Vardags’ Monaco Desk deliver a bespoke, multi-disciplinary legal offering to HNW and UHNW individuals, their families, and businesses based in Monaco. Where required, the team comprises a number of fluent French speakers, including Ayesha Vardag herself, also resident in Monaco. Accompanying Ayesha is Canada-born Director Caroline Korah, hailed a “force to be reckoned with”, and our multi-lingual Head of Cambridge Office, Silvia Devecchi, recently ranked as a Leading Individual in Legal 500 (the highest accolade). Our Monaco Desk also work in close partnership with a network of contacts based in Monaco, including banks, family offices, tax advisors and wealth managers.
Our Monaco Desk comprises a team of the finest lawyers, dedicated to providing a specialist service tailored to the needs of local and foreign clients, resident in Monaco. Working exclusively in UHNW and high-profile matters, both domestically and internationally, Vardags are uniquely placed with the expertise, discretion and understanding to handle any issues in these areas, alongside complex assets, property portfolios, company, and trust structures.
If you are in an international relationship, where your divorce proceeds could make a huge difference to the final outcome. London, as the divorce capital of the world, is known for making generous awards to the financially weaker parties, and the court has a wide discretion in what it awards. Where you are entitled to divorce rests on a mixture of European and national law, but is generally determined in relation to where each party is habitually resident or domiciled. If the dispute is between two European countries, the person who petitions first may be determinative. It is therefore vital not to delay in taking legal advice promptly. Very often, a British person living abroad is able to access the English justice system, without necessarily being in the country at the time.
Proceedings can also be initiated if one party wants to move to another country with the children, given that the permission of the other parent, or the court, is required. If you are caught in this situation, then you may need to seek legal advice. Family law issues are often sensitive and can be difficult to address with your lawyer. At Vardags, we understand the need to express yourself freely and that it is often easier to discuss your private matters in your mother tongue.
Vardags’ services extend well beyond divorce and family law, and encompass reputation and privacy, property, corporate, criminal defence, commercial and civil litigation, employment, and professional negligence.
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
Simon McKirgan is Senior Partner at Vardags and a top international divorce lawyer, with experience in representing individuals or their spouses/partners from commercial, City, banking, investment, media, entertainment and sporting sectors, and entrepreneurs. Simon specialises in high and ultra-high-net-worth divorce and financial disputes often involving complex jurisdictional issues, and separation and cohabitation disputes and private children proceedings, including international relocation. He has a wealth of experience in handling celebrities and the sensitivities around their cases. Simon is also a trained collaborative lawyer and is as well-equipped to adopt a conciliatory negotiated approach as a tough litigation stance.
Lois specialises in all areas of family law, including divorce and cohabitation, financial matters and disputes relating to children matters. Her practise area is particularly focussed on complex financial proceedings for high-net-worth international clients.
Head of Cambridge and Director of Divorce & Family law, Silvia Devecchi, speaks fluent French. However, Silvia offers not only her multi-lingual capacity but a wealth of experience working (and living) for periods of time in a number of foreign jurisdictions including Germany, Sweden, Finland and Israel. As such, Silvia Devecchi’s work is frequently commended for encapsulating such rich and wide-ranging jurisdictional insight.