Business Details
Emergency
services
Expert Family Law Solicitors in London
We are Covent Garden Family Law, a specialist family law practice with extensive experience in handling complex family legal matters. Our firm is dedicated to providing clear, honest advice while supporting clients through challenging times with practical solutions. We focus on empowering individuals to make informed decisions about their futures, whether that involves child arrangements, divorce, or protection from abuse. Our approach remains consistently client-centred, with a commitment to transparency and accessibility in all our legal services. Over two decades of combined experience within our team has equipped us to address the most sensitive family law issues effectively.We maintain strong professional memberships and accreditations, reflecting our adherence to high legal standards. Our mediation services offer alternatives to court proceedings, fostering constructive resolutions for separating couples. We serve clients in both publicly funded and private capacities, adapting to diverse legal needs across London and beyond. Our expertise extends internationally, particularly in areas like child abduction and cross-border surrogacy arrangements. We strive to demystify legal processes, ensuring clients understand their rights and options at every stage of their case.
Services
Child Arrangements
Care Proceedings
Child Abduction
Divorce
Domestic Abuse Protection
Family Mediation
Surrogacy
Adoption
Cohabitation Agreements
Pre-nuptial Agreements
Highlights and features
- We provide specialist family law advice with over 20 years of combined legal experience
- Our team includes solicitors with Higher Rights of Audience qualification for court representation
- We maintain memberships with key legal organisations including the Law Society Children Panel
- Our legal aid contract enables public funding access for eligible clients
- We offer mediation services through Resolution-trained practitioners
Associations and certifications
- Solicitors Regulation Authority
Services
Child Arrangements
We help clients establish living arrangements and contact schedules for children following relationship breakdown. Our specialist solicitors work collaboratively to achieve solutions prioritising children's welfare while protecting parental rights. We advise on residence, contact, and decision-making responsibilities through mediation or court representation.
Child Abduction
Our experienced team handles urgent international child abduction cases under Hague Convention protocols. We provide immediate legal intervention for wrongful removal or retention abroad. With expertise in cross-border enforcement, we work closely with international legal networks to secure children's safe return while navigating complex jurisdictional challenges.
Care Proceedings
We represent parents facing local authority intervention in family matters. Our solicitors provide expert guidance through care proceedings, ensuring clients understand child protection processes. We advocate for families' rights while addressing safeguarding concerns, working towards outcomes that maintain family relationships wherever possible.
Domestic Abuse Protection
We assist victims of domestic abuse in obtaining emergency injunctions and non-molestation orders. Our solicitors handle urgent applications for personal protection while addressing housing and child custody implications. We work closely with support agencies to ensure comprehensive safety planning for affected families.
Family Mediation
Our Resolution-accredited mediators facilitate constructive negotiations between separating couples. We guide clients through Mediation Information Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) and structured sessions covering financial settlements and child arrangements. This court-alternative process empowers parties to maintain control over decision-making outcomes.
People
Lynn Vernon
Director
Specialist in care proceedings and adoption law with Higher Rights qualification. Member of Law Society Children Panel and Association of Lawyers for Children. Provides advocacy training and has extensive experience in children's best interest representation.
Melanie Hepworth
Director
Experienced public children law practitioner with focus on international abduction cases. Successfully represented clients in reported cases like Re E and FE v MR. Member of Child Abduction Lawyers Association and Association of Lawyers for Children.
Angela Gaff
Consultant
30-year family law veteran specialising in parental alienation cases. Former human rights investigator with field experience across multiple countries. Holds LLM in human rights law specialising in Islamic law, with multilingual capabilities.
Haema Sundram
Mediation Consultant
Resolution-trained mediator with 25 years' family law experience. Named in Legal 500 and Chambers directories. Experienced collaborative lawyer who prioritises peaceful conflict resolution for divorcing couples and their families.
Questions
What family law services do you specialise in?
We specialise in child arrangements, care proceedings, divorce, domestic abuse protection, international child abduction, mediation, pre-nuptial agreements, and adoption cases across London and internationally.
Do you offer legal aid funding?
Yes, we're one of few central London firms with a legal aid contract and can provide publicly funded services for eligible clients in family law matters.
How do you handle urgent child abduction cases?
Our specialist team acts immediately to initiate Hague Convention proceedings, working with international networks to secure emergency orders for children's safe return within strict legal timelines.
Can you assist with mediation services?
Yes, we provide Family Mediation Council-registered mediators to help couples resolve disputes amicably through structured negotiation sessions covering financial and child-related matters.
What makes your practice different from other law firms?
Our combined decades of experience in complex family law, specialist accreditations, and team with international human rights backgrounds provide unique expertise in handling sensitive cases effectively.
