Financial Arrangements on Divorce

Our lawyers are experts in advising on and negotiating financial settlements for our clients.  We draw on many years’ experience to give you sound advice to secure your future.  We listen to your goals and will work with you to devise a strategy to conclude your case with minimum stress, cost and time. We will represent your interests robustly throughout your case. 

A number of factors are taken into account when considering financial arrangements on divorce including the length of marriage, the ages of the parties, their assets, incomes and earning capacities.  We will explain to you the relevance of each of these factors to your circumstances.

Contrary to common perception, there is no automatic 50-50 division of assets or income. We can advise you as to the likely settlement achievable through use of the court process, negotiation, collaboration and mediation.

Even where settlements are negotiated directly between you and your spouse, it is vital to take advice on the fairness of the agreement to ensure it will be legally enforceable. 

The court can order the sale or transfer of property, payment of lump sums, sharing of pensions and payment of maintenance.  We regularly look after clients who have complex financial arrangements, including trust assets, multiple properties, business assets and investments. 

We can advise and represent you if you have to take urgent legal action to protect your assets in the UK or worldwide, such as preventing your spouse or partner hide, remove or dispose of them (e.g. bank accounts and the family home).

We understand how international wealth, trusts and inherited wealth impact upon divorce settlement and have close ties in all countries of the world.  We have real expertise in handling the divorces of large estates and farming families. 

We will work collaboratively with accountants, valuers and financial advisors, and when times get tough, we will bring in therapists and witness preparation support when needed.

Recent examples of work

• Acting in a “big money” and long marriage farming case, where the parties were partners in a premium fruit farming business.  We represented the wife in complex and litigious proceedings, involving significant valuation and accounting evidence. Our longstanding expertise in farming cases enabled us to determine a strategy early in the case and take the case through to a successful final conclusion for our client.
• Acting in a high net worth case for the wife of a private equity businessman. The case was negotiated out of Court but involved considerable financial disclosure about the husband's interest in future investments, in which we assisted in the wife securing a share.
• Representing the husband in defending financial claims from his former wife who was seeking an interest in the various properties which he had inherited from his parents. The case proceeded to a final hearing where we successfully limited the wife's orders to matrimonial assets.

WHAT IS SAID ABOUT US

"It's a team that has a great breadth of experience across the board and particularly in international cases."

Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession

"I always think of them as having a Rolls-Royce service but they are particularly good when there's a European element to the case."

Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession

"Very strong litigation practice, with some of the best up-and-coming stars of tomorrow"

Legal 500 UK

"A standout firm"

Legal 500 UK

"Professional yet sympathetic manner and the team always fights hard to defend your interests"

Chambers UK, A Client's Guide to the UK Legal Profession

If you require further information or advice from our team of specialist family lawyers, please contact a member of our team or call us on +44 (0)20 7814 1200.