Northern Family Law Support

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Northern Family Law Support We offer a free initial 30 min consultation. It was life changing for that person. At the time she was working as a sole practitioner.

Northern Family Law Support are here to help people going through family law proceedings who do not qualify for legal aid and cannot afford to pay the high fees for instructing solicitors. David established Northern Family Law Support when he was approached by a person in a desperate situation, suffering from domestic abuse, who was trapped due to being unable to obtain legal aid and unable to afford the astronomical rates charged by solicitors. Within 6 days he supported her in making an application to the family court, attended court and successfully secured court protection from further abuse. David soon realised there were many other people in the same situation who were in desperate need of support in family law proceedings who also didn’t qualify for legal aid and simply could not afford solicitors. David’s journey into family law began in 2011 when he met a divorce lawyer who would become his future wife. David worked with her to develop a firm that within 4 years became the UK’s second biggest specialist family law firm. Through this David worked with his wife on hundreds of family law cases, from the straightforward to the highly complex. This came in useful when David and his wife divorced several years later. David successfully represented himself in numerous proceedings against her to resolve complex disputes around finances and child arrangements. David moved back to his native North East and spent time establishing a property company, while at the same time training to become an FCA Regulated Debt Advisor before going on to found Northern Family Law Support. David is a Cambridge University graduate who before entering family law was Managing Director of companies such as Mr Kipling, Hovis, and Innocent Drinks. In summary, Northern Family Law Support was inspired by David’s understanding of family law, knowing how to represent himself as a litigant in person, seeing the immediate impact of his advice on transforming someone’s situation, and hearing tales of others in the North East being trapped and unable to move on with their lives due to being unable to obtain legal aid and unable to afford solicitors.

Is a 50/50 split automatic on divorce?No. There is no automatic rule that every financial remedy case ends with each par...
29/09/2026

Is a 50/50 split automatic on divorce?
No. There is no automatic rule that every financial remedy case ends with each party receiving exactly 50%.
The court considers all of the circumstances under section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. Housing needs, income, earning capacity, pensions, the children's circumstances, debts and the available assets can all matter.
Equality is an important cross-check in many cases, but needs can justify a different outcome.
The question is not simply, 'Who earned the money?' The court looks at the marriage and the parties' future needs as a whole.
Find out more: Northern Family Law Support - practical support for litigants in person across the North East.

Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

What happens at the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings?The First Appointment is mainly a case-management ...
29/09/2026

What happens at the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings?
The First Appointment is mainly a case-management hearing.
The judge will usually identify the issues that genuinely need to be resolved, decide which questionnaire questions must be answered, consider whether valuations or expert evidence are needed and give directions for the next stage of the case.
The objective is to define the issues and save costs.
The First Appointment is not normally the hearing where the judge decides who gets the house or how pensions should be divided. Good preparation is important because unnecessary issues can make the case much longer and more expensive.
Find out more: Northern Family Law Support - practical support for litigants in person across the North East.

Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Can the court find hidden assets?If there are genuine reasons to believe assets or income have not been disclosed, the c...
29/09/2026

Can the court find hidden assets?
If there are genuine reasons to believe assets or income have not been disclosed, the court has wide powers to investigate the financial position.
Bank statements, company records, tax information, property records, pension documents and other evidence may help identify inconsistencies. The court can also order specific disclosure where it is necessary and proportionate.
However, allegations of hidden assets should be evidence-based. Financial remedy proceedings are not an unlimited fishing exercise.
The strongest approach is usually to identify the inconsistency, explain why it matters and ask for the particular document or information needed to resolve it.
Find out more: Northern Family Law Support - practical support for litigants in person across the North East.

Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

What happens at the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings?The First Appointment is mainly a case-management ...
13/09/2026

What happens at the First Appointment in financial remedy proceedings?
The First Appointment is mainly a case-management hearing.
The judge will usually identify the issues that genuinely need to be resolved, decide which questionnaire questions must be answered, consider whether valuations or expert evidence are needed and give directions for the next stage of the case.
The objective is to define the issues and save costs.
The First Appointment is not normally the hearing where the judge decides who gets the house or how pensions should be divided. Good preparation is important because unnecessary issues can make the case much longer and more expensive.



