Olivia Fanizza

Associate

Olivia is an Associate at Vardags.

Career

Olivia has developed broad expertise across all areas of family law. She advises clients on complex financial settlements in divorce, often involving commercial businesses, property portfolios, and international assets. Her work also includes intricate private children cases, from international relocation to prohibited steps applications and jurisdictional disputes. In addition, she provides tailored guidance on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Education

Olivia read Modern Languages (French and Spanish) at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. Her studies focused on transgressive women in 19^th century French literature. Olivia went on to complete the GDL at BPP University, and then the LPC, achieving a Distinction.

PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS

Olivia writes frequently on topics in areas of her growing expertise, including:

Guide to Barder Events

What to do if your spouse is being unreasonable in divorce negotiations

Guide to stepparent rights

LANGUAGES

Olivia is a native English and Italian speaker, as well as an advanced French and Spanish speaker.

Personal

Olivia is a passionate horse rider, competing regularly in show jumping in Italy. She has also enjoyed tennis for many years, playing for both her school and university, and now continuing to play in her free time.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

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WE ARE READY TO HELP

We offer a free consultation to all suitable clients. This is not just a formality. We take the time to understand your unique situation, explain the next steps, and provide a clear sense of potential outcomes and likely costs.

Timing matters in high-stakes family law. If you think you might need our help, don’t delay.

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OUR SERVICE

Going through a separation or divorce can feel like one of life’s biggest challenges. Our leading team of divorce and family lawyers is here to guide you through the process with clarity and compassion, ensuring your interests are protected every step of the way with discretion, expertise, and unwavering support.

One of the most difficult aspects of separation or divorce is understanding how to divide finances fairly. It is crucial to understand which matrimonial property regime applies, as this dictates how assets are handled upon divorce. While the "community of property" (comunione legale) is the default system in Italy, spouses can formally opt for a "separation of property" (separazione dei beni) regime.

Under this arrangement, each spouse maintains exclusive ownership of all assets acquired during the marriage. Consequently, upon separation, there is no joint marital estate to be divided, which greatly simplifies the financial settlement process. Each party retains their own property, although obligations concerning spousal and child support are assessed independently based on legal criteria.

HOW CAN VARDAGS HELP YOU?

Strategic Separation and Divorce Representation:

Whether you are initiating proceedings or responding to a petition, we provide tailored strategies to protect your interests, explain your options and help you make informed decisions.

Financial Settlements:

Dividing assets and securing your financial future is a critical part of any separation or divorce. The process can be complex, involving not just property but also maintenance agreements, business interests, and international holdings.

A key step in the process is the dissolution of the legal communion of assets (comunione legale). It is important to understand that this does not happen at the beginning of the legal proceedings, but rather at a precise moment: either when the court president authorises the spouses to live separately or upon the signing of a consensual separation agreement.
From that point on, any assets that were held in the comunione legale transition into a state of ordinary co-ownership (comunione ordinaria), subject to division that is typically done in equal parts.

Maintenance:

Beyond asset division, spousal support is a central issue. Italian law distinguishes between two types of maintenance:

Separation Maintenance (Assegno di mantenimento): This is based on the principle of marital solidarity and aims to preserve, as much as possible, the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage. However, the right to receive this maintenance is permanently lost if the recipient enters a new, stable cohabiting relationship that mirrors a marital bond.
Divorce Maintenance (Assegno divorzile): This is not tied to the previous standard of living. Instead, it is determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors including the spouses' economic conditions, the duration of the marriage, each person's contribution to the family's life and assets, and the objective ability of the receiving spouse to become self-sufficient. In some cases, this can be settled with a one-off lump-sum payment (una tantum).

Child Arrangements:

Where children are involved, our lawyers prioritise their welfare while guiding you through the most practical solutions for living and contact arrangements.

International and Complex Cases:

Our team is experienced in cross-border disputes, jurisdictional issues, and enforcement of orders worldwide.

WHY CHOOSE VARDAGS?

When facing separation or divorce, choosing the right legal team can make all the difference. Vardags is one of the world's best family law firms, renowned for handling complex, cross-border and high-value cases. Our lawyers combine exceptional legal expertise with strategic insight to deliver outstanding results for our clients.

If you are going through a separation or divorce, contact us for a free, confidential consultation. Our lawyers will take the time to understand the details of your unique situation, talk you through the next steps of the process, and give you unparalleled legal expertise from the very first conversation. Our mission is to protect what matters most: your lifestyle, your financial future, and your personal interests – especially when the stakes are at their highest.

If you think you might need our help, don’t delay – contact us before your spouse does.