Blog
Keeping the peace at Christmas – top tips for shared parenting over the festive season
Lauren Evans
4 March 2016
Getting divorced - what the non-dom changes mean for you
In the 2015 Budget, George Osborne announced that, from 6 April 2017, certain new categories of non-UK-domiciled individuals will be deemed to be UK-domiciled for tax purposes. This will result in the loss of a significant tax planning opportunity for some couples who have non UK assets; are separating or contemplating divorce; and wish to make an offshore transfer between each other in a tax efficient fashion after the new rules take effect.
2 March 2016
Alternatives to the family court process - new Family Law Children Arbitration Scheme to be launched
For many, the prospect of attending a court hearing to decide upon the future of your family or finances can be a daunting process. Courts tend to be formal, overwhelming and expensive. Thankfully, court is not the only option and alternative dispute resolution methods, such as arbitration or mediation, can often assist in achieving a more amicable, timely and economical resolution.
24 February 2016
Doughnut or double - bankers’ bonuses and spousal maintenance
Bonuses are a significant but unpredictable part of most bankers’ salaries. Under the current EU cap, bankers can receive bonuses equal to 100% of their basic salary and with shareholder approval bonuses of 200% can be awarded. However, a banker may receive no bonus at all. Emolument.com, a site that provides bonus statistics based on data submitted directly by professionals, predicted that 2016 would see more ‘doughnuts’ (zero bonuses) at one end of the spectrum and very large strategic pay outs at the other. And, according to a recent article in The Independent online referring to the lack of transparency in the making of bonus awards, a banker may have little insight into what they will receive until it is awarded.
Against this background of uncertainty, how can you work out your finances on separation or divorce if a large part of your income, or your spouse’s income, is a discretionary and difficult to predict bonus?
24 February 2016
Rights of cohabitants - setting the record straight
The recently reported case of John Hoggins’ failed claim against a £650,000 house he bought for his girlfriend, Greta Cerniauskaite, has generated some interesting headlines. Reports of “Plumbing tycoon's ex girlfriend wins share of fortune” and “British millionaire ordered to hand luxury £650,000 house to Lithuanian ex-girlfriend” add to the myth that cohabitants have legal rights.
11 February 2016
La décision dans l’Affaire de divorce Cooper-Hohn laisse la capitale du divorce en alerte
Il ressort deux choses surprenantes de la décision prononcée vendredi dernier (12 décembre 2014) concernant le divorce du couple très fortuné de Monsieur Chris Hohn, un financier Londonien, et de sa femme Américaine Madame Cooper-Hohn. La première surprise est qu’il aura fallu du temps pour voir un capital alloué judiciairement à un époux franchir la barre des £100 millions – en effet par le passé, seulement deux accords de la sorte s’étaient tout juste rapprochés de la moitié de ce montant. Madame Cooper-Hohn s’est vue, lors de son divorce, attribuer un peu plus du tiers de la fortune de couple d’1,5 milliards USD cinq mois après que l’audience de divorce ait eu lieu cet été devant la High Court.
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- Mediation & Alternatives to Litigation
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- Legal Updates
- Reflections on The Split
- Child Relocation after Divorce or Separation