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Divorce, separation and finances

Financial matters can be one of the most stressful aspects of a separation – but they don’t have to be. Our highly experienced team will set a clear strategy from the outset, working as collaboratively as possible to achieve good and fair arrangements.

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We have a long-established reputation for achieving outstanding results for our clients, particularly in complex cases and those with an international angle.

Our award-winning team of family lawyers has acted in numerous landmark cases in the courts of London, Hong Kong, Singapore and California, and has been involved in the development of the law in these locations.

Establishing strategy early on

Clients tell us that one of the main reasons they were glad they chose us is because of the way we approach our first meeting with them. We believe it is vital to establish the realistic objectives for your case from the outset and to set a clear strategy to achieve them. It is not uncommon for firms to win work by telling clients what they want to hear, but we see it as essential to be candid in advising you on what you will be able to achieve and setting out viable options for reaching those goals – whether through a privately negotiated agreement (either directly, through mediation, a collaborative law process or a bespoke combination with Uncouple), or if necessary through arbitration or court litigation.

Divorce law reform in England and Wales – no fault divorce

New legislation came into force in April 2022 that will make divorce a simpler and less acrimonious process by removing blame for the breakdown of a marriage or civil partnership. This is often important when couples need to maintain connection to share childcare. It will also allow couples to apply for divorce jointly for the first time. You can find more information here to help decide what’s best for you.

Trust related cases

Trusts are widely used by families as a way to protect their assets for future generations. We work with clients, trustees and beneficiaries in the preparation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, on which we have enormous experience, and which form an integral part of wealth protection planning.

Understandably, during a divorce there can be strong disagreement over how trusts and other wealth structures should be dealt with. We have considerable experience in advising trustees, beneficiaries and other family members caught up in divorce proceedings.

We have the benefit of being able to consult with one of the largest, leading wealth planning and contentious trust teams based globally across the US, Caribbean, Europe and Asia. With colleagues also in corporate, employment, property and reputation management teams we have the experience and the skill sets to protect your trust interests, family businesses and inherited wealth or alternatively, when required, to trace assets and probe wealth holding structures.

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Track record

Divorce involves a forum dispute between Hong Kong and Australia

We successfully acted for the husband to defeat the wife's application for a stay on the basis that Australia was the more appropriate jurisdiction. The Court of Appeal considered the factors the court should bear in mind when dealing with such challenges. At the time, it was a landmark case and is regularly quoted to this day on the topic of forum non conveniens.

Highest child maintenance award secured in Hong Kong

We acted for the mother and child in Hong Kong under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance, achieving for our client the highest award for such child maintenance to date.

Achieving settlement to end maintenance payments

As our client approached retirement, following a long and distinguished career as a barrister, he applied to terminate the maintenance payments he had been ordered to pay to his first wife for life. His former wife sought a lump sum payment of £560,000 in lieu of ongoing maintenance. The case went to the Court of Appeal, who established that the potential claims of a second wife cannot take priority over the first wife's claims and ordered a payment of £215,000 (less than half the amount she initially sought).

Appealing international relocation with children

Our client, who shared the care of his two children with his former wife, opposed her application to relocate to Canada permanently with them. We represented him in the Court of Appeal and successfully overturned the initial decision, so his former wife did not have permission to leave with the children. The decision marked an influential development in the court's approach to applications to relocate abroad with children.

Complex high value divorce leads to a change in the law in Hong Kong

We acted for the husband in a high value divorce, which involved a conflict in jurisdiction between Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China. The matter reached The Court of Final Appeal and led to a change in Hong Kong law, introducing new legislation to allow a party who had a divorce in another jurisdiction to seek a financial remedy in Hong Kong where applicable. This is an important measure protecting those who would be unfairly prejudiced by an overseas divorce.

Confirming that the welfare of children is paramount

We acted for the mother in her application for permission to relocate to Russia with the two children. This decision re-iterated what the Court of Appeal had said in MK v CK, that the only principle to apply is the welfare principle, but in this case the Court decided that our client should be given permission to relocate.

Court of Appeal defence of credit crunch award

A property developer's business suffered huge losses when the financial crisis hit, and we acted for him in his divorce negotiations with his wife, heiress of a business empire. Our team helped the husband defend the allocation of an equal split of the couple's finances, plus an extra £5 million lump sum payment to the husband to cover half of his property losses.

Disentangling complex structures to achieve a settlement

We acted for the wife in OS v DS. Her husband had failed to make proper disclosure of his financial resources. We assisted in establishing an innovative court procedure so that the judge could carry out a 'preliminary/oral discovery' hearing. We were then able to settle the case resulting in a positive outcome for our client. This procedure has since been used in many other cases and is now known as an 'OS v DS hearing'.

