High Net Worth (HNW) Divorce Solicitors

We are experts in dealing with high net worth divorce cases and commonly deal with cases involving the following issues:

• Offshore assets and asset tracing
• Complex financial disclosure, to include forensic examination
• Business assets
• Trusts
• Pensions
• UK and worldwide properties
• High level spousal maintenance, child maintenance and school fees
• Freezing injunctions

We are also experts in international divorce cases and can advise you on the best country in which to file for divorce, if appropriate.

We can help you look to protect your assets and can consider relevant tactics to promote a resolution. Family law agreements, such as prenuptial or postnuptial agreements can also be considered.

The starting point in England & Wales is that of the sharing principle (50/50). However much depends on the individual circumstances of your case to include factors such as any children, ages, length of your relationship, relevant health issues, the financial resources, contributions, incomes and earning capacities, financial needs and on occasions, conduct. We have set out more information here. The court in England & Wales therefore has a discretion to depart from this 50/50 sharing principle.

In high-net-worth cases, we are increasingly dealing with complex and novel assets, with cryptocurrency being a prime example. These digital assets present unique challenges.

Their value can be extremely volatile and make it difficult to agree on a figure for settlement, and they are often held across multiple international exchanges or in private digital wallets. Our expertise extends from arranging expert valuations to advising on the best method for division.

This could involve offsetting the crypto’s value against other assets, organising a sale and division of the proceeds, or facilitating a direct transfer of the cryptocurrency itself, all while considering any potential Capital Gains Tax implications.

The same principles apply to divorces generally, but some key case planning is necessary either to protect your assets or to maximise your financial claims. Here are some points to consider:

• Valuing the assets properly and independently is important to establish what financially is at stake. Commonly this will centre around property assets and which can be located in different parts of the world. There may also be other valuable assets such as cars, paintings, jewellery etc.
• The divorce can also include consideration of any business or trust issues. The value of the interest needs to be properly considered as well as liquidity issues and how any cash can be extracted, if at all. We are frequently instructed in cases involving majority or minority shareholdings and where arguments of discounts might apply. Equally we can help with complex trust or inheritance issues on divorce, to include the concepts of matrimonial and non-matrimonial property.
• Pensions can be one of the most valuable assets in a case. The true value of the pension is often complex especially when there are retirement, health issues or the nature of the scheme, for example a final salary type pension.
• Tax should not be overlooked especially as the tax consequences on a divorce could bite further down the line and significantly effect the fairness of the financial settlement you receive.
• Jurisdiction can be important too. Often in a high net worth divorce there is more than one international jurisdiction to consider. It is therefore important that you look to validly choose the jurisdiction which best suits your case in terms of financial outcome.
• Enforcement is also a relevant consideration. It is fine to have a financial settlement on paper but it is meaningless if you cannot actually obtain your divorce settlement. Drafting issues of a consent order can be considered to anticipate any potential enforcement issues.

It is crucial that you have an experienced and specialist family law team to help you in a high net worth divorce. This should include expertise in dealing with these types of divorce cases but also high client service levels, where speed of response is always necessary. For you, it is also important that you feel comfortable with your divorce solicitor; and have trust and confidence. This is so we can work as a team together and to secure the best financial outcome for you.

Simply having a network of trusted professionals is not enough. We actively manage the costs associated with essential experts like forensic accountants, business valuers, and actuaries. For every instruction, we obtain several quotes from our extensive register of specialists to ensure you receive not only the best expertise for your case but also the most competitive and cost-effective fee structure. This diligence is a core part of our service and commitment to protecting your resources.