Splitting Up was first created by experienced divorce and family law solicitor, Joanne Major, who recognises that many people facing divorce and relationship breakdown for the first time in their lives often don’t know where to start to get information, expert advice and the right support they need.

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Info & Advice.

We guide you through the basics of family law by answering some popular questions regarding divorce, financial issues and children disputes.

Child & Parental Disputes

Relationship breakdowns and separation can have a significant impact on the children of the family. Not only are they likely to be…

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Divorce, Separation & Splitting Up

Divorce is the process that legally ends a marriage. Dividing your assets is a separate process, although this usually runs alongside the…

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Financial Orders, Pensions & Maintenance

One of the main concerns for people facing divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership is often how they will cope financially…

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Experts.

We have shortlisted the region’s specialist, experienced, trusted Family Law Solicitors who will offer you an initial FREE consultation together with sharing some other expert services, such as Mediators, Counselling support or investigative assistance.

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Rona Samuel – Major Family Law

Rona’s expertise lies in advising on matrimonial finances and has helped numerous clients achieve the positive resolution of divorces and separations dealing… Read More

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Sam Carter – Major Family Law

Sam is a confident, experienced and affable family law solicitor. Sam has demonstrated consistent case success-es, both in court proceedings and through… Read More

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Calvin Walker – Major Family Law

Calvin graduated with a first class Master in Law degree in 2015, and has been undertaking a range of family law work… Read More

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Stacy Williams – Major Family Law

Stacy graduated from Newcastle University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She then went on to complete the Graduate Diploma in… Read More

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Anna Hunter – Major Family Law

Anna is a well-respected and experienced solicitor advising on all aspects of law relating to divorce, children and financial issues arising out… Read More

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Lucinda Connell – Major Family Law

Lucinda advises on all aspects of family law including divorce, separation and preparing pre and post nuptial agreements. Lucinda is listed in… Read More

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Joanne Major – Major Family Law

Joanne is a well-regarded family lawyer whose knowledge of the law coupled with her business acumen and emotional intelligence make her a… Read More

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Jonathan Dunkley – Major Family Law

Jonathan is particularly renowned for his skill in handling matters relating to clients of a high net worth, including media personalities, professional… Read More

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Stephanie Layton – Major Family Law

Stephanie has a breadth of experience in advising clients in relation to all matters of family law and is often well praised… Read More

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Sahil Aggarwal – Major Family Law

Sahil is an experienced and approachable family solicitor originally from Newcastle. He works on all family matters involving divorce, financial relief, nuptial… Read More

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Lewis Hulatt – Major Family Law

Lewis practises in all areas of family law but has particular experience in matrimonial finance, including property, pension and family business issues.… Read More

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Megan Wood – Major Family Law

Megan has worked within the legal sector for a number of years, mainly in busy litigation firms. She also spent some time… Read More

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Helen Charlton – Major Family Law

From as little as £250 (plus VAT and court fee), Major Family Law can provide a fixed-fee divorce service to make budgeting… Read More

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Sally Clark – Barnes Clark Family Law

Barnes Clark Family Law are experienced solicitors and accredited mediators. They have offices in Liversedge, a few minutes away from the M62… Read More

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Family Mediation North East

All of Family Mediation North East’s practising mediators hold the FMCA qualification which evidences that they are qualified to the highest standard.… Read More

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Louisa Whitney – LKW Family Mediation

LKW Family Mediation was started by Louisa Whitney in 2013. After working as a family lawyer for 11 years, Louisa shifted her… Read More

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Relationships North East

Relationships North East offer counselling in a confidential, nonjudgmental, safe and friendly environment. They work according to the Ethical Framework of the… Read More

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Relate

Relate are the UK’s largest provider of relationship support, and last year they helped over two million people of all ages, backgrounds,… Read More

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Residence

Residence refers to where a child or children will live on a day-to-day basis following divorce or separation. It was formerly known as custody.

Contact

Following divorce or separation, children will live with one parent on a day-to-day basis. The term ‘contact’ refers to the time the other parent spends with the child.

FHDRA

An FHDRA (first hearing and dispute resolution appointment) is the very first hearing in a family court case. They are held to identify the key issues in dispute and to encourage negotiation between the parties.

Applicant

The applicant is the person who applies for a divorce.

Fair

In family law the term ‘fair’ can refer to full consideration or acknowledgement of the contributions made by each party to a marriage.

CAFCASS

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service or Cafcass is a public body which intervenes in family court cases involving children in order to ensure their welfare is protected.

Counsel

A person’s counsel is their legal representative: i.e. their solicitor or barrister.

Respondent

The respondent is the spouse of the applicant – the person who initially files a divorce petition.

Divorce

Divorce is the legal procedure required to end a marriage and fairly divide assets and property.

Arbitration

Arbitration is the appointment of an experienced expert to decide a point – often a retired judge, barrister or senior solicitor. The outcome of arbitration is treated as a binding court order and called an ‘award’.

Questionnaire

In family law, questionnaires are requests for further information about certain assets which are issued in pursuit of a financial settlement.

Adultery

Adultery means forming a sexual relationship with a third party while married. Legally this concept only applies to opposite sex marriages.

CEV

The cash equivalent value or CEV refers to the financial value of an asset to be divided in divorce.

Desertion

Desertion refers to a person leaving their legal spouse and living elsewhere without making an attempt to divorce them or to formally separate.

Undertaking

An undertaking is a legally binding promise to do a certain thing or follow a particular course of action.

Custody

The term custody refers to which a parent a child will live with on a day-to-day basis following divorce or separation. Although still in common parlance, the term is no longer used in official family law proceedings or documents. It has instead been replaced by the more neutral term ‘residence’.

FDA

The first directions appointment or FDA is the first hearing that takes place in a family court when a couple are unable to agree on the financial aspects of a divorce and therefore wish a court to impose a settlement. At an FDA, specific subsequent steps will be set out, with an associated timeframe.

Talaq

Talaq is a traditional form of divorce still used in some Muslim communities. It can only be initiated by the husband.

Adjournment

An adjournment is the postponement of a court hearing until a later date.

Proceedings

The term proceedings refers to the different stages of a legal case or process.

Offer

In family law, an offer is a proposed financial settlement which the other party can accept or reject.

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction is the legal authority of the courts and judges in a particular country, under the laws in place there.

FDR

The financial dispute resolution hearing or FDR is the second hearing to take place in family court when a divorcing couple have failed to reach agreement. Its purpose is to encourage negotiation on financial matters.

Maintenance

Maintenance is the payment of money on an ongoing basis following a divorce or separation. This may be child maintenance, to support the upkeep of children, or spousal maintenance. The latter is paid following divorce when there is good reason to believe the recipient will have difficulty supporting themselves.

Nullity

When applied to marriage, the legal concept of nullity means that no legally valid marriage took place, even if a ceremony was conducted.

Mediation

Mediation is a process in which an independent, professionally trained mediator helps a divorcing couple to work out the arrangements for children and finances following separation. A mediator can facilitate settlement discussions, but cannot give legal advice because they are not qualified lawyers.

Disclosure

Disclosure means revealing all relevant documents and details during a legal process like divorce. In most cases full disclosure is a legal requirement.

Service

Service refers to the formal delivery of documents launching legal proceedings to a person who will be involved in or affected by those proceedings.

Barrister

A barrister is a lawyer who specialises in representing cases in court. They are normally hired by solicitors rather than directly by clients.

Glossary.

What are the common legal terms, phrases, words and other legal jargon that I need to understand during my split? Here we have a divorce and family law glossary to allow you to understand what can be a complicated area of the law.

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