Divorce & Family Law Solicitors in Loughborough
If you are looking for family law solicitors in Loughborough, Belderbos Solicitors offers a specialist team that practises exclusively in family law. We work with individuals and families across Loughborough, Charnwood and the wider Leicestershire area, providing expert advice on divorce and separation, children matters, financial settlements and domestic abuse.
Whatever you are facing, you do not have to work it out alone, and you can start with a free, no-obligation discovery call before you commit to anything.
Family difficulties rarely arrive at a convenient moment, and the legal side can feel overwhelming on top of everything else. Our role is to take that weight off you: to explain your options in plain English, protect what matters most, and guide you calmly towards a resolution that lets you move forward. We believe the right advice early on makes the whole process clearer, kinder and less costly.
Why choose Belderbos for family law in Loughborough?
There are several firms in and around Loughborough that offer a little family law alongside conveyancing, wills, business work and everything else. We are different. Family law is the only thing we do, and that focus shapes every piece of advice you receive.
- Family law is our sole specialism. We are not a general high-street practice. Every solicitor here works in divorce, finances, children and domestic abuse day in, day out, so you benefit from genuine depth of experience rather than a generalist's overview.
- Resolution-accredited. Our team are all members of Resolution, holding Specialist Accreditation, Collaborative Family Lawyer accreditation and Mediator training. Resolution members commit to a constructive, non-confrontational approach that reduces conflict and keeps the focus on solutions.
- Resolution-first, court-last. Wherever it is appropriate and safe, we steer matters away from the courtroom: through mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and lawyer-led negotiation, which is usually quicker, less expensive and far less stressful, particularly where children are involved.
- Child-focused and empathetic. Decisions made now affect your family for years. We keep the welfare of any children at the centre of our advice and treat you with the patience and respect a difficult time deserves.
- A free, no-obligation discovery call. Before you decide anything, you can speak to a specialist about your situation at no cost and with no pressure.
- Two local offices. With offices in Leicester and Oakham, expert family law advice is genuinely accessible from Loughborough. Leicester is a short journey down the A6 or a nine-minute train ride.
Ready to talk it through? Book your free discovery call or call us on 01572 490660.
Our Loughborough team
Belderbos operates a single, close-knit family law team across both offices, so wherever you instruct us from Loughborough you have the firm's full expertise behind you.
James Belderbos is our Director and Founder, a specialist family lawyer and trained mediator with more than two decades of experience guiding clients through divorce, complex finances and children disputes.
Sophie Ball, Nick Robertshaw and Emma Potter are Family Law Solicitors who advise across the full range of family matters, from straightforward separations to contested financial and children proceedings.
For clients in Loughborough, our Leicester office at 38 Market Street is the nearest point of contact, around 14 miles south via the A6, while our main staffed office in Oakham remains available if that suits you better. You can read more about the people who will look after you, including our accreditations and approach, on our Why choose Belderbos page, and see what clients say on our testimonials page.
Our family law services in Loughborough
We advise Loughborough clients across every area of family law. Whatever stage you are at, the right starting point is usually a conversation. Here is an overview of how we can help.
Divorce and separation
We guide you through every stage of the no-fault divorce process and the practical separation that goes with it, keeping things constructive and clear. Learn more about divorce and separation.
Children matters
From where your children live to how time is shared and disputes over schooling or relocation, we help you reach arrangements that put their welfare first. Explore our children and child arrangements advice.
Financial settlements
Dividing finances fairly is often the most complex part of separating. We advise on property, pensions, maintenance and consent orders to secure a settlement that protects your future. See financial settlements.
Domestic abuse
If you or your children are at risk, we act quickly and discreetly to obtain the protective orders you need. Read about our domestic abuse support.
Nuptial agreements
Whether you are planning to marry or already married, a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can provide clarity and protection. Find out about nuptial agreements.
Cohabitation and separation
Unmarried couples have very different legal rights from married ones. We advise on cohabitation agreements and on resolving property and financial issues when an unmarried relationship ends. See cohabitation.
Out-of-court solutions
Most disputes can be resolved without a courtroom. We offer mediation, collaborative law, family arbitration and lawyer-led negotiation. A fuller picture is on our out-of-court solutions page.
Court proceedings
When agreement genuinely cannot be reached, or where matters are urgent, we represent you firmly and skilfully through court proceedings.
Serving Loughborough, Leicestershire and the surrounding areas
Loughborough sits at the heart of the Charnwood borough, and our specialist advice reaches well beyond the town itself. We regularly act for clients in Shepshed, Quorn, Barrow upon Soar, Mountsorrel, Sileby, Woodhouse Eaves, Hathern, Rothley and Birstall, as well as the villages strung along the A6 and River Soar corridor between Loughborough and Leicester.
