We help overcome the challenges involved with high net worth divorce
Facing the breakdown of your marriage can be incredibly emotional and stressful, but it can be particularly complex when the stakes are high. To protect your interests, it’s imperative that you have expert lawyers on your side who specialise in helping when significant wealth is involved.
Our team of expert high-net-worth divorce solicitors will sensitively guide you through the divorce process, providing specialist legal advice and helping with the intricacies of unravelling and protecting substantial and often complex finances, assets, properties and overseas interests.
We have supported a diverse range of high net worth (HNW) clients in dealing with various financial matters, including trusts, offshore assets, inherited wealth, businesses, child maintenance and more.
Our extensive experience dealing with high net-worth divorces and the provision of tailored practical legal advice means you’re in safe hands.
Our expert solicitors have worked with a diverse range of high-net-worth individuals in the UK. We can sensitively and constructively assist couples with all areas, including:
- Negotiating the division of assets
- Divorce and businesses
- Concerns involving hidden assets
- Injunctions to freeze assets
Contact our high net worth divorce solicitors in Northwich, Cheshire
If you’d like to discuss your legal needs with one of our high-net-worth divorce lawyers today, give us a call on 01606 48777 or email info@susanhowarthsolicitors.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions about high net worth divorce
What is a high net worth divorce?
A high net worth divorce refers to a divorce where the assets of one or both parties combined exceed their financial expenses and needs. In such a divorce, one or both spouses are considered to have significant wealth, which may include inherited money, personal assets, businesses, properties, and investments offshore.
How is the division of assets worked out?
Dealing with a high-asset divorce can be extremely complicated, so expert legal support is crucial. Our specialists at Susan Howarth & Co can help you to secure the highest divorce settlement available, supporting you with legal processes such as collaborative law or mediation.
Our solicitors can help you address financial matters, including savings, investments, properties, inherited assets, companies, trusts and pensions. We can also support divorcing couples to discuss and settle matters involving:
- International property
- Offshore accounts
- Liabilities and debts
- Businesses
- Hidden assets
- Injunctions to freeze assets
We appreciate that it can be daunting for high-net-worth clients to divide their assets and establish rightful ownership. With so much at stake, many clients are concerned about their legal rights and what they stand to lose. Our expert high net worth divorce solicitors can educate clients on all their options while helping protect wealth and settle disputes swiftly.
What happens when there is a business involved?
When one or both partners own a business, together or separately, you will need legal assistance to arrange what should happen to the company after the divorce.
There are several options to explore when dividing a business in a high worth net-worth divorce. These include:
- Where spouses own a business together, one partner agrees to buy the other out
- It is agreed that one spouse will waive their interest in the business in return for a higher stake in another shared asset (for example, a property)
- One spouse continues running the business and agrees to make ongoing maintenance payments to the other spouse
- Shareholding is divided, and both parties continue to be involved in the business
- Usually a last resort – the company is sold, and the proceeds are split
Our divorce solicitors have lots of experience working with business owners. We can help you to evaluate your concerns, negotiate and preserve your business interests.
What do we need to do if we have Trusts in place?
You may have trusts in place as part of your estate planning. While trusts can be useful for these purposes, they can cause problems during a divorce. The process of handling offshore and onshore trusts can be extremely lengthy and complicated.
Determining whether or not spouses have an interest in a partner’s trust can be difficult, as can obtaining full disclosure regarding trusts. At Susan Howarth & Co, we have extensive experience helping clients to manage trusts during high net worth divorces.
Is it possible to recover hidden assets?
In high net worth divorces, it is sadly a common occurrence that one or both spouses will attempt to hide assets and understate how much wealth they have. To achieve a fair financial settlement, it is essential that both parties make an honest financial declaration.
If you are concerned that your ex-partner has hidden assets, we can offer robust legal support. Our lawyers can work alongside expert forensic accountants to uncover any assets that your ex has attempted to hide.
Can I make an injunction to freeze assets?
A Freezing Order can be used to prevent your ex-partner from disposing of or moving assets until the divorce proceedings have finished.
It is possible to freeze any type of asset, including international assets, property, investments, bank accounts, cars, and valuable personal items.
If you have a claim to your spouse’s assets and you believe they may attempt to hide wealth, our high net worth divorce solicitors can help you to obtain a freezing order.
What are the main issues when going through a high net-worth divorce?
When going through a divorce, the division of assets and finances is typically a major concern for both parties. This is especially true when going through a high or ultra-high-net-worth divorce, where each spouse has substantial wealth.
The Courts will aim to divide the assets evenly; however, when approaching a high-value divorce, asset division can often be convoluted. There tend to be many assets, some of which may be located overseas and others which, unfortunately, may remain undeclared.
Working with specialist divorce solicitors will help involved parties ensure that all assets are fully disclosed and that all assets are valued accurately. To negotiate an appropriate financial settlement, it is imperative to work with a solicitor specialising in high-asset divorce.
How can I protect myself from future financial claims?
You must be completely upfront about your financial circumstances to protect yourself from future financial claims. If you attempt to hide assets and this is discovered at a later date, your spouse may raise a claim against you.
Applying for a clean break order is also advisable, which cuts all financial ties between divorcing spouses. A clean break means that your ex-partner will no longer have the right to make a financial claim against you at a future date.
Why choose Susan Howarth for high net worth divorce advice?
We believe everyone has the right to access justice and expert legal advice. This can make navigating even the most complicated family law situations much simpler and less stressful. We are very proud of our family law department and the fantastic reputation our high-calibre solicitors have built in the community.
At Susan Howarth & Co, we approach every case with professionalism and commitment. No client’s needs are the same, which is why we always take the time to listen to you and understand your individual requirements.
Our expertise is independently recognised, including:
- Ranked as a Band 2 legal practice in the Chambers & Partners UK legal guide
- Directors Susan Howarth and Victoria Poole are both also ranked as ‘Notable Practitioners’ by Chambers & Partners UK
- Ranked as a Band 3 Leading Family Law Firm in The Legal 500 directory
- Susan Howarth has been ranked as a ‘Leading Individual’ for 4 consecutive years by the Legal 500 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023 as one of seven individuals for Family Law (North West).
- Accreditation by the Law Society for Family Law and Children Law
- Many of our team are members of Resolution, the leading professional network for family lawyers
- Year on year we gain Lexcel accreditation for excellence in practice management
- We are winners of the Best Family and Childcare Law Firm (North West) in 2023 and 2022 in the AI Legal Awards
- We have been finalists of the Lexis Nexis Family Law Firm of the Year (North) for 2 consecutive years
A key benefit we can offer is our in-house family mediation service. We have a specialist Resolution-trained Family Mediator who is also a Resolution-accredited Specialist in Domestic Violence and Children Law (private) and an FMC-accredited Family Mediator (all issues).
Contact our high net worth divorce solicitors in Northwich, Cheshire
If you’d like to discuss your legal needs with one of our experts today, give us a call on 01606 48777 or email info@susanhowarthsolicitors.co.uk.