Two Bristol family lawyers have started their own practice specialising in advising non-married couples on separation, wills and inheritance disputes.
Roskilly and Mills has been launched by Emily Roskilly and Lucia Mills, pictured, to provide specialist advice to cohabiting couples pre- and post-separation with what they are calling “a holistic, transparent and empathetic approach”.
Emily trained and worked for Veale Wasbrough Vizards (now VWV) in its Bristol head office for almost 13 years.
Prior to studying for her law degree, she spent a number of years in private practice in the South West and working in the legal department of local government.
Lucia started her legal career in 2007 and qualified as a family solicitor two years later. She spent nearly 14 years at Bristol firm Wards, the last two as partner.
Emily said: “Common law marriage is a myth. In the legal world there is no such thing. The truth is that married couples have greater rights than unmarried ones, and unmarried couples and those who co-own property may need specialist legal advice.
“Contrary to popular belief, when there is a property dispute, this area of law is civil Law and not family Law – the two specialisms are governed by different courts with different rules.
“When cohabiting couples separate, it is often a huge shock because one of them may end up with nothing – and huge costs.”
She said post-pandemic, there had been an increase of 9.6% in granted divorces, but many couples who lived together through lockdown were unmarried – or were unable to wed – and are now looking to separate.
Lucia added: “There have been calls to reform the law in this area. However, this is currently not being prioritised.
“We believe the law is out of step with modern-day society and there should be increased awareness for all unmarried couples.”
She added that when a couple are married, the matrimonial assets are considered to be part of the family financial pot (which includes pension, savings, etc) and the court often addresses these cases on a need basis and considers equality regardless of legal ownership.
However, this is not the case for unmarried couples. Roskilly and Mills has been launched to offer specialist advice to unmarried individuals in a changing world.
Emily said she empathised with those separating having been through it herself. Both her and Lucia are members of Resolution, the professional body committed to a constructive approach to family disputes, which is actively campaigning for reform in this area.
Roskilly and Mills support this and are keen to raise awareness of it.
Emily and Lucia said they also understood that cohabiting couples often needed help with finances, childcare, divorce coaches and well-being.
They have experts on hand and tailor-made advice to help with every stage, and – unlike many corporate law firms – do not have internal financial targets which means they can focus on their clients.
Emily added: “We are transparent about our fees and understand that sometimes clients need emotional support – and we don’t charge a fee for kindness and a confidential chat.
“As mums ourselves, we are keen to put the human, compassionate element back into legal advice.
“We ensure clients are involved in all decision-making, kept informed and updated throughout and that they fully understand the specialist legal advice they receive.
“The last thing our clients need to feel is uncertainty, in these difficult times.”
Roskilly and Mills also provides advice on will and inheritance disputes, including claims against an estate post-death, beneficiary disputes and potential validity challenges against wills.
