Sharp Family Law is an experienced Bath firm dedicated exclusively to family law.
Founded in 2008, we help families across Bath and the South West protect what matters and find a way forward. We understand that divorce and separation are never simply legal or financial processes. They can affect your home, your children, your relationships and your sense of what comes next. Our role is to make the legal process clearer and easier to navigate, rather than add to what you’re already carrying.
How Sharp Family Law approaches divorce and separation
When you are separating, you may know that important issues need to be resolved without knowing how best to approach it legally. You shouldn’t have to work that out alone. At Sharp Family Law we start by understanding your situation, priorities and what you are trying to achieve. We then help you choose the most appropriate way forward – whether that is Constructive Negotiation, Collaborative Law, One Couple, One Solicitor or, where necessary, Arbitration or Court proceedings. The value lies in matching the process to your family, rather than fitting every family into the same process.
Each option meets different needs. One Couple, One Solicitor can work well when you both want to resolve matters together and feel comfortable sharing one legal team. Collaborative law allows you to work through issues face-to-face, supported by your own solicitors, without going to court. And when agreement genuinely isn’t possible, or one person simply won’t engage, court may provide the structure needed to move things forward.
Sharp Family Law does not provide a family mediation service directly, but we can refer you to an accredited independent mediator we know and trust, while continuing to support you through and after the mediation process.
Why families in Bath choose Sharp Family Law
Sharp Family Law is ranked the number one family law firm in Bath by ThreeBestRated, with an inspection score of 117 out of 120.
But choosing a family lawyer is rarely about rankings alone. You want to know that the person advising you understands what’s at stake, can see around corners you may not yet know are there, and will help you make good decisions at what can be an uncertain and emotionally difficult time. Founder Richard Sharp brings more than 35 years of family-law experience, and a long history in and around Bath, along with deep knowledge of the local courts, community, and the questions clients often don’t yet know to ask.
Sharp Family Law is also the only family law firm in Bath to offer a confidential online form to start the process, giving you space to explain what’s happening before your first meeting. For many clients, that makes an understandably difficult first step feel a little easier: You can tell us what we need to know privately, in your own time, without having to explain everything from the beginning when you first sit down with a solicitor.
- Start online when you feel ready, without waiting to get things moving.
- Your solicitor has the details before you meet, so you can spend more of that first conversation understanding your options and next steps.
- Spend less time and cost covering background information, and more on what matters now.
- Complete everything confidentially, on any device, whenever it suits you.
Sharp Family Law is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Our mission, clients and philosophy
Our mission
At Sharp Family Law, we understand that divorce and separation are not simply legal or financial processes. We know they affect all aspects of a couple's life, in unique ways. So we strive to provide each client with a customised service that fits their individual needs. One that encompasses everything from children and finances to emotional wellbeing, and empowers clients to plan their future with confidence.
Our clients
Although our clients are all different, they often share similar goals including:
- Protecting important relationships, including with their children, post-divorce
- Avoiding the time and financial and emotional cost that come with prolonged conflict and court litigation
- A fair division of financial wealth generated by the marriage
- Maintaining control of the process and outcome, leaving the decision making in their hands
- An individualised 'whole person' approach customised to their unique family situation.
Our clients include:
- Professionals and their families (for example, doctors, dentists, therapists, teachers, lecturers, accountants, administrators and pilots)
- Owners of businesses and their families (typically owner-managed businesses within private companies or partnerships, company directors and managers)
- Couples in which one person is the sole breadwinner
- Families and individuals with international connections (particularly in the US but also parts of Europe plus returning ex-pats from the Middle and Far East).
Our philosophy
At Sharp Family Law, we're committed to helping clients:
- Maintain their respect and dignity in difficult times Divorce and separation often leave otherwise kind, thoughtful people struggling to manage their emotions. We work with many clients who wish to work through the process with self-respect and dignity.
- Achieve what is most important to them From achieving a fair financial settlement to doing what is best for children, many of our clients want to constructively resolve all differences with their partner.
- Work through the emotional, financial and legal issues We take a bigger picture approach to provide support on all aspects of divorce and separation, helping clients reach outcomes that are best for them and their family.
What it costs to work with us
At Sharp Family Law we want to understand what's most important to you. So, before we meet for the first time we will, wherever possible, ask you to complete our confidential online information form. This helps us better discover your goals and interests and it makes sure that, starting with the initial meeting, time is spent on what you need.
We'll only ever charge you for the time our solicitors spend working on your instructions, along with any third party expenses such as court fees. We'll record time spent on actions including the following:
- Attending meetings and holding phone calls with you
- Considering, preparing and working on papers for your case
- Writing letters, emails, making phone calls and attending meetings with others involved in your case, including travel time
- Attending and representing you at court
Hourly rates and fixed prices
Time spent on your case will be charged at the hourly rate of the solicitor undertaking the work and we'll give you full details of these rates at our first meeting.
We understand that divorce and separation are an expensive concern for most, and try to keep our costs affordable and proportionate. We offer, whenever possible, fixed prices for an uncontested divorce, and for other types of uncontested legal work. We can also agree fixed fees for defined pieces of work.
Financial support
We're not able to offer publicly funded law services (formerly known as legal aid) for couples looking to divorce. However, your means and merits may qualify for government support for your family law issue. To find out whether you qualify, go to www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid.
For a fuller breakdown, see our Divorce Costs page.
Talk to us
Start the online form today, and a solicitor will get back to you with more information on the routes available to you.
Call us on 01225 448955 to speak to a family solicitor