Because family matters are personal, many clients prefer to meet face to face. Our Leicester office at 38 Market Street is the most convenient for people travelling from Loughborough, and our main staffed office in Oakham is available too. You will find full details for both, plus all the ways to get in touch, on our contact page. Wherever you are in the borough, from the university campus and town centre out to the surrounding villages, you can reach a specialist family law solicitor easily.
Local resources in Loughborough
Alongside specialist legal advice, it helps to know where the relevant local services are:
- Leicester County and Family Court. Divorce, financial and children proceedings for the Loughborough area are dealt with at Leicester County Court and Family Court, 90 Wellington Street, Leicester, LE1 6HG. (While Loughborough has its own court building, it does not hear divorce or financial cases: these are handled in Leicester.) You can check details on the UK court finder.
- Citizens Advice. For free, confidential general guidance, Citizens Advice Charnwood is based at Woodgate Chambers, 70 Woodgate, Loughborough, LE11 2TZ (the entrance is on Town Hall Passage, beside the Town Hall), telephone 01509 221220.
These services are a helpful first port of call, though for tailored legal advice about your own circumstances a specialist family law solicitor is the right place to turn.
How to reach our family solicitors in Loughborough
Our nearest office to Loughborough is in Leicester, at 38 Market Street in the heart of the city centre: an easy journey whether you drive, take the train or travel by bus.
By car. Leicester is around 14 miles south of Loughborough, roughly 25 to 30 minutes via the A6 through Quorn and Mountsorrel, or via the M1 (junction 23 to junction 21) if traffic favours the motorway. Several multi-storey car parks sit within a short walk of Market Street, including Highcross, Newarke Street and St Margaret's.
By train. Loughborough station, on the Midland Main Line, is one of the most convenient links to the city: East Midlands Railway runs direct services to Leicester roughly every few minutes at peak times, with a journey of only nine to fourteen minutes. From Leicester railway station it is around a ten-minute walk to our Market Street office.
By bus. Frequent bus services run from Loughborough into Leicester along the A6 corridor, with stops a short walk from Market Street, a relaxed, parking-free option if you would rather leave the car at home.
Plan your journey. Once you have booked, we will confirm exact directions and the best route for you. If you would prefer to meet at our Oakham office instead, just let us know and we will arrange it.
Accessibility
Meeting you at our Leicester office should be straightforward for everyone. Please note that the Leicester office operates by appointment only and is not permanently staffed, so do arrange your visit in advance by booking a discovery call or calling us. If you have specific accessibility requirements, please let us know before your appointment and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
Frequently asked questions about family law in Loughborough
Costs depend entirely on what your matter involves: a straightforward, agreed divorce is very different from a contested financial dispute. We believe in transparency, so the pricing relevant to your situation will be discussed clearly at your free discovery call, with no obligation to proceed. That way you understand the likely cost before you decide anything.
You can apply for a no-fault divorce yourself, and many people do. However, the divorce itself does not resolve your finances: those are legally separate and are the part most people get wrong without advice. A specialist solicitor makes sure your financial settlement is fair and properly recorded in a consent order, and protects your position over children. For most people, advice on the finances and children is well worth having even where the divorce is amicable.
Under the no-fault system in England and Wales, there is a built-in minimum timeline: after your application there is a 20-week reflection period before you can apply for the conditional order, then a further six weeks and one day before the final order. That means a divorce takes a minimum of around 26 weeks, and in practice most take seven to eight months, longer if finances or children matters need resolving first, which we usually recommend before the final order.
“Custody” is an outdated term. The courts now make Child Arrangements Orders, which set out who a child lives with and how they spend time with each parent. The welfare of the child is always the court’s paramount concern. In most cases, though, parents can agree arrangements between themselves, often with the help of mediation, without needing a court order at all.
Yes. We offer a free, no-obligation discovery call to anyone considering family law advice, including clients across Loughborough and Charnwood. It is a relaxed conversation with a specialist about your circumstances and your options: no commitment, no jargon and no pressure to instruct us.
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process in which a trained mediator helps you and your former partner reach your own agreement on finances or children. It is usually faster, cheaper and far less stressful than litigation, and you stay in control of the outcome. Going to court means a judge decides for you, which is sometimes necessary, for example where there is urgency, a safety concern or no prospect of agreement, but it is generally a last resort. In fact, a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) is normally required before you can make most family court applications.
Book your free discovery call
We know that picking up the phone or sending that first email can be the hardest part. Our free discovery call is designed to make it easier. There is no obligation, no commitment and no jargon: simply a conversation with a specialist family law solicitor who understands what you are going through and can show you a clear way forward.
To book, call us on 01572 490660, email admin@belderbossolicitors.co.uk, or book online via our discovery call page. Whether you are in Loughborough or anywhere across Charnwood and Leicestershire, we are here to help you move forward with confidence.