Your problems, our hands, expertise with care…
The family team at SGH Martineau LLP is enthusiastic and dynamic. The team has a reputation for providing a high level of service together with a sympathetic and personable approach and aims to provide sensible and straightforward advice.
The breakdown of a marriage or relationship can be a very distressing time. Our team of experienced and professional family lawyers are here to offer you legal expertise and practical advice to help you through the process and ensure financial security for you and your family.
We want to guide you through the maze of divorce, finances and children matters with ease and dignity. This can be a very sensitive time and we will respect your wishes, listen to your needs and discuss your case in a straight forward manner.
Our service is bespoke, so whatever your position, whether it is within the home, in business or you are a professional, we will ensure that you have the financial security that you need and wewill work with you to protect and preserve your wealth.
Whilst we will do everything we can to promote a settlement that is commercial and provide what you and your family need, if matters need to be litigated they will be done so with the utmost strength and confidence.
Our comprehensive expertise includes
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Divorce and Separation, including advice on nullity proceedings, judicial separation proceedings, separation agreements and comprehensive advice on the divorce process. We are also able to advise on forced marriage situations.
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Financial Settlement within Divorce proceedings, with a particular emphasis on high net worth individuals and complex financial settlements involving business assets, complicated shareholdings, pensions and property assets. The family team also has expertise in dealing with trust, rural and agricultural assets.
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Children Matters, including residence/contact disputes, applications for specific issue orders or prohibited steps orders. We are also able to advise on child maintenance arrangements, applications for financial provision for a child and any child protection or child abduction concerns.
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Cohabitation Agreements, advising on ownership of property, trust arrangements, preparation of cohabitation agreements for unmarried couples.
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Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, are a particular specialism of the SGH Martineau family team and we lead the way in this dynamic area of law. We are up-to-date with the most recent changes in case law and are able to advise on pre-nuptial agreements to protect your wealth particularly where there are complex business, property or trust assets.
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Jurisdiction Disputes, we have the skills, ability and technology to provide services to expatriates who are living abroad either on a permanent or a temporary basis. We frequently act on cases concerning cross-border disputes whether in relation to children, divorce or financial matters and have recent experience of dealing with assets based in foreign jurisdictions.
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Cohabitation Disputes, dealing with property disputes and all issues affecting unmarried couples on separation.
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Civil Partnerships, which may include pre-civil partnership agreements, property advice and assistance with civil partnership dissolution.
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Domestic violence, including occupation orders, non-molestation orders and applications for protection from harassment. We can advise on emergency applications and take immediate steps to protect you or your family in urgent situations.
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Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act Claims, acting for beneficiaries or executors in claims for reasonable provision from a deceased’s estate.
We offer specialised family advice and are also able to call upon the services of other specialist Lawyers in SGH Martineau who have expertise in tax planning, probate and trust administration, wills, pensions and property and are able to offer a comprehensive approach to address the needs of individual clients.
We are unique at SGH Martineau
We offer a Saturday appointment service as we understand that “time is money” for business professionals especially in the current climate. Appointments are available on a Saturday at our Birmingham office from 9.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m available throughout 2013 are: 13 July, 10 August, 7 September, 12 October, 9 November, 14 December. Click here to arrange a Saturday appointment.
We are located in the centre of Birmingham in close proximity to Birmingham Magistrates Court and Birmingham County Court. Our facilities are second to none and we are able to offer city centre parking for appointments.
We principally conduct our own advocacy but are able to advise when a Barrister would be required, particularly if it would be a more cost effective option.
Our Team
- Has been ranked highly in the Legal 500 and Mary Kaye is “knowledgeable and authoritative” and has been identified as a “tower of strength” for clients. Zahra Pabani recognised for her work on high-net-worth ancillary relief cases and Chambers and Partners states that Zahra “thunders through her cases, asking the right questions and giving excellent advice””
- Provides a comprehensive and professional service with strength and depth to ensure that clients receive an efficient service with expertise at every level
- Has members of Resolution, Birmingham Law Society and the Children Panel. Mary Kaye is the former President of Birmingham Law Society, Zahra Pabani is a committee member of Resolution, Claire Darley is the current Chair of the Birmingham Law Society Family Law Committee and Rhian Gray is the chair of Y-Resolution.
What our clients say about us
“you and your team have done a superb job of advising me, calming me and giving outstanding customer care (with a smile)”
“I will have no hesitation in recommending you to clients and friends in the future”
“Nothing to improve upon, Mary and her team are fabulous and offered a level of support far in excess of anything I expected”
“I could not have got through it without them”
“Excellent service”