn on evidence rather than on fairness, and the worst thing you can do is move out and start the conversation afterwards.

The second is whether the money stretches. In a good number of Dudley settlements the equity in the house will not fund two homes. When that is the position we would rather say so at the first appointment than three months in. If you are frightened of someone, say so when you call. Protective orders are treated as urgent, not queued.

Why instruct us in Dudley

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Straight about cohabitation

There is no common law marriage. We tell you what you actually have, whatever you have been told.

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A named person

You deal with a solicitor, not a call centre, and you will know how to reach them.

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Urgent work moves first

Protective order applications are treated as urgent and are not put in a queue.

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Costs agreed in writing

Set out before work starts, with warning if anything changes them.

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Realistic, not optimistic

If a settlement will not stretch to rehousing both of you, we will say so early.

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Covering the Black Country

Dudley, Netherton, Sedgley, Brierley Hill, Kingswinford, Halesowen and Stourbridge.

Need to talk to someone today?

Book a free initial appointment with our family law team. If there is a safety concern, tell us when you call and we will treat it as urgent.

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Questions we are asked in Dudley

Weighted towards children, cohabitation and urgent work, because that is the shape of what comes through this office.

What happens if my ex will not stick to what we agreed?

It depends whether what you agreed was ever made into an order. An informal arrangement, even one written down and signed, is not directly enforceable. A court order is. Where there is an order about arrangements for children and one parent repeatedly ignores it, you can apply to enforce it, and the court has a range of powers from varying the arrangement to ordering unpaid work in serious cases. Where there is no order, the usual first step is to try to agree one. Come and talk it through before it escalates.

We lived together for twenty years. Am I entitled to half the house?

No, not automatically, and this is the single most damaging misunderstanding in family law. There is no such thing as a common law marriage in England and Wales, however long you lived together and whether or not you had children. If the house is in your partner's sole name, your claim depends on what was agreed between you, what you contributed financially, or what you were led to believe and acted on. Those claims can succeed but they need evidence. Get advice before you leave.

Does a father automatically get to see the children half the time?

No. There is no automatic split and no starting presumption of equal time. What the court applies is what is in that particular child's interests, taking into account their age, their routine, schooling, and how far apart the parents live. There is a strong presumption that a child benefits from a relationship with both parents unless there is a reason it would put them at risk. Most arrangements are agreed between parents without a court ever becoming involved.

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.

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