Described by La Repubblica as “one of the most famous divorce firms in the world”, Vardags is a top London-based divorce law firm serving high net worth (HNW) and ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals based in Italy but having links to England and Wales. We have a dedicated Italian team led by our Founder and President, Ayesha Vardag, who has been hailed “la super avvocata matrimonialista” (“the best matrimonial lawyer”) by La Repubblica. Accompanying Ayesha is Associate Maria Fiorito, who maintains and acts for a notable and high-profile Italian client base. As such, we are uniquely well-placed to provide insight into cases with an Italian element.
The Italian judicial system is very different from that of England & Wales. Therefore, for those who can choose where to get a divorce, one or the other jurisdiction may be more financially favorable based on various factors, such as whether they are the financially weaker or stronger party.
Whether you can claim English jurisdiction is complex and depends on factors such as where you and your spouse currently live, where you have previously lived, and your respective domiciles. Very often, a British person living abroad (or someone married to such a person) can access the English justice system without necessarily having ever resided in England.
Definito dalla Repubblica “tra gli studi divorzisti più famosi del mondo” Vardags fornisce un servizio specializzato per gli italiani di alto profilo patrimoniale e finanziario, le loro famiglie e i loro business, basati sia in UK che all’estero. Il nostro Italian Desk e’ composto da legali eccezionali al vostro servizio, fluenti in italiano, compresa la Fondatrice e president Ayesha Vardag, definita “la super avvocata matrimonialista” (“the best matrimonial lawyer”). Ayesha e’ supportata dalla responsabile dell’ufficio di Cambridge e madrelingua italiana, Silvia Devecchi, insieme a Maria Fiorito, con doppia qualifica in italia e UK, entrambe le quali rapprensentano un consistente e significativo numero di italiani di alto profilo.
Vardags is one of the UK’s leading divorce law firms, specializing in ultra high net worth, complex international divorce cases. Our Founder and President Ayesha Vardag, billed “Britain’s top divorce lawyer”, is noted for her ground-breaking work in divorce law and impressive track record of achieving major victories for her clients. Ayesha is a fluent Italian speaker and spends significant time in Italy. She moved to Florence several years ago and enjoys spending time at her holiday home in Southern Italy.
Our Italian offering is bolstered by Associate Maria Fiorito’s English and Italian legal prowess. Maria is a dual-qualified Italian Avvocato and a solicitor admitted in England and Wales. She worked for two of the biggest Milanese family law firms before joining Vardags. Supporting Maria is Olivia Fanizza, a native Italian speaker and Assistant Solicitor.
Our specialist divorce lawyers have extensive experience advising on jurisdiction disputes, providing clients with outstanding legal strategies that identify the best possible route, and in turn outcome, for their case. For the financially weaker party, our in-house forensic financial and valuation team also has unparalleled expertise dealing with international, offshore and onshore assets and structures, including the tracing of, and enforcement against complex financial structures and trusts. For the financially stronger party, the team has extensive experience in securing favourable valuations of corporate and trust structures and defending them from attack. To learn more about divorce in Italy, read our guide on Italian divorce law.
Vardags frequently feature in the Italian press. Founder and President, Ayesha Vardag, has been profiled by La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera and Il Sore 24 Ore. Recently, in an article discussing pre-nuptial agreements, Ayesha spoke alongside Valeria de Vellis, one of Italy’s most prominent matrimonial lawyers who acted on the Silvio Berlusconi divorce.
- La Repubblica | Divorzio all’inglese (“English Divorce”)
- La Repubblica | Ayesha Vardag, la diva del divorzio (“Ayesha Vardag, the Diva of Divorce”)
- La Repubblica | Accordo prematrimoniale: cos’è e a cosa serve (“Prenuptial agreement: what it is and what it is for”)
- La Repubblica | L’amore al tempo della pandemia provoca un boom di divorzi a Londra (“Pandemic causes a divorce boom in London”)
- Il Sole 24 Ore | Violenza sulle done, cosa possiamo imparare dalla Gran Bretagna (“Violence against women, what we can learn from Britain”)
- Corriere della Sera | Divorzio negato (“Divorce denied”)
- La Notizia | Divorziare "all’Italiana" a Londra ("Divorce ’Italian Style’ in London")
Insieme, il team di Vardags, è unicamente formato per assistere i clienti italiani di alto e altissimo profilo patrimoniale e finanziario, inclusi i casi di giurisdizione internazionale. Il nostro Italian Desk lavora anche in partnership con banche, family offices, consulenti fiscali e e patrimoniali basati in Italia, per far si di fornire un servizio completo e multi-disciplinare ai nostri clienti.
Se la tua relazione presenta degli aspetti internazionali, la scelta di dove incardinare il procedimento di divorzio potrebbe fare un’enorme differenza ai fini del risultato finale. Londra (che viene definita la capitale mondiale del divorzio) è nota per aver concesso cospicue elargizioni alle parti economicamente più deboli e, inoltre, le corti inglesi hanno ha un’ampia discrezionalità sui provvedimenti che possono assumere. La corte è chiamata a considerare le esigenze delle parti e si prefigge di dividere equamente i beni acquisiti dai coniugi nel corso del matrimonio. La corte ha anche ampi poteri per poter indagare sui beni detenuti dalle parti attraverso società e trust familiari.
La possibilità di procedere al divorzio in Inghilterra dipende sia dal diritto europeo che dalle dalle norme nazionali, ma è generalmente determinata in relazione al luogo in cui ciascun coniuge è abitualmente residente o domiciliato. Se si verifica una situazione di potenziale conflitto tra due paesi europei, può essere determinante il luogo in cui il ricorrente ha depositato il ricorso di divorzio per primo. È quindi fondamentale richiedere tempestivamente una consulenza legale.
Se un coniuge vuole trasferirsi in un altro paese con i figli, anche in questo caso può rendersi necessario un procedimento giudiziario poiché è necessario ottenere l’autorizzazione dell’altro genitore o della corte. Se ti trovi in questa situazione, potrebbe essere necessario richiedere una consulenza legale. Le questioni di diritto di famiglia sono spesso delicate e possono essere difficili da affrontare con il tuo avvocato. Da Vardags comprendiamo la necessità di poterti esprimere liberamente e che spesso è più facile discutere le questioni private nella tua madre lingua.
I servizi di Vardags si estendono anche al di là del divorzio e diritto di famiglia, fino a comprendere reputation and privacy, diritto Immobiliare, societario, penale, civile e commerciale, diritto del lavoro e negligenza professionale.
London, as the ‘divorce capital of the world’, is known for making generous awards to the financially weaker parties, and the court has wide discretionary powers. In these circumstances, it is imperative to act fast and instruct a lawyer as soon as possible. At Vardags, we will help ensure that your case proceeds in the most advantageous jurisdiction and secure the best possible financial outcome for you.
If you are considering or going through a divorce, contact us before your spouse does.
We offer a free consultation to suitable clients, typically those where the family's net assets are in excess of £1m or the combined income is in excess of £150,000
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.
The best way to ensure your assets are protected is to conduct a thorough and accurate valuation.
In many countries, a couple can divorce with little or no financial support being given to the poorer party. Sometimes, you might not even know about the divorce until it has already been finalised. That does not prevent you from seeking the support of the English courts.