Described by La Repubblica as “one of the most famous divorce firms in the world”, Vardags is the go-to law firm for high-net-worth individuals seeking a divorce in England & Wales.
With our dedicated Italian desk, we provide specialist advice on divorce and family law matters for Italian nationals divorcing in England & Wales. Led by Maria Fiorito, a dual-qualified Italian Avvocato and solicitor in England and Wales, our team are uniquely well-placed to assist with Anglo-Italian divorce, with Maria bringing a wealth of experience from her time handling HNW divorces at leading Milanese law firms.
If you are an Italian national but your spouse is British, you may have the option to choose whether you would like to initiate divorce proceedings in Italy or in England & Wales. London is widely considered ‘the divorce capital of the world’ due to the family courts’ generosity to financially weaker parties and wide-ranging powers to enforce financial disclosure. As such, England & Wales is often the most advantageous jurisdiction for your divorce to proceed in. You can learn more about the differences between divorcing in the two jurisdictions here.
Whether you are the financially stronger or the financially weaker party, it is important to act quickly, as petitioning for divorce first generally provides an advantage. However, even if your spouse has already filed for divorce in their preferred jurisdiction, it’s not too late to act. Jurisdiction may be challenged, and we have years of experience fighting to ensure that our clients’ divorce is heard in the most advantageous jurisdiction.
If you think you may need our help, don’t delay. Contact Vardags’ Italian desk for a free initial consultation before your spouse does.
If a person meets the required criteria, they can file for divorce if their marriage has irretrievably broken down. Following the introduction of no-fault divorce in April 2022, there is no requirement to show fault or blame.
Often people will apply for divorce proceedings in England with the aim of maximising their claim, even if this is not justified. Jurisdiction, in cases of divorce, is governed by a complex web of law, involving multiple cross-border elements. Generally, the divorce will only be heard in England if you, or your spouse, has been resident or domiciled in England.
London is known as one of the fairest locations for a less-wealthy spouse to bring a divorce. In many other countries, a spouse will receive little or no payment at the end of a marriage. If you want your fair share, it may be vital that your case is heard in England.
Jurisdiction in relation to divorce is governed by a complex web of English, European, and international law. Generally, you will only be able to get divorced in England if you, or your spouse, has been resident or domiciled in England. If there is more than one European country in which you are able to get divorced, the “correct” jurisdiction will be determined by where the proceedings are started first. If the jurisdiction is disputed between England and a non-European country, the court will consider which country is the most suitable to hear the dispute, considering where the assets are located and the previous lifestyles of the parties.
The best way to ensure your assets are protected is to conduct a thorough and accurate valuation.
During the process of divorce, one of the elements is the exchange of information relating to finances, known as disclosure. This is done in order to determine what a fair division of the assets will be. However, there are instances where one or both of the parties conceal or misrepresent deliberately the value of their assets. Should it be the case that certain assets are not included during disclosure, it cannot be divided, even if it’s the case that it is later discovered it is likely already be disposed of. These kinds of assets are known as hidden assets and should either party be discovered to be hiding assets, the court will take serious action against them.
This article will address the extent to which a parent can move their child away from the other parent without their consent. A distinction will be made between moving the child to another part of the UK, as well as moving abroad.
It should be noted from the outset that whether the parties have ever been married or in a civil partnership is immaterial for the purposes of relocation of the child. The important factor is whether the parent seeking to prevent the relocation has parental responsibility.