Legal

Blandy & Blandy LLP

Geographical areas covered: South & South East

Legal aid: No
Mediation: Yes
Collaborative law: Yes
Disabled access: Yes

Head of Family team: Andrew Don
Family team members: Andrew Don, Brenda Long,
Claire Dyer, Claire Burton, Jessica Reid, Siobahm Baillie and Emma Hillier
Resolution members: Andrew Don, Brenda Long, Claire Dyer, Claire Burton and Jessica Reid
Specialist panel memberships: Law Society's Family Panel
Special Initial Interview Offer: Yes. We offer up to 30 minutes initial free consultation by phone

Other departments:

• Personal Injury
• Wills, Probate, Tax and Trusts
• Conveyancing
• Dispute Resolution (Litigation)
• Employment
• Company & Commercial
• Commercial Property & Planning
• Financial Services

About us

This firm's 2 partner family team is one of the biggest in the Thames Valley. It frequently handles matters involving tax, trusts and foreign jurisdictions. It benefits from the support of in-house financial services advisers and the firm's highly regarded corporate and property teams.

Client Service: 'The firm is efficient, and devotes time and care to all its clients.'

Andrew Don

The Legal 500 UK 2012
The firm is especially delighted at achieving a top tier ranking in family law. Following qualitative market research interviewing clients and peers, the directory comments that the family team is “far superior to its big-name London counterparts”.  Family law partners Andrew Don and Brenda Long are both recommended individuals. Andrew is quoted as combining “technical expertise with personal advisory skills” whilst Brenda’s “knowledge and deep experience translate into clear advice”.

Blandy & Blandy LLP has 15 partners and over 70 staff and is located in Reading, Berkshire. The firm is accredited by the Law Society under the Lexcel scheme, guaranteeing excellence in practice management. The two partners in our Family Department are acknowledged experts and have a wealth of experience advising couples and families on their rights and assisting them in family disputes. The partners are supported by a team of nine who have varying degrees of seniority, enabling the department to always offer a cost-effective solution. We provide sensitive yet practical advice on all aspects of family law including:

• Divorce & Separation
• Ancillary Relief/ Financial Matters
• Cohabitation
• Children
• Civil Partnerships
• Pre Nuptial Agreements and Pre Partnership Agreements

Our Family Department is respected as one of the leaders in its field and its members belong to Resolution, which encourages agreement rather than unnecessary confrontation. Accordingly, individuals within our team are qualified and experienced in resolving conflicts through alternative methods, for example via mediation and collaborative law.

See their article on representing yourself in court

Collaborative Law
Collaborative law is a dignified method of approaching divorce where couples are put in charge of the process with their solicitor orchestrating four-way face- to- face meetings with all parties committed to resolving issues without going to court.

After separation or divorce
Consider your Will
Following separation or divorce, it is important to review your Will or, if you do not already have one, to take this opportunity to make one.
Divorce invalidates any gift s in your Will to your former spouse or the appointment of your former spouse as executor. In any event, it is unlikely that your Will will shall be an accurate refl ection of your wishes.

At the same time as reviewing your Will, you can consider who should look after your affairs in the event that you lose capacity.
We have a large and specialist department who can advise you in relation to your Will, including as to the appointment of guardians for any children and any possible tax planning.

We recommend that you contact Jonathan Gater in our Probate, Tax & Trusts department who can arrange for you to speak with a member of the team. He can be contacted on 0118 951 6842 or at jonathan.gater@blandy.co.uk