Law firm launches same sex service

LAW firm Williscroft & Co has launched a specialist division following what it believes is an increase in the number of same sex relationship break-ups.

Partner Lucy Cohen is heading up the Bradford-based firm’s drive to offer dedicated services to same sex couples as part of the company’s strategy to cover all aspects of family law.

Ms Cohen said: “We are known for our expertise in everything concerning the family from divorce through to wills and child care law but as there are currently no specialists in same sex relationships in Yorkshire we want to focus closely on this section of our community.

Civil partnerships became legal in 2005 allowing same sex couples the same legal rights as opposite sex couples.

Ms Cohen added: “When civil partnerships first became legal there was a boom in registrations and over 16,000 civil partnerships were formed in the UK in the first year.

“Today however, the number of civil partnership dissolutions has nearly doubled since 2008 when there were only 180 and it’s these statistics and our own experience of advising same sex couples in relationship rights including prenups and property ownership that has led us concentrate specifically on this area of law.”

The 30-strong team of lawyers at Williscroft are now undertaking additional specialist training to enable all the team to advise on how the law specifically applies to same sex couples to include prenups, rights concerning children and property, issues in relation to wills and dissolution of civil partnerships.

“A dissolution is effectively the same as a divorce and offers legal rights to both parties – but only if the couple are registered as a civil partnership,” Ms Cohen added.

“Further complications arise if children are involved, particularly if a child has been born to one partner within a same sex relationship and the couple has not registered as civil partners. In these cases, even if the child was conceived with the intention that the child would be a child of the family, one partner may be left without any legal rights should the parties separate.”