If you are looking for a family lawyer in Hamilton, Rooney Family Law practises family law exclusively: it is not one of the things we do; it is the only thing we do. Hamilton is our head office, at 2 Candymill Lane on Bothwell Bridge Business Park, and it is also the town where family actions across South Lanarkshire call. Every solicitor in the firm practises family law and nothing else, and most hold one or more Law Society of Scotland specialist accreditations in family or child law.
If you are facing separation, divorce, or a dispute about your children or your finances, we offer a free initial telephone call of approximately 10–15 minutes, so that you can explain your situation and understand your options before committing to anything. Call 0800 779 7848 or send us a message.
Hamilton Sheriff Court Is Two Buildings, Not One
This is the single most useful thing we can tell you before your first hearing, and it catches people out constantly.
Hamilton Sheriff Court deals with three kinds of business: civil, commissary and criminal. The Fines Office and the Criminal Office are in the Main Building. The Civil and Commissary office is in a separate building altogether — the Civil Building, known as Birnie House, at Caird Park, Hamilton Business Park, Caird Street, Hamilton ML3 0AL. Birnie House was acquired by the Scottish Court Service in 2006.
Family business is civil business. If your case calls, Birnie House is where you are going, and arriving at the main sheriff court building instead costs you time you do not have on the morning of a hearing.
The civil department can be reached on 01698 282957, and the sheriff clerk is Jean Flanagan.
Getting to Court, Wherever You Are Coming From
Buses from the surrounding towns do not all stop in the same place, which is worth knowing before you set off.
Bothwell stops in Keith Street. Uddingston and Motherwell stop in Almada Street. Larkhall stops at Cadzow Street. Bellshill stops in Bothwell Road. East Kilbride stops in Clydesdale Street. Strathaven, Stonehouse and Holytown stop at the town centre bus station. Wishaw, Harthill and Shotts stop in Muir Street, off Almada Street, changing at Shotts for Harthill.
By train. Hamilton West is the nearest station, about five minutes on foot along Clydesdale Street, with connections to Hamilton, Larkhall, Motherwell, Blantyre, Bellshill and Uddingston.
By car. There is no public car park at the courthouse. The free public car parks on Beckford Street, at the junctions with Caird Street and with Bothwell Street, are about three minutes’ walk but are heavily used by employees of neighbouring businesses, and South Lanarkshire Council may introduce charges in future. Town centre car parks are pay and display and about twenty minutes away on foot. The short stay parking on Beckford Street opposite the sheriff court entrance is limited to thirty minutes, which is no use for a hearing.
Arriving at Birnie House
Report to the reception area inside the main entrance, and have your paperwork with you so that you can be directed to the right court. There is a vending machine in the reception of Birnie House, and there are restaurants and shops selling sandwiches close to the main sheriff court building. A loop induction service is available in a number of courtrooms.
Most family cases are settled long before anyone stands in front of a sheriff. Where a case does call, we will tell you in advance what is likely to happen, roughly how long it will take, and whether you need to attend at all.
Our Head Office in Hamilton
Our head office is at 2 Candymill Lane, Bothwell Bridge Business Park, Hamilton ML3 0FD. Appointments are available in person, by telephone or by video, and we act for clients in Hamilton, Bothwell, Blantyre, Uddingston, Larkhall, Strathaven and across South Lanarkshire.
How We Charge
We publish our fees, and we bill in three-minute units rather than the six-minute units many firms use. Where hourly rates apply, a two-minute email is charged as three minutes and not six. The full position is set out on our fees page.
What We Do
Divorce
Most Scottish divorces do not involve an argument in court. Where matters are agreed, there are no children under sixteen and no financial claims, the simplified procedure may apply; otherwise an ordinary divorce is raised. We will tell you at the outset which route fits your circumstances.
Separation Agreements
Most separating couples settle by negotiation, and the terms are recorded in a Minute of Agreement, commonly called a separation agreement in Scotland. It can be registered, and it is enforceable.
Children
Residence, contact, and what used to be called custody. Where a case calls, the court may fix a child welfare hearing, which is short, informal by the standards of a court, and frequently decisive.
Financial Provision
Matrimonial property, the family home, and pensions on divorce, which are often the largest asset in the case and the one most commonly misunderstood.
Cohabiting Couples
Cohabitants in Scotland have rights on separation. They are not the same as a spouse’s rights, and they are subject to a strict time limit, so early advice matters.
Protective Orders
Where there is domestic abuse, interdicts, exclusion orders and occupation orders are available, and they can be sought urgently.
Family Lawyers Hamilton: Questions We Are Asked
Which building do I go to?
For anything to do with a family case, Birnie House on Caird Street. The main sheriff court building deals with criminal business and fines.
Do I have to go to court to get divorced?
Usually not. Most divorces are concluded on paper, and most separations are settled by agreement without any hearing at all.
How long does a divorce take?
Where everything is agreed, a simplified divorce is usually measured in months rather than years. Where matters are disputed, the timescale depends on the issues in your case.
Do you offer legal aid?
Ask us on the first call. We will tell you plainly whether you are likely to qualify and what the alternatives are.
What Our Clients Say
The decision to instruct Rooney family law was one of the best decisions I have made.
Excellent guidance, advice, professionalism and reassurance throughout.
It has been important to be able put my trust in someone at such an important and difficult time in my life.
Everyone has been supportive and helpful throughout.
I would not hesitate to recommend your services.
Thanks to Brian Rooney and all the wonderful staff in Uddingston.
Thank you once again
I hope I never have to use a family lawyer again, but if I did I wouldn’t hesitate to use Rooney Family Law and can’t recommend them highly enough.
Wonderful!! Thank you Rooney Family.
Speak to a Hamilton Family Lawyer Today
Free initial telephone call of approximately 10–15 minutes • Complete confidentiality
Legal review: Brian Rooney, Managing Partner and Law Society of Scotland Accredited Specialist in Family Law. Last reviewed: July 2026.
