High Net Worth Divorce Solicitors

Divorce and separation is stressful regardless of who you are, but when high value assets are involved, such as property portfolios, businesses and substantial investments, it can be particularly challenging for everyone involved. Having a solicitor who specialises in high net worth divorce is therefore essential.

Deciding to get a divorce or dissolution is a big step. Whether your relationship has ended unexpectedly, or you have been mulling over separation for a while, it is normal to feel anxious about the future.

At Chattertons, our divorce solicitors are here to provide all the advice and support you need to help you sort out your divorce and start moving on with your life.

Our team have particular expertise helping individuals with divorce and civil partnership dissolution matters involving high net worth assets. We can help you protect your financial interests, untangling complex financial arrangements to find a fair resolution for you and your children.

Our expertise includes:

• Assisting with the negotiation of fair high net worth divorce settlements, covering everything from the family home and financial assets of the marriage to dividing a business on divorce and international property portfolios.
• Providing advice about freezing orders/injunctions and working with forensic accountants where assets may have been hidden to avoid inclusion in the divorce settlement.
• Handling the divorce or dissolution application process, including providing representation during defended divorce proceedings.
• Providing advice about arrangements for children, including resolving disputes about upbringing, change of name and international issues.

Speak to our high net worth divorce solicitors

For expert assistance with your divorce, you can contact our local teams in Boston, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, London, Newark, Sleaford, Spalding or Stamford.

To ask a question or request a call back at a time that suits you, please use our simple enquiry form and a member of our team will get back to you quickly.

How our high net worth divorce solicitors can help you

We can assist with all the legal aspects of your divorce, including:

Applying for a divorce or civil partnership dissolution

We can handle the application of process of divorce on your behalf, including completing legal documentation, liaising with your ex-partner and their solicitor and ensuring each stage is completed within the earliest possible timeframes.

If your partner is objecting to the divorce or dissolution, we can provide practical advice about your options and help you resolve any disputes.

We are also able to help couples resolve issues of ‘jurisdiction’ where they live internationally or regularly travel.

High net worth divorce financial settlements

If you and/or your partner have significant assets, negotiating the financial settlement may understandably be making you feel particularly stressed. You will naturally want to protect your position, whether that’s keeping the assets you have worked so hard for or making sure that your ex-partner provides for you properly.

Whichever position you are in, we are here to provide all the advice and support you need. We help families negotiate amicable and fair financial settlements, covering matters such as:

• Dividing the family home
• Dividing savings and investments
• Agreeing how to split bills, debts and other expenses
• Dividing belongings, such as cars, jewellery and furniture

Our high net worth solicitors have particular experience advising individuals on divorce financial matters that commonly affect high net worth individuals, including:

Pre-nuptial agreements

If there is a pre-nup involved, we can advise on its terms, enforceability and your options should the terms no longer suit your needs.

Business interests

Dealing with business interests upon separation can be complex. Businesses are often valuable assets, but deciding how to divide or offset business interests requires careful negotiation. We can talk you through your options, protecting your position and commercial interests at every turn.

Pensions

We can provide advice on a range of options for sorting out pensions upon divorce or dissolution, including:

• Pension sharing orders
• Pension offsetting
• Pension attachment orders

Trusts, investments and property portfolios

Divorce can become particularly complex when there are high value and diverse investments involved. We can assist with negotiations involving a wide range of challenging assets and investments, including:

• Residential and commercial real estate
• Stocks and shares ISAs
• Bonds
• Trusts
• With-profits policies

International assets

International assets such as properties owned overseas can be treated as matrimonial assets just like those owned in the UK. We have experience of handling divorces involving international property, including experience working with professionals such as forensic accountants to negotiate the fair division of overseas assets.

Spousal maintenance

High net worth divorces often involve a significant income disparity, and questions about spousal maintenance can be difficult to resolve, particularly should disputes arise about what an ex-partner ‘needs’ to avoid hardship.

We can help couples resolve these issues, protecting your financial interests and making sure the final arrangement is fair to you.

Freezing orders and injunctions

If you are concerned about your ex-partner hiding, moving or undervaluing assets to prevent them being included in your divorce settlement, we can provide practical advice about your options. This could involve obtaining an Injunction to freeze their assets and prevent them from being moved or working closely with a forensic accountant to uncover the true value of your ex-partner’s asset.

Arrangements for children

In any divorce, it is important to come to a suitable arrangement about where children will live and how much contact they will have with their non-resident parent and other members of their family, such as grandparents.

This can often be difficult for families – everyone wants what is best for the children, but often have conflicting opinions about what ‘best’ is.

In high net worth divorces there are extra issues which may not arise in a straightforward divorce, such as:

Where children should go to school and ensuring adequate financial provision to pay for school fees and other expenses.

Where a parent is a non-UK national or wants to live or travel abroad, can they take the children? Usually, both parents need to consent which can create problems.

Our high net worth divorce lawyers are skilled at helping families approach these issues cooperatively, keeping the children’s happiness and welfare central at all times.