Supporting You Through Relationship Breakdowns
Compassionate Legal Advice for Divorce, Separation, and Family Matters
Going through a relationship breakdown? Our experienced family law team is here to provide clear, compassionate guidance.
Regrettably, many marriages and relationships will end in separation.
Beers Family Law team has a wealth of expertise and experience, bringing clarity at what will undoubtedly be a difficult time. We will not only advise you on the best legal action to take and see you through that, but we can help directing you to alternative resolution services such as mediation where needed.
We will provide you with sound advice based on experience and will handle your case with compassion and professionalism. Beers accredited specialists are members of Resolution who abide by a Code of Conduct which promotes resolving matters in a conciliatory fashion.
Free Advice
We are able to provide you with initial advice of 20 minutes over the telephone. You may wish simply to discuss your options which may help you decide if, how and when to proceed.
Separation
You may feel that you are not ready to divorce just yet. It may be that you need however to sort out finances. This can be done through negotiation and any agreement formalised in a Deed of Separation providing you with certainty and security for the future.
Divorce/Civil Partnership Dissolution
Since April 2022, it is necessary only to state that a marriage or Civil Partnership has irretrievably broken down. We can deal with the process for you from beginning to end.
The Civil Partnership Dissolution for Civil Partners who wish to bring their partnership to an end is similar to a divorce.
Judicial Separation
This process is similar to a divorce but at the end of the process the parties are still legally married. This process suits parties who do not wish to be divorced, sometimes for religious or financial reasons, including keeping pension spousal benefits alive. This process can still however enable a financial order to be made by the court to resolve financial issues.
Cohabitee Agreements
If you are living together or thinking of doing so, then you may wish to formalise the terms of your arrangements via a Cohabitation Agreement. This may provide certainty and secure your finances during the relationship and also in the event of separation in the future. We can tailor an agreement specifically to your needs
Pre-Nuptial and Pre-Civil Partnership Agreements
These are formal Deeds entered into before a marriage or Civil Partnership takes place, the purpose of which is to provide certainty as to financial division if the marriage or Civil Partnership were to break down. However, at the moment only a court can decide in the event of a divorce or dissolution, whether parties should be bound by the agreement they entered into. Such Deeds are becoming more popular as parties seek to ensure their decisions are taken into account. They are often persuasive to Court Judges in determining financial provision in financial remedy proceedings provided the requisite criteria are met i.e that both parties have given full disclosure of their financial positions at the time of the agreement, the agreement is fair in providing for needs, that they have freely entered into the agreement and received independent legal advice.
Post Nuptial and Post Civil Partnership Agreements
These are Deeds entered into after a marriage or Civil Partnership has taken place which provide for agreements reached between parties and provided criteria are satisfied are generally binding. These are documents bespoke to your needs.
Resolving Finances associated with breakdown of marriage/Civil Partnerships
In the majority of cases this can be done by negotiating a settlement after each party has provided disclosure of their respective finances on a voluntary basis. The outcomes may involve a transfer of ownership of property or sale and division of the proceeds, payment of other sums of money or dealing with other things such as policies, shares, pensions and maintenance. Where there is agreement it is likely that all matters will be formalised in a formal Consent Order and possibly include a clean break (an order which means that neither party can make any further claims against the other). Such an order can be uploaded to the Court Portal at the Conditional Order stage of the divorce or dissolution. A final order by agreement is reached in most cases without there being a Court Hearing. Formal Financial Remedy proceedings are generally a last resort where agreement cannot be reached through negotiation.
Cohabitee disputes arising in relation to property ownership or trusts
This can be a complex area. We can provide advice upon considering the facts of your case.
Children
All aspects advised upon including Parental Responsibility Agreements/Orders, Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps orders, Specific Issue Orders, Special Guardianship and names. We can advise you on the best way forward
Injunctions
We are able to provide you with advice regarding the best method of dealing with problems which may arise including pursuing or opposing Non Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide Legal Aid.
Costs
We are able to offer some fixed fee arrangements for simple matters.
Generally
The above areas represent the main areas of work we deal in relation to family type work but advice can be offered on a variety of different aspects which arise from those areas. The making of a Will is always an important consideration when entering into a marriage/ relationship and upon its breakdown.
Mediation
It should be noted that since 29 April 2024, it is a legal requirement that before court applications can be issued that the parties have co-operated in mediation as an option and the necessary MIAM form will need to be provided by the mediation service. There are exemptions in engaging with mediation where there has been domestic abuse.
We at Beers are here to help you through the process so that you and your children can take your lives forward into a new chapter.
Find Clarity in Challenging Times
Meet The Family Law Team

Helen Saunders
Chartered Legal Executive
Kingsbridge: 01548 857000

Helen Saunders
Helen Saunders is a family lawyer and an accredited Specialist of “Resolution” (formerly known as Solicitors Family Law Association). She joined Beers in 1988 and has been practicing solely in family law since about 1995. She is approachable, straight talking and will aim to achieve the best possible outcome taking account of all the circumstances. As a mother of two children, Helen fully appreciates the pressures placed upon a marriage by modern family life.
Helen has a special interest in dealing with cases involving children with special needs. Areas in which she is regularly giving advice include:
- Divorce, Judicial Separation, Dissolution of Civil Partnerships, breakdown of unmarried relationships and resolving all the associated financial matters
- Children Act cases
- Domestic violence
- Cohabitation Agreements, Separation Agreements, Pre-Nuptial Agreements
Helen was brought up in Kingsbridge and continues to live locally. She enjoys working for clients in the South Hams and Plymouth areas but also for those based further afield.