Our Services

Overview Can we help?

Why are our family solicitors different?  Don’t take our word for it – call us to find out more, or visit us in our offices in Canterbury, London, Maidstone and Tenterden! We promise to make a difference to your life.emma-palmer-2

 

You will want a personal, caring and professional approach catered to your specific needs and requirements. Clients come to us repeatedly because, not only do they know they will get expert advice and support, but they know we care and listen to them.

 

We provide the legal service most people hope they never have to use and our family team are trained to help you through what can be a most stressful time in your life.

 

We can help you with:

You will want accurate and honest advice and we will do all we can to make this difficult time easier for you.

 

Our team can offer you services through mediation, collaborative law, negotiation and the court process. Our lawyers are all family specialists and accredited members of Resolution and/or Family Law Panel members.  Our Resolution commitment means we believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters. View our Client Charter to help understand how we will work with you.


Book an initial conversation

 

We have four offices providing clients with the best family solicitors in Canterbury, London, Maidstone and Tenterden.

 

We are ranked as a leading firm for Family in Kent. But more importantly, our clients tell us how happy they are:
"The lawyers are professional, practical and pragmatic. Their skills are well diversified: they do collaborative and mediation as well as litigation." - "The team is really helpful and pleasant - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for anything"

 

Your initial meeting with us:

Fixed Fee Meetings 

 

It can often be difficult to make sure you remember all the issues you wanted to discuss in your first meeting and so, to make it easier for you, we ask you to complete a Family Questionnaire in advance of the first meeting.

 

 

 

Our Questionnaire can take a little bit of time to complete but we simply ask that you do the best you can. Do not worry about a few gaps here and there and of course there will be some parts that may not be relevant to you. We will go through this with you in your first meeting but it really does help to give us the information we need to provide you with first quality tailored advice.

 

Out of hours meetings can be offered by appointment only.

 

You can view our client service charter here.

 

In accordance with Data Protection Legislation and the SRA Code of Conduct Whitehead Monckton is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please click here to view our privacy policy which explains how we use and protect the information given to us by users of our website. If you have any questions or comments regarding this privacy policy please email us at: gdpr@whitehead-monckton.co.uk.

 

For expert family law legal advice, contact our Maidstone, Tenterden, Canterbury and Canary Wharf solicitors today.

 

 

 

          

Our Solicitors received an average of 4.7 out of 5 based on 85 reviews.

 

Useful links

We have included links to a number of organsiations which may also provide assistance:

 

Resolution

Resolution’s 6,500 members are family lawyers and other professionals committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Resolution members follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems. Resolution members encourage solutions that consider the needs of the whole family - and in particular the best interests of children. Read more about Resolution

 

Relate

Relate's vision is a future in which healthy relationships are actively promoted as the basis of a thriving society. Their mission is to develop and support healthy relationships by:- helping couples, families and individuals to make relationships work better delivering inclusive, high-quality services that are relevant at every stage of life helping both the public and policymakers to improve their understanding of relationships and what makes them flourish. Read more about Relate

 

Around the table

Around the table are a united group of solicitors, mediators, independent financial advisers, accountants and counsellors dedicated to helping people resolve their family problems. They all offer constructive advice and alternatives to court proceedings to focus to achieve a lasting and dignified agreement with the needs and interests of any children firmly in mind. Read more about "Around the table"

 

Kent Family Mediation Service

Kent Family Mediation Services is a 'non-profit making' organisation, which is widely renowned for offering a professional, impartial and unrivalled Family Mediation service to private and legal aid clients in a growing number of accessible mediation centres throughout the County of Kent. Read more about KFMS

 

Cafcass

Putting children and young people first in the family courts.

 

Cafcass looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. They work with children and their families, and then advise the courts on what they consider to be in the best interests of individual children. Read more about Cafcass

 

HM Courts & Tribunals Service

HM Courts & Tribunals Service was created on 1 April 2011. It brings together HM Courts Service & Tribunals Service into one integrated agency providing support for the administration of justice in courts and tribunals.

 

HMCTSHM Courts & Tribunals Service HM Courts & Tribunals Service was created on 1 April 2011. It brings together HM Courts Service & Tribunals Service into one integrated agency providing support for the administration of justice in courts and tribunals. Read more about HMCTS

 

CSA/CMEC

Child maintenance is financial support that helps towards a child’s everyday living costs when the parents have separated. It’s for children who are either: under 16 under 20 and in full-time education (but not higher than A-Level or equivalent) The parent who doesn’t have day-to-day care of the child (the ‘paying parent’) pays child maintenance to the parent or person who does (the ‘receiving parent’). The ‘receiving parent’ could be a grandparent or guardian as well as a parent. Read more about child support

 

Families Need Fathers

Families Need Fathers is a charity chiefly concerned with the problems of maintaining a child's relationship with both parents during and after family breakdown. They offer information, advice and support services for parents who could otherwise spend thousands of pounds without achieving a positive outcome for the children. Their network of over 50 UK branches offers the pro-bono advice of solicitors and others familiar with the family courts; a dedicated helpline; website and resources for members that will help you to have a relationship with your children. Read more about Familie Need Fathers

 

Gingerbread

Gingerbread provide expert advice, practical support and campaign for signle parents. Read more about Gingerbread 

 

NACCC National Association of Child Contact Centres Promoting safe contact within a national framework of child contact centres and services; Read more about NACCC

 

CCOPPP

COPPP is a professional organisation for psychotherapists mainly but not exclusively in the Canterbury and Kent area, and is an Organisational Member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). As well as providing services to its members, it offers the general public the assurance that the psychotherapists who are members of CCOPPP adhere to its Code of Ethics and maintain high professional standards.

