D. Mensah
Partner, Family
Admitted England & Wales, 2009. English, French.
D. Mensah has worked in family law since 2009. Most of his cases end in agreement. He goes to the hearing when they do not.
Family.
Divorce, children, and the division of a home. We do the paperwork, the negotiation and, when it is needed, the hearing — and you know the price of each step before it starts.
First meeting: £250. 45 minutes. You leave with the next step and what it costs.
What we cover
Divorce
The application, the financial settlement, and the order that ends the marriage. Most divorces here end by agreement, not by a hearing.
Children
Where they live, who they see, and how decisions about school and health are made. We put the children's week first, not the parents' argument.
Dividing a home
Sell it, buy one side out, or keep it until the children are older. We value the home, the mortgage and the pension before anyone signs.
Unmarried couples
There is no common-law marriage in England and Wales. We sort out the house, the children and the money on the facts, not on the assumption.
Leaving a relationship that is not safe
We act the same day. If you are in danger now, call the police first, then call us.
Agreements before marriage
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, written so a court will take them seriously: full disclosure, both sides advised, signed in good time.
How the firm works
One lawyer leads your case from the first meeting. That lawyer reads your papers, speaks to the other side, and goes to the hearing if there is one. You are not passed between people.
We write everything down. After the first meeting you have a note of what we understood, what happens next, and what it costs. After every call with the other side, you get a note of what was said the same day.
We do not take a case we cannot do well. If your case needs a barrister, a mediator or a different firm, we tell you at the first meeting and make the introduction.
Steps and timelines
A divorce that is agreed takes about six months. One that is fought takes longer, and we tell you the likely range at the first meeting.
| Step | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | We read your papers and give you a written note with the next step and its price. | Week 1 |
| Disclosure | Both sides set out income, property, pensions and debts, in full. | Weeks 2–6 |
| Negotiation | We put proposals to the other side and report every reply the same day. | Weeks 6–14 |
| Mediation | If the proposals stall, a mediator helps both sides reach the agreement. Most of our cases end here. | Weeks 10–16 |
| Court order | The agreement is written into an order the court approves. The divorce itself takes about 26 weeks from the application. | Months 4–7 |
| Hearing | If no agreement is reached, a judge decides. Your lawyer is the one who goes, and you know the hearing date weeks ahead. | Months 9–14 |
How fees work
Every step has a price before it starts. You agree it before we do the work. No hourly clock starts until you agree to it.
If a step takes less work than we priced, you pay less. If it takes more, we tell you before we carry on, and you decide.
£250
First meeting. 45 minutes.
- Divorce, agreed
- from £450
- Children arrangements
- from £400
- Financial settlement
- from £600
- Agreement before marriage
- from £500
Prices are examples for this template. Court fees are charged at cost and are listed separately before you apply.
Your lawyers
Family cases are led by D. Mensah. R. Hart advises where a home is involved, because dividing a home is also a property question.
R. Hart
Partner, Property
Admitted England & Wales, 2012. English, Mandarin.
R. Hart advises on the home itself: its value, its mortgage, and what happens to it when a marriage ends.
Family results
£1.4m
Financial settlement. Agreed by mediation.
Sample result — fictional. It does not promise an outcome.
£860,000
Division of a home. Agreed by mediation.
Sample result — fictional. It does not promise an outcome.
£410,000
Children arrangements. Settled in 14 weeks.
Sample result — fictional. It does not promise an outcome.
Family questions
Usually not. Most divorces and financial settlements are agreed and written into an order the court approves without a hearing. You go to court only if no agreement is reached.
About 26 weeks from the application to the final order, if it is agreed. The financial settlement often takes longer than the divorce itself, because it needs full disclosure first.
One side buys the other out, the house is sold and the money split, or one side stays until the children are older. Which one fits depends on the mortgage, the pension and the children's ages. We value all three before anyone signs.
You can agree between yourselves, but the agreement is not binding until a court approves it. We write it into an order so it holds. An unapproved agreement can be reopened years later.
Book a consultation
Tell us what happened in three sentences. We reply within one working day with the next step and what it costs.
14 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PP
+44 20 7946 0000
hello@mensahandhart.co.uk