Going through a relationship separation is a distressing and confusing time. There are lots of things to think about – who gets to keep the house/fridge/boat/dog, where are you going to live, what are your legal rights, or how do you know if you are getting a fair deal? You may also have other issues surrounding your separation such as who is going to look after the kids, how you claim child support or what you should do if your partner has been violent towards you.
The first thing to do is to make sure that you are safe, both physically and emotionally. Let your family and friends know what is going on. Their support will be very important to you. If you are able to, try to speak to your partner to see if you can reach any agreements yourselves. If you can’t, or if your partner is being difficult or nasty about things, don't add fuel to the fire especially if long term contact will be required due to joint children.
At some stage early on in the process you need to get some legal advice on separation and you should contact your specialist family lawyer - even if you think you have reached agreement yourselves.
At Cavell Leitch Law we have the largest family law team in Chirstchurch, with five lawyers who are standing by to help you with sensible, friendly and expert advice to suit your needs. We understand that it is hard making decisions at the best of times, let alone when you have separated from your partner and your whole world is upside down.
To contact one of our specialist separation lawyers click on one of our team members listed on the right hand side of this page for further information.