 

 

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I was a client of the Tenterden branch of Whitehead Monckton. Daniel Bennett was my solicitor, he was absolutely outstanding. He was very kind and supportive to me, yet a strong, decisive and assertive advocate. His knowledge of the law and legal proceedings was invaluable. Without him I would have ...
I cannot fault anything done by Whitehead Monckton in my case and have nothing but praise for Daniel who is, in my opinion, an outstanding solicitor, an intelligent, conscientious, hardworking, caring employee and a man of great integrity. I cannot praise him highly enough and would recommend him to...
“There’s no getting away from the fact that going through a divorce is tough. Emma at Whitehead Monckton immediately put my mind at rest about the process and was very clear on what I needed to do and how she would work on my behalf to keep everything moving forward. She took time to understand my p...
“When looking for a solicitor, I recalled a friend being happy with Whitehead Monckton. I could not have wished for a better service. Not only did my solicitor guide me through the legalities of divorce, but also provided help and guidance through what became an emotional rollercoaster. All staff we...
'When we had our meeting, I knew that we had two strong, extremely capable and totally dedicated personalities doing their utmost to get a satisfactory conclusion to our situation.   I can assure you Daniel that, with  your continual positive and helpful approach to all matters, this has kept us upb...
'I just wanted you to know how very lucky I feel to have had you represent me over these months. It's enabled me to be as strong as I could knowing I had your expertise and immense insight supporting the process.  Your professional commitment is exceptional and the quality of care and depths of s...
"I instructed Ruth in a complex custody/residency matter following my partner leaving the family home and taking our baby daughter who was at the time less than a year old.  Ruth approached this matter in a highly professional yet very caring manner. She guided me through the process and supported m...
I wish to thank you all for everything you have done and for going above and beyond the call of duty. Little things, such as a reassuring word or a quick phone call preempting written correspondence, made a real difference in stressful situations that I never thought that I would be in.
I called most other law firms in the East Kent area to scope out an appointment. I booked yourselves despite living on the borders of Margate because you sounded ‘friendly, approachable and together’ and I got much less from everywhere else.  
I would just like to say a big thank you for all your hard work (second time around) and for getting me the little extra.  As usual you stayed calm and got it sorted.  I am sure this will be an end to the matter and thank you once again.  My warmest regards to your family and to the other members of...
I would like to put on record my sincerest thanks for all your assistance over the past 2 years.  Your professionalism and attention to detail have been outstanding and I wish you all the best in your future career.  Philip.  
I thank you for your care, compassion and understanding during what has been a form and emotion filled roller coaster. You have made the process bearable, simple and I have felt held every step of the way. I’m so glad I chose you to help me.
Can I take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for providing a top quality service for both Anne and I, showing care on what can be a difficult matter, combined with the utmost efficiency.
Graham Ludlow
You have been exceptional in all the help and advice you have provided. 
You set out my choices regarding the different ways of coming to an agreement clearly and in a language that was easy to understand, and were clear as to the potential costs involved. You took time to understand my wishes and it was clear that you took those into account when giving your advice, and...
When a potential problem arose I felt able to ring you, and you helped enormously in sorting it out quickly. I knew I could trust you to keep my best interests at the heart of all that you did. 
Thank you for all your help in enabling me to negotiate my separation successfully and I would have no hesitation in recommending you to others.
Dawn has a down to earth and friendly style that works for me. She responds and acts promptly to fit in with my busy work schedule. Her attention to detail and quality of advice means I have no hesitation in recommending her service. 
Steve Radcliffe
I just wanted to say thank you again for all your help and support in resolving my matrimonial affairs. You provided a professional service and were approachable throughout. You kept me well informed and gave clear and helpful advice making a difficult situation much easier to deal with. I would not...
Rachel Regan
Many thanks for all your help, I very much appreciated your support through a difficult time. Your particular approach and humour were very reassuring and grounding at all times. I'm also very glad for your advice to use the collaborative approach as I feel that has been instrumental in the good rel...
I want to thank you for all the help you have given me over the years. It was a great comfort to me knowing that I could always rely on you. It meant such a lot. 
Brigette
I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me. I was in a very dark place when I came to see you but you helped me so much for that I am truly grateful. I hope I will never need you again but if I do, I will make a point of coming to you and I will of course recommend you to my friends.
Tina
It has been a very difficult time and I would just like to say a very big thank you for all your assistance and advice. Your cooperative and objective approach to matters, availability and flexibility have, in no short measure, made what has been achieved possible. Thankfully, you were the ever pres...
I would like to thank you for handling my divorce with speed and professional honesty and for being frank with me, which was needed to ensure a correct mind set and settlement.
Thank you so much to you for all of your help and brilliant assistance. 
I want to thank you for all of your advice, and particularly the sensitivity which you brought to the process. I think you could see from the outset that both (my wife) and I were coming at this from a constructive angle and that we didn't need anything other than coaching, guidance and your profess...
Tom

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