The personal and financial impact of a divorce is bad enough. It can be made much worse when you realise that divorce court judges see the world in a very different way to business owners and entrepreneurs. A divorce must not be allowed to damage the health of the family business where it needs to produce either future income or capital to meet the family’s needs. Judges can struggle to understand a family business owner Many divorce judges presume that business owners get up in the morning and go out to work and are guaranteed to make money. If only that were true! Family law judges often struggle to understand business risk, funding issues and the real liquidity of...
Read MoreOn separation and divorce would you spend thousands of pounds on a bet to gamble the future of your children or your financial settlement on the toss of a coin? That’s what you do in a divorce court. Why do separating and divorcing couples who are otherwise careful, cautious and conservative decide to spend so much money gambling on the outcome of their divorce settlement about money and property? How are you turned from being sensible into a reckless gambler? You think your offer is good. You think your spouse’s offer is wrong. You issue court proceedings and go to trial to let a judge decide. You may as well toss a coin since it is cheaper and quicker. And just...
Read MoreWhy hiding your assets or income in a divorce is really stupid. Hiding and not disclosing assets is not only stupid but it is not in your own best interests. Here is why. What you want to end up with is a final court order or a “consent order” made by the Court in full and final settlement and where there are no comebacks. A clean break consent order dismisses all and any financial claims for money or property or pension or inheritance forever. Logically you do not want to be holding a worthless consent order approved by the court only to live in dread of the letter in the post informing you that the so-called final settlement is being set aside and opened up so a...
Read MoreCan I keep what is mine in a divorce? What counts as matrimonial assets? There are some circumstances when you may want to argue that it is fair for you to keep specific money or property away from your spouse in a divorce settlement. Some of these circumstances include: money or property gifted to you. past inheritance or future inheritance (treated very differently) money or property or assets you have acquired since the separation money or property you had prior to the marriage business assets or sale proceeds of a business family trust assets bonus redundancy money personal injury settlement lottery winnings Contact me to discuss your specific circumstances 01223...
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