Avril Croud

Avril is a family law specialist with over 30 years’ experience who is committed to helping families find their way through difficult situations. Avril is also a member of the Law Society Family Panel.  

Wherever possible she tries to find amicable solutions to family disputes, but where court proceedings are required she will guide you through the process and ensure your interests are protected.

Avril advises on the following areas of family law:

• Family care proceedings – where parents have been warned their children may be taken into care or put up for adoption; 
• Family safeguarding – providing support in cases of domestic violence or abuse;
• Parenting issues – in cases where a parental responsibility order from the court may be required to ensure both parents have an equal say about decisions affecting their children’s lives, or where there are issues around fertility and surrogacy;
• Relationship breakdown – helping couples through separation, divorce or the dissolution of a civil partnership.
• Financial settlements – to ensure appropriate financial arrangements are made as part of the divorce or dissolution process and that tricky issues around the family home and pension sharing are resolved;
• Disputes about children – to agree where children should live, who they should have contact with and arrangements where one parent intends to live abroad; and   
• Wealth protection – to safeguard the financial interests of unmarried couples through a cohabitation agreement and couples who plan to marry via a prenuptial agreement.

Examples of recent cases

Recently Avril has:

• Prevented the sale of a specially adapted family home on behalf of a wife with multiple sclerosis, by showing that her needs outweighed those of her husband who wanted to raise money by selling the house; 
• Negotiated supervised contact between a father and his children in a case where the mother and the court had concerns over safety because of the father’s mental health problems; and 
• Ensured a mother was able to continue caring for her children in a case where social services were seeking to remove the children from the family home.

Family law advice across Kent

Avril is based in our Maidstone office but advises clients throughout Kent and specifically in the Medway. 

To contact Avril, please call 01580 76 22 48 or email avril.croud@pengelly-rylands.co.uk. 

Fixed cost initial appointment 

We offer an initial 30 minute appointment with Avril to discuss your requirements from £115 plus VAT.