Working in finance can bring high rewards, but when it comes to divorce that can bring stress and complexity. You will want to ensure that your capital and income, including future bonuses and unvested awards, are protected.
Generally speaking, the English court shares wealth built up during the marriage. Property earned or acquired before then, or from sources such as inheritance, will be treated as non-matrimonial and used only so far as is necessary to meet your partner’s needs. You will need to demonstrate clearly when and how your assets were acquired. For those with a background in finance, the court will generally consider deferred options which relate to work performed during the marriage as matrimonial property.
As a high earner, you may be required to pay ongoing maintenance to your spouse. This will depend on their income and their needs. You will want to focus on how much you will have to pay, and for how long. To do this you will need realistic assessments of you and your partner’s future income, including pressure points such as retirement.
Vardags is a firm of specialists in high value divorces. Our lawyers have extensive experience in working with clients from the world of finance. Working with an in-house forensic team which combines legal and financial knowledge, they are expertly placed to advise you on your divorce.
Vardags understands the specific circumstances of high earning bankers, including the proper treatment of unvested options and the impact of bonuses on future earnings. With their in depth expertise and track record of working with successful finance professionals, our lawyers can advise you on how to protect your income and capital during your divorce.
Working with highly skilled and experienced teams, Vardags has firm directors who specialise in divorce for those from a finance background.
A senior partner at Vardags, Simon McKirgan has worked on a large number of individuals working in commercial, City, banking, and investment sectors. He understands the specific issues that arise with clients who work in finance, including the effects that unvested shares, options, and bonuses can have on structuring capital and maintenance awards.
Partner and Head of Financial Forensics, Katherine Danby is an expert in dealing with complex financial cases, ensuring that assets are valued appropriately to allow the best possible settlement result for our clients. Working with our lawyers, Katherine’s findings have been transformative in financially complex cases, and invaluable when it comes to winning the best possible settlement for our clients.
Senior partner Lois Rogers has extensive experience in cases focused on complex financial proceedings, particularly for high net worth individuals. An integral part of the significant and highly financially complex case of Quan v Bray [2014], Lois’s expertise has been called upon for media commentary on a number of occasion. She has also written for Family Law Week on bonuses and family law.