Practice area · Family law
Family cases.
Handled with care for what matters most.
Divorce, maintenance, contact with children, parental responsibility and division of property. We try to make sure the proceedings do not escalate the conflict more than necessary - especially where children are involved.
§01Types of case
How we help
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Divorce
With or without a finding of fault. We advise on what each option actually achieves - and what it costs in time.
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Maintenance
Setting, increasing and reducing maintenance, and cases seeking to end the obligation.
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Contact with a child
Setting and varying contact arrangements, and enforcement cases where the arrangements are not being honoured.
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Parental responsibility
Awarding, restricting and removing parental responsibility.
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Division of property
After a divorce or once the community of property ends - including cases involving contributions and a mortgage.
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Legal separation
Where divorce is not what the parties want or need.
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Establishing paternity
Cases establishing or denying paternity, and the claims that go with them.
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Protection from domestic abuse
Applications for an order to leave the home and for a non-molestation order.
Law as at: September 2026. This content is general information and does not constitute legal advice - assessing a particular case always requires reviewing the documents.
§02Types of case
What the proceedings cover
Family cases rarely come one at a time - a divorce usually decides straight away about the children and the home, while the division of property proceeds separately.
| Case | What the court decides | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | dissolution of the marriage, fault, parental responsibility, contact, maintenance, the home | seeking a finding of fault usually lengthens the case |
| Maintenance | the amount payable for a child or a spouse | can be varied if the parties' circumstances change |
| Contact | the times and form of contact with the child | a separate case follows if the arrangements are not honoured |
| Parental responsibility | the scope of decision-making about the child | a restriction does not mean losing contact |
| Division of property | the assets forming the joint estate and who receives them | usually after the divorce, in separate proceedings |
| Legal separation | ending the community of property without dissolving the marriage | available where both spouses agree |
Many issues can be settled by agreement - an approved settlement has the force of a court order, and the case ends more quickly and at lower cost.
§03Fault in divorce
Is a finding of fault worth it?
A divorce without a finding of fault tends to be quicker - the court does not then take evidence about why the marriage broke down. The case can be concluded at a single hearing.
A finding of fault does, however, have real consequences, above all for maintenance between the spouses. So the decision should not be driven by emotion alone - it is worth weighing what it gains against what it costs.
We always go through both options and say plainly what to expect: how long the case will take, what evidence it will require and how it will affect the relationships that will have to continue after the divorce anyway.
§04How we work
What you can expect
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A conversation without judgement
Family situations can be complicated - our role is to help, not to judge.
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Settlement where possible
An agreement usually produces a better result than a judgment after a long trial.
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Preparing for the hearing
You know what the court will ask and how the hearing will run.
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Documentation
We help gather the evidence that matters for maintenance and contact.
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Urgent matters
Interim orders for maintenance and contact while the case is running.
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After judgment
Enforcing contact, varying maintenance, dividing property.
§05How we work together
How a family case unfolds
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A conversation about your situation
We learn the facts and what you are hoping for - including what goes unsaid.
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Choosing the route
Settlement, mediation or litigation - and what each actually means.
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The petition or application
We prepare the document together with any applications for interim orders.
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Proceedings
We represent you at hearings and keep track of the deadlines.
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After it ends
We help with enforcing the order and with any follow-up cases.
§06Questions and answers
Questions about family cases
Cannot find your question here? Call us on +48 883 406 792 or write to us using the contact form.
A divorce without a finding of fault can be concluded at the first hearing. A case involving fault, or a dispute about the children, takes considerably longer because evidence has to be taken. The actual timescale also depends on how busy the particular court is.
Only if you are asking for a finding of fault. Where both spouses agree, the court may decide not to rule on fault at all, which usually shortens the case considerably.
The child's reasonable needs and the paying parent's earning capacity and assets - and what counts is their capacity, not only their actual income. It is worth preparing a breakdown of what bringing up the child really costs.
There are separate enforcement proceedings in which the court can first warn that a set sum will be payable for each breach, and then order it. This requires an enforceable order or settlement setting out the contact arrangements.
Usually not - the court can divide the property in the divorce judgment, but only where doing so would not cause undue delay. In practice the division of property proceeds as a separate case.
No. Many issues - maintenance, contact, division of property - can be settled by agreement or through mediation. An approved settlement has the force of a court order, and getting there is usually quicker and cheaper.
The first step
Let us talk about your situation
You do not need your documents in order, and you do not need to know the law. Just tell us what is happening - we will plan the way forward together.
§07Contact
Book a legal consultation
