Family, divorce, pre-nuptial agreements & children

Our family and divorce lawyers are known for their sophisticated, pragmatic and humane approach towards issues concerning relationship breakdown, children and wealth protection.

Clients need their legal advisers to understand the complexities of their particular situation and apply the law in a practical and empathetic manner to achieve the best outcome. Our work is often of an international nature, involving cross-border trust, tax or corporate aspects.

We also work extensively on pre-and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, disputes between civil partners and unmarried couples, and issues involving children.

Our team sits within the wider Private Client group which is ranked as one of the top seven in the world. As a result we are able to bring a joined-up approach to our work, ensuring that complex issues are identified and resolved early.Clients like our realistic, straightforward style coupled with our ability to negotiate sophisticated financial settlements.

In addition to acting for private individuals, together with our Trusts, Estates and Succession Disputes team, we advise onshore and offshore trustees in connection with English family proceedings and the enforcement of any awards against them by English courts.

We have a strong track record of achieving sensible solutions quickly and effectively. Our team contains trained collaborative lawyers and family mediators. The team is committed to helping clients achieve a fair result whether through solicitor negotiation, mediation, collaborative law or the courts, but should a case proceed to litigation, we have a reputation for successfully protecting our client’s position.

Highlights of our recent family work include:

International - acting in stay proceedings for a high-net-worth individual whose spouse had issued divorce proceedings in England.  A non-EU jurisdiction was more appropriate in the circumstances of the case

Multi jurisdiction divorce - acting for the spouse of an ultra high net worth individual in divorce and financial proceedings. The husband was primarily based in a foreign jurisdiction and had interests in four others, as well as a large and complex structure of offshore trusts and companies

High net worth divorce - acting for a highly successful businessman in his divorce.  The marital assets, which were valued at many millions of pounds, included several properties, extensive and valuable antiques and other chattels, pensions and both listed and unlisted shares

Offshore trusts - acting for offshore trustees joined to ancillary relief proceedings before the English court. We gave detailed advice on submission to the jurisdiction and reconciled it with advice from the offshore jurisdiction before representing the clients pragmatically to protect their interests

Provision for children - acting for a parent with care of a child in a claim for financial provision.  The non-resident parent was a successful international executive with a very significant annual net income.  We were able to negotiate appropriate maintenance and find intelligent, tax-efficient ways to provide accommodation for the child 

Pre-nuptial agreement - advising, drafting and concluding a pre-nuptial agreement for a client and his fiancée.  This agreement involved multiple jurisdictions and nine-figure assets which were distributed among various offshore trust and company structures and included a high proportion of wealth emanating from the client’s family

Post-nuptial agreement - acting for a high net worth individual in the conclusion of a post-nuptial settlement designed to deal with the financial consequences of a possible divorce, enabling the parties to focus on trying to save the marriage.