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High net worth divorce lawyers

Expert advice for high net worth divorce

For a free 30-minute initial chat with one of our high net worth divorce lawyers, call Woolley & Co on 0800 321 3832 or complete our online form.

Dealing with the financial side of divorce can be really challenging, especially when there are high value assets to consider.

Even if you are aiming for an amicable settlement, it is still vital to seek expert advice and support. This helps to make sure you can separate your finances in a way that meets your current and future needs, as well as those of any dependants.

If you are concerned that you won’t be able to negotiate a settlement or that your spouse may attempt to hide assets, then having the right legal team in your corner is critical. An experienced divorce lawyer will be able to make sure you achieve the best division of assets in court where needed, with all assets properly valued and accounted for.

At Woolley & Co Solicitors, we have extensive experience with high net worth and ultra-high net worth divorce, including both negotiated settlements and contested proceedings. Whatever your circumstances, we can help you get the outcome you need, giving you financial security.

Our high net worth divorce lawyers can advise on issues including:

  • Consent orders
  • Spousal maintenance
  • Child maintenance
  • Personal and investment properties
  • Pensions
  • Business interests
  • Farming and other family business assets
  • Trusts
  • Inherited assets
  • Offshore assets
  • Uncovering hidden assets
  • Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

See examples of our high net worth divorce expertise here .

Take a look at our team to find a high net worth divorce lawyer who is right for you.

Speak to an experienced high net worth divorce lawyer today

Take advantage of a free 30-minute telephone appointment to talk through your situation. We will explain your options and how we can help. You will find our high net worth divorce lawyers are friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

We offer a detailed case assessment for £500+VAT, including consideration of your case by an experienced lawyer and advice and guidance on your next steps– you can find out more about this here.

For a free 30-minute initial chat with one of our high net worth divorce lawyers, call Woolley & Co on 0800 321 3832 or complete our online form.

How our UK high net worth divorce lawyers can help you

Consent order

Having reached an agreement about your finances when you divorce it is essential to make the agreement legally binding in the form of a consent order. You can apply for a consent order from a court, which will set out what has been agreed in your financial settlement and prevent either party from making any financial claims against the other in future.

We can prepare a legally binding consent order on your behalf, making sure the details are correct and giving you peace of mind about your future financial security.

Spousal maintenance

If one spouse will require ongoing financial support from the other to meet their reasonable needs, this is called spousal maintenance. Spousal maintenance can either be paid monthly or as a lump sum.

Our team can help you to negotiate spousal maintenance or deal with this as part of court proceedings. We can also assist with applications to vary or end spousal maintenance if required.

Learn more about how we can help with spousal maintenance.

Child maintenance

The needs of children should always come first during divorce. Our lawyers can help you negotiate arrangements for child maintenance as part of your financial settlement in divorce. We can help to ensure your children’s full needs are considered, including their schooling and extracurricular activities.

Learn more about how we can help with child maintenance.

Personal and investment properties

Property is often one of the most significant matrimonial assets, including the family home, second homes, holiday homes and investment properties. What happens to these properties will need to be carefully considered, with our lawyers able to assist with options including transferring their ownership or selling the properties to release the equity tied up in them. Timing the date of disposal to account for tax implications will be one of the critical considerations.

Pensions

It is important not to overlook pension assets in divorce as they are often high value and critical to your future financial security. Options include pension offsetting, where the value of a pension is offset by giving up other assets, such as the family home, and pension sharing, where part of a pension pot is transferred to the other spouse.

Our team can advise on these options and help you to make the best choice for your future.

Learn more about how we can help with pensions on divorce.

Business interests

Business assets can present a significant challenge when divorcing, especially in the case of family owned and farming businesses. It is important to deal with them in a way that protects their value while ensuring any divorce settlement you reach meets both parties’ needs.

We can advise you on different options, including offsetting the value of business assets with other assets, such as property. We can also help with what to do about a family business in which both spouses are involved.

