Understanding maternity, paternity and adoption leave
Navigating your rights around maternity, paternity, or adoption leave and pay can feel overwhelming. At Pinney Talfourd, we help you understand your entitlement, pay, and protections under employment law so you can focus on what matters most – your family.
Family changes bring joy but workplace uncertainty can follow. Our expert employment team assists you with all aspects of leave rights including statutory pay, flexibility options, and protections against unfair treatment. We cover the legal details, guide you through negotiations, and support you if issues arise like discriminatory dismissal, unreasonable refusal of flexible working or unexpected contract changes.
Our client-focused approach ensures you feel informed and supported every step of the way. For employees seeking advice on leave entitlements, we bring warmth, expertise, and a solution-focused mindset. Recognised in the Legal 500 for employment law, our team is trusted to handle sensitive matters with both professionalism and humanity.
Trusted legal support backed by industry recognition
Our employment law team is recommended in the Legal 500 for consistently high-quality advice, ensuring you benefit from up-to-date, reliable guidance.
Personalised guidance every step of the way
We take time to listen to your unique circumstances, so our advice is tailored, clear, and practical.
Clear communication that makes complex law understandable
We translate legal jargon into everyday language, giving you confidence and clarity.
Proactive problem-solving
We help you anticipate potential risks and adapt, protecting your employment rights and relationships at work.
Support beyond the law
We understand that family law issues don’t exist in isolation. We provide holistic guidance considering your broader life and business context.
Responsive and accessible service
We aim to be there when you need us most, ensuring prompt responses and ongoing communication.
Empathetic and approachable team
You’ll experience genuine care and understanding from a dedicated team committed to your well-being.
Long-term partnership approach
You’ll experience genuine care and understanding from a dedicated team committed to your well-being.
Supporting your journey through employment law and family life
Our service goes well beyond explaining your statutory rights. We provide practical, hands‑on support: drafting and reviewing leave agreements; advising on returns to work (including phased returns, KIT days and flexible working requests); and engaging with your employer to resolve issues swiftly and fairly. Where needed, we represent you robustly in grievances, settlement discussions or Employment Tribunal proceedings.
We ensure you understand the full scope of your protections during pregnancy and family leave, including rights linked to pregnancy related illness, health and safety considerations, and safeguards against discrimination, detriment or unfair dismissal.
Employment law relating to family leave continues to evolve. We keep you informed on the latest developments affecting your rights, such as changes to shared parental leave or adoption leave entitlements.
We know that each family’s situation is unique, whether you are taking maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, or shared parental leave. Our approachable team takes care to understand your goals and concerns, helping you make decisions with confidence.
At Pinney Talfourd, we’re more than your legal advisors; we’re your trusted partner.
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave FAQs
paternity and adoption leave FAQs
Intro text: We understand you might be looking for answers, so we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help get you started.
You’re entitled to take up to 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave, and up to 2 weeks of paternity leave, with statutory protections against dismissal or detriment.
It can start up to 11 weeks before the baby’s due date. You must take at least 2 weeks off after the birth (4 weeks if you are a manual worker).
Yes. It can include for example part-time hours, staggered hours, remote working, working from home, hybrid working, flexitime, job sharing and compressed hours.
Yes, parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay. We guide you through eligibility and how to arrange this with your employer.
We support you to address workplace discrimination or unfair dismissal claims linked to maternity, paternity, or adoption leave.
You have the legal right to request flexible work. We advise on how to make your case and support both employees and employers through the process.
Our team of experts
Alex Pearce
Partner
Charlotte Buck
Senior Associate
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Your key contact
You can contact us now to book an initial consultation. Or for more information please contact Alex Pearce on the details below.
Alex Pearce
Partner