Separate well with one lawyer - case example one
Jane (65) and Julia (68) began their relationship in their 20s and got married in 2015. They decided to separate and worked with their joint independent financial advisor to understand their assets.
They were determined from the outset that they would resolve all the issues amicably and by agreement. They were committed to staying friends and maintaining the same social circle.
Jane had worked for the NHS for her whole career as a surgeon whilst Julia had held numerous roles with different advertising agencies. Their independent financial advisor was able to work with them to collate all the necessary financial information to prepare a schedule of assets (a supporting document that shows each of their assets).
Julia and Jane then wanted to work with a specialist family lawyer to understand what a fair outcome would look like. They wanted to instruct one lawyer to avoid any unnecessary conflict and allow them to work openly together.
Our separate well with one lawyer service allowed them to receive the advice and information they needed, which clearly set out the law and provided them with a concise legal analysis of their options, to make an informed decision together. They had already discussed what they thought should happen and they both felt comforted and relieved to see that this was consistent with the written analysis from an experienced family lawyer.
Their independent financial advisor remained engaged in the process and provided valuable input in relation to both tax and pensions. This expertise allowed Jane and Julia to understand and compare what the pension benefits would mean for each of them day to day rather than having only the headline valuations. It also helped them structure the settlement to minimise fees and tax.
They reached an agreement after their negotiation meeting and worked with their lawyer to prepare a financial order by consent.