Trusts

Trusts can be complex assets to deal with, especially if they are family trusts from which multiple people receive a benefit. Working out how to deal with trusts in divorce requires specialist understanding and a sensitive approach.

Our team can provide clear guidance on how trusts factor into the division of matrimonial assets, ensuring they are properly considered and that the value of the trust is protected.

Inherited assets

Inherited assets can be a highly emotive subject when dealing with divorce finances. Depending on the circumstances, they will potentially need to be considered as part of the division of assets, so it is important to seek advice as soon as possible.

We can clarify for you whether an inheritance you have received or are due to receive will need to be included in your divorce settlement and how this should be handled.

Offshore assets

Offshore assets will need to be considered as part of any divorce settlement or court-ordered division of matrimonial assets. It is crucial to make sure all offshore assets are identified and properly valued so that they can be correctly factored into any negotiated or court-ordered division of assets.

Uncovering hidden assets

Both you and your spouse are legally required to disclose all your assets so that they can be considered when splitting finances in divorce. If you are concerned that your spouse is attempting to hide assets or conceal their true value, there are steps you can take to uncover the truth.

Our team can advise on options including third-party disclosure (obtaining documents from organisations such as banks and HMRC), enforcement of disclosure obligations against your spouse and freezing orders to prevent the disposal of assets.

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

Where you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place, this should provide clear guidance on how your assets should be divided in divorce. However, these agreements are not strictly legally binding, so it may be possible in certain circumstances to agree a different division of assets than that set out in a prenup or postnup.

We can advise on whether a court is likely to agree with the terms of a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, as well as assist with negotiating an alternative settlement where required.

Key facts about high net worth divorce

What does a court consider when deciding division of assets in divorce ?

Even if you are hoping to avoid court proceedings and reach a negotiated settlement, having an understanding of what a court would award is a sensible starting point when dealing with the division of assets in divorce.

A court will consider the available assets, the income of each spouse and the needs of each spouse and any dependants. The court will aim to achieve a division of assets that is fair and that meets the various parties’ reasonable needs.

In high net worth and ultra-high net worth divorce cases, the court will fully consider the standard of living the family has enjoyed. This means it will typically make a much more generous allowance for the needs of the spouses and any children or other dependants than would be the case in a standard divorce.

Exactly what will be considered and what a court might decide are the reasonable needs of the various parties will depend on the circumstances, so it is important to get specialist advice at an early stage.

What is a ‘special contribution’ to a marriage?

Where one spouse has contributed substantial wealth to a marriage, they may decide to argue that they should receive a bigger share of marital assets. This can be done by claiming that they have made a ‘special, unmatched contribution’ to the marriage.

Courts are generally reluctant to accept special contribution arguments, but if accepted, they can significantly impact the division of assets. It is therefore essential to take expert advice before advancing or responding to such an argument during divorce.

Examples of our high net worth divorce expertise

Our high net worth divorce lawyers assist clients in the UK and internationally in a range of situations, with examples of our work including:

  • High net worth divorce settlement involving significant property portfolio and pension assets
  • Court-ordered financial separation involving family home, multiple buy-to-let properties and business assets
  • Disputed financial proceedings involving multimillion pound assets and 10+ properties
  • Financial settlement involving a family business, holiday let properties, complex trust arrangements and private school fees.
  • Contested financial proceedings involving a dispute over reasonable needs with assets including a family business, leasehold property and company assets
  • Negotiated financial settlement covering assets including family home, multiple buy-to-let properties and 6 pensions
  • High-net worth divorce settlement involving Caribbean property, commercial properties, and trusts

Our high net worth divorce lawyers in the UK are here for you

High asset divorce brings with it a number of unique challenges, so specialist expertise is absolutely essential. Our team are here to help make sure you get the best possible division of finances for your current circumstances, your future and your loved ones.

To take advantage of your free 30-minute consultation with our expert high net worth divorce lawyers, call 0800 321 3832, or complete our quick online form.

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