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

What is Form E?Form E is the main financial disclosure document used in contested financial remedy proceedings.Both part...
13/09/2026

What is Form E?
Form E is the main financial disclosure document used in contested financial remedy proceedings.
Both parties normally provide detailed information about their property, mortgages, bank accounts, investments, pensions, debts, income, businesses and financial needs. Supporting documents are also required.
Form E is verified by a Statement of Truth, so accuracy matters. Leaving out an asset, account or source of income can cause serious problems later in the case.
A well-prepared Form E can also make the rest of the proceedings much easier because it helps identify the real issues at an early stage.



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Do I still need a financial order after divorce?Yes. Divorce ends the marriage, but it does not automatically bring fina...
13/09/2026

Do I still need a financial order after divorce?

Yes. Divorce ends the marriage, but it does not automatically bring financial claims between former spouses to an end.
If you have reached an agreement about the house, pensions, savings or other assets, it is normally sensible to have that agreement approved by the Family Court in a Financial Consent Order. Where appropriate, the order can include a clean break so that future financial claims are brought to an end.
An informal agreement between you may not give the same protection.
Need practical support with a Financial Consent Order or contested financial remedy proceedings?



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

“My ex behaved terribly. Will the court give me more of the assets?”Usually, no.The courts apply a very high threshold b...
07/09/2026

“My ex behaved terribly. Will the court give me more of the assets?”

Usually, no.

The courts apply a very high threshold before behaviour will affect the division of matrimonial assets.

The Court of Appeal recently confirmed in F***j v Ahmad [2026] EWCA Civ 962 that conduct must be sufficiently serious and there normally needs to be an identifiable financial consequence caused by the wrongdoing.

That means ordinary bad behaviour during a relationship, difficult correspondence or unpleasant litigation conduct will not normally justify giving one party a larger share of the assets.

Where conduct has directly destroyed or reduced an asset, income or earning capacity, however, the position can be very different.



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Already divorced? That does not necessarily mean your financial claims against each other have ended.A divorce ends the ...
07/09/2026

Already divorced? That does not necessarily mean your financial claims against each other have ended.

A divorce ends the marriage, but unless there is a Financial Consent Order or another financial order from the court, claims relating to property, pensions, savings and other assets can potentially remain open.

If you have reached an agreement, it is usually important to have that agreement turned into a court-approved Financial Consent Order.

We can help with both agreed and contested financial settlements.

Free initial 30-minute consultation.



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Going to Family Court without a solicitor?Many people represent themselves in Family Court because they do not qualify f...
07/09/2026

Going to Family Court without a solicitor?

Many people represent themselves in Family Court because they do not qualify for legal aid or simply cannot afford solicitor fees.

A McKenzie Friend can sit alongside you in court, help you understand the process, assist with preparation, take notes and provide support during the hearing.

At Northern Family Law Support, we assist with:

• Child Arrangements proceedings
• Financial Remedy proceedings
• Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders
• Final hearings and appeals

We support clients throughout the North East and offer a free initial 30-minute consultation.

📞 07342 979477
📧 [email protected]



Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Family Court does not have to mean solicitor fees of hundreds of pounds per hour.Northern Family Law Support assists peo...
07/09/2026

Family Court does not have to mean solicitor fees of hundreds of pounds per hour.

Northern Family Law Support assists people who are representing themselves in Family Court.

We can help you prepare:

• applications
• Form E and financial disclosure
• questionnaires
• position statements
• witness statements
• schedules and court bundles
• offers and settlement proposals

We can also attend court alongside you as your McKenzie Friend.

We cover Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Washington, Consett, Stanley, Middlesbrough and the wider North East.

Our current rate is £130 per hour plus VAT, and we offer a free initial 30-minute consultation.

📞 07342 979477
📧 [email protected]

Northern Family Law Support offers expert legal guidance and support for families in need. Trust our experienced team for personalized assistance.

Address

11 Orchard Terrace
Chester-le-Street
DH33JU

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm
Thursday 8:30am - 6pm
Friday 8:30am - 6pm

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