Helping clients with family law issues in Bristol
Our highly dedicated team of family lawyers at Stowe Family Law in Bristol are on-hand to support people across Gloucestershire facing family law matters, including pre-nups, divorce, division of pensions and making arrangements for children.
Led by Regional Director Jemma Slavin, the Bristol team, including experienced family lawyers Louise Chipchase and Amy Langford, works hard to deliver exceptional client care and the best results for clients.
Whether you are going through a challenging divorce, struggling with the division of assets such as pensions, unable to decide on child custody, or looking to protect finances prior to marriage with a prenuptial agreement, the Bristol team of family lawyers can help.
The increasing use of pre-nuptial agreements
The Bristol team has noticed an increase in prenuptial agreements in recent years (prenups).
A prenuptial agreement is no longer the preserve of the wealthy. It is a great way to achieve a certain level of protection by establishing ownership of belongings (money, assets, and property) and what will happen to them in the event of a relationship breakdown.
In a recent case handled by the Bristol team, a client wanted to set up a prenuptial agreement to protect a number of non-marital assets, including a property and shares in a family business.
The team collaborated with the client to draft a fair and considered prenup that was agreed upon and recommended the prenup is periodically reviewed, particularly if the couple have children or their circumstances change.
Dealing with the division of retirement accounts
Despite the fact that pensions are frequently the second-highest-value asset in a marriage, after the family home, there has been a significant drop in pension sharing orders—down 35% since 2017—highlighting a growing trend of people failing to consider the division of retirement accounts in divorce.
But by neglecting to include pensions, people are forsaking a share in their ex-partner’s pension or retirement accounts and as a result may lose out on possible long-term income and future financial security.
A recent case for the Bristol team demonstrated the risks of ignoring pensions during a divorce. Their client had been married for over 30 years before the marriage ended.
The marital pot was substantial, with various assets amassed during the marriage. The family home was on the market, and they planned to split the proceeds 50/50. However, discussions about pensions had proved difficult.
Our client had built up a relatively good sized private pension, but her ex-spouse’s pension value was greater. He did not want to divide his retirement account, instead offering a larger share of the equity in the home.
After establishing a clear picture of their pension values, the Bristol team advised their client to take the pension share option rather than offsetting, and agreed the terms with the other party’s legal team before drawing up a pension sharing order.
Obtaining a child arrangements order
Stowe's Bristol family law team recently handled a child arrangements case for a divorced father. Communication with the mother had broken down, and they were unable to reach an agreement on child arrangements.
Our family solicitors were able to assist our client in successfully negotiating a reciprocal resolution without the need for a court application by utilising their child law expertise.
Redefining the arrangements for shared parental responsibility of the couple's children with the assistance of a family lawyer enabled our client to consider all options and find a workable pathway that prioritised the children's best interests.
Get in touch with Stowe Family Law Bristol today
Stowe Family Law has over 60 offices, and is the largest UK family law firm.
The Bristol office serves family law clients in the Gloucestershire area, where they offer legal advice to people dealing with the issues caused by a relationship breakdown.
From prenuptial agreements, division of pensions after divorce, and supporting parents with child arrangements, Managing Partner Louise Chipchase and the team are here to help.
Contact our team of Bristol family lawyers today on 0117 2033458.