Divorce case dealing with trust, share valuation and non-matrimonial asset issues

We delivered a comprehensive result for the wife in X v X [2016]. We successfully argued that her husband’s interest in a trust should be considered a resource of his and included in the marital assets available for division. The case also involved complex issues of assessing the contributions made by the husband and the wife during the marriage, the valuation of shares in a listed company, and the extent of non-matrimonial assets.

Four year battle for full disclosure

We represented Lisa Tchenguiz in a lengthy, complex, high profile divorce which resulted in a change in the law on disclosure and confidentiality of documents in divorce proceedings; and also produced additional decisions in relation to the joinder of trust beneficiaries to financial proceedings on divorce. The Court of Appeal ruled that unauthorized access to a former spouse's personal documents breached a duty of confidentiality. The judgment has been described by some as a cheat's charter and an obstacle to transparency.

Hong Kong team act in a landmark high value cross border divorce

A cross border team acted for an ultra high net worth client in an exceptionally complex divorce, involving company structures and multiple third parties, offshore trusts and multi million dollar assets in a number of jurisdictions. We obtained the highest ever award for interim maintenance in Hong Kong.

Special contribution argument in record value case

We acted for Sir Chris Hohn in what was then the highest value divorce case. He had generated his wealth through huge success in investment management, and had also established a charitable foundation which achieved international recognition in its field. We successfully argued that the marital assets should not be equally divided, in part due to his 'special contribution' to their generation. Mrs Cooper-Hohn was awarded 36% of the total.

Special contribution to a marriage's resources

We acted for advertising and marketing giant WPP's CEO, Sir Martin Sorrell, in his divorce case, which is one of the very few in which the judges accepted the argument that his 'exceptional contribution' to the marriage's finances was sufficient to justify an unequal division of the couple's assets. Sir Martin was awarded 60% of the assets, with no ongoing maintenance payments.

Use of European pre and postnuptial agreements clarified in the Hong Kong courts

A landmark divorce case in Hong Kong involved German pre and postnuptial agreements. The case confirmed that the principles set out in the English Supreme Court case of Radmacher, in respect of prenuptial agreements, would be an appropriate precedent for the Hong Kong courts, and that, if the parties fully understood the implications, they would most likely be bound to their agreements.

Recent recognition

Recommended for family law

Top ranked for divorce and family (Band 1)

Best client innovation service

Top tier for family

Top ranked for divorce and family

Leading firm for family and divorce law

Recommended for family law

Recommended firm for family and matrimonial

Top recommended for family law

Ranked for Family

Highly recommended for family law

Top ranked for family (Band 1)

Private client innovation of the year

Spears 500 2020

Tatler HNW 2020

Top ranked in family (band 1)

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Insight

15 November 2022 | article

Cryptoassets in matrimonial law in Hong Kong

27 July 2022 | article

Third party's interests under divorce proceeding in Hong Kong ... a series of case studies

5 July 2022 | article

Getting out of an abusive marriage: practical tips and understanding your legal rights in Singapore

24 June 2022 | article

Dealing with business interests in divorce settlements – how does it work in Hong Kong?

18 May 2022 | article

Transfer of property in a divorce settlement in Hong Kong

21 April 2022 | firm news

Leading firm for family and divorce law in 2022 Asia Pacific edition of Doyle's Guide

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Divorce, separation and finances

Establishing strategy early on

Divorce law reform in England and Wales – no fault divorce

Trust related cases

Track record

Divorce involves a forum dispute between Hong Kong and Australia

Highest child maintenance award secured in Hong Kong

Achieving settlement to end maintenance payments

Appealing international relocation with children

Complex high value divorce leads to a change in the law in Hong Kong

Confirming that the welfare of children is paramount

Court of Appeal defence of credit crunch award

Disentangling complex structures to achieve a settlement

Divorce case dealing with trust, share valuation and non-matrimonial asset issues

Four year battle for full disclosure

Hong Kong team act in a landmark high value cross border divorce

Special contribution argument in record value case

Special contribution to a marriage's resources

Use of European pre and postnuptial agreements clarified in the Hong Kong courts

Recent recognition

Our team

Michael Gouriet

Suzanne Todd

Billy Ko

Claire Blakemore

Adele Pledger

Diana C Parker

Brett A. Frankle

Jennifer Dickson

Insight

Cryptoassets in matrimonial law in Hong Kong

Third party's interests under divorce proceeding in Hong Kong ... a series of case studies

Getting out of an abusive marriage: practical tips and understanding your legal rights in Singapore

Dealing with business interests in divorce settlements – how does it work in Hong Kong?

Transfer of property in a divorce settlement in Hong Kong

Leading firm for family and divorce law in 2022 Asia Pacific edition of Doyle's Guide

Join the club

You may also be interested in

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Beneficiaries and heirs

High net worth individuals

Leaders and senior executives

How else can we help?

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