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Divorce & Separation
From no-fault petitions to financial settlement and consent orders. Most of our divorce work is resolved without court — including the financial side, where it’s usually the longer conversation.
Foster & Roach
01904 588 200York · Family Law · Since 1972
Family law done with compassion,
not contention.
We’re a small York practice of women solicitors who have spent the last five decades helping families through divorce, separation, and the quieter, harder questions that come with them. We pick up the phone. We use plain English. We never charge for an explanation.
SRA Regulated · 84203·Resolution Member·Law Society Family Law Advanced·Legal Aid Panel
I — How We Work
A quieter kind of family lawyer.
We listen first. Most people who walk into our office have been carrying something for months, sometimes years. The first appointment isn’t about paperwork or pricing — it’s about understanding what you actually want to happen next.
We keep things out of court when we can. Litigation is expensive, slow, and rarely produces the outcome people imagined. Where mediation or collaborative law can work, we will steer you there first. Court is the last room we open, not the first.
We charge fairly, and we say so up-front. You will know what each stage is likely to cost before we begin. If something we’re doing stops being good value for you, we’ll tell you. We’d rather lose the work than watch a client run up a bill they didn’t need.
We’re here for the long haul. Many clients come back years later for a child arrangements review, a will, or to refer a friend. The relationship doesn’t end when the consent order is sealed — we answer the phone five years on, just as we did on day one.
II — What We Practise
Five quiet specialisms.
We don’t cover commercial property, criminal work, or anything else outside the family. We do one thing, and we’ve been doing it from the same street in York since 1972.
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Children Law
Child arrangements, parental responsibility, schools, relocation. We approach children’s matters with the same care we’d want for our own — calmly, slowly, and with the child at the centre of every decision.
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Mediation
Two of our partners are accredited family mediators. Mediation is often quicker, cheaper, and far less corrosive than the alternative. We act as the mediator or alongside one.
04
Cohabitation Agreements
If you’re moving in, buying together, or already living together unmarried, you don’t have the protections people often assume. A cohabitation agreement quietly fixes that, before it’s a problem.
05
Domestic Abuse Support
Non-molestation orders, occupation orders, and emergency protection — usually arranged within twenty-four hours. Legal Aid available for those who qualify. Always treated in confidence.
06
Pre & Post-Nuptial Agreements
Increasingly common, and far less unromantic than people expect. A clear document drawn up while everyone is on good terms saves a great deal of grief later.
III — Our Partners
Three women, one practice.
Margaret Foster
Senior Partner
Joined the firm in 1981 and made partner in 1989. Specialises in complex financial remedies and high-net-worth divorce. Resolution-accredited specialist.
Catherine Roach
Partner · Mediation Lead
Trained as a barrister before crossing to solicitor practice. Accredited family mediator since 2008. Writes occasionally for the Law Society Gazette.
Helena Whitlock
Partner · Children & Domestic Abuse
Family Law Advanced accredited. Sits on the Legal Aid panel for children and protective work. Trustee of a York refuge charity.
IV — When To Call Us
You don’t need to be sure.
You just need to want to talk.
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If the conversations at home have stopped, and you’re wondering what your options would look like on paper — that’s the moment to call.
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If you’ve already separated and now there’s a question about the house, the pension, or who pays what — we can talk it through before any letters fly.
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If you’re a parent worrying about contact arrangements, school holidays, or a move being proposed without you — there are usually more options than the obvious two.
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If you’re moving in together, buying a flat together, or one of you is putting more in than the other — half an hour with us now is worth a great deal later.
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If you’re frightened of someone in your home, or someone you used to live with, please ring us before anyone else. We can arrange an emergency order today.
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If a friend or family member is going through something they don’t know how to name — pass them our number. The first call is free and entirely confidential.
V — Typical Fees
Transparent pricing.
A guide to typical fees on the work we do most often. Every matter is different — these are honest indications, and we will give you a written estimate before any chargeable work begins.
No-fault divorce (uncontested)
From £950 + VAT + court fee
Most divorces
Financial consent order
From £1,200 + VAT
Where matters are agreed
Financial remedy (contested)
£3,500 – £15,000 + VAT
Estimate given at outset
Cohabitation agreement
£600 – £1,200 + VAT
One-off, fixed
Pre-nuptial agreement
From £1,500 + VAT
Per party
Mediation (per session, per party)
£180 + VAT
Typically 3–5 sessions
Children Act application
£2,500 – £8,000 + VAT
Stage estimates given
Initial consultation
Free of charge
Up to 30 minutes
Legal Aid is available for domestic abuse and many children’s matters. We will tell you on the first call if you may qualify.
VI — A Short History
Three women, a small office, and a city that needed them.
Foster & Roach opened its doors on Micklegate in the spring of 1972, founded by Eleanor Foster, Joan Roach, and Patricia Whitlock — three of the very few women practising family law in the north of England at the time.
The firm took on work other practices would not, defended women seeking divorce when the grounds were narrow and the stigma was wide, and quietly built a reputation for being unfussy, fair, and fiercely on the client’s side.
Fifty-four years on, we are still on Micklegate, still small, and still led entirely by women — three partners and four associates. The work has changed. The founding instinct has not.
From a recent client
“I came in expecting a fight. Catherine sat me down, made me a cup of tea, and twenty minutes later I understood what was actually possible. Six months on we have a consent order, and the children are still speaking to both of us.”
Mrs S · Divorce & Financial Settlement, 2024
VII — Arrange A Conversation
The first call
is always free.
Half an hour, on the telephone or in person, with no obligation and no record taken unless you ask for one. Quiet, kind, and entirely confidential.
Call 01904 588 200 →Office
42 Micklegate
York
North Yorkshire YO1 6LF
York
North Yorkshire YO1 6LF
Opening Hours
Mon – Thu · 9.00 – 17.30
Fri · 9.00 – 16.30
Sat by appointment
Fri · 9.00 – 16.30
Sat by appointment