Achieving the best outcomes for family law clients in Oxford
As skilled and committed family law solicitors at Stowe Family Law, we help many people in Oxford and across the county of Oxfordshire navigate the family law system on cases including divorce, cohabitation, and dissolution of civil partnerships.
The members of our team, led by Managing Partner Amanda Phillips-Wylds, are committed to giving our clients the best possible legal assistance and representation, highlighted by some case study examples below.
We are convinced that our record of success will provide you with the assurance and peace of mind you need, whether you are going through a challenging divorce, seeking to resolve a financial settlement, or struggling to agree on your child arrangements.
Using mediation to resolve financial disputes
Within our team in Oxford, you’ll find two highly trained mediators: Amanda Phillips-Wylds and Gemma Davison.
Mediation is a very effective form of alternative dispute resolution, and is used by many of our clients who cannot agree between themselves.
For example, a recent client came to Stowe Family Law in Oxford after several months of trying to agree a financial settlement with their ex-partner. The separation itself was amicable, and they had easily worked together to look at how the children would spend their time, but were stuck on finances, particularly the family home and division of pensions.
The team in Oxford reviewed the situation and felt mediation would be a good option to help resolve the issue and avoid the family court.
With both parties in agreement, a skilled mediator at Stowe brought the couples together and helped them compromise and reach a fair agreement on their finances.
This was then formalised into a legal order, and meant both parents could move forward in life and positively co-parent their children.
The increasing use of pre-nuptial agreements
Over recent years, the Oxford team has noticed an increasing use in prenuptial agreements (prenups).
No longer the preserve of the wealthy, a prenup is a great way to achieve a certain level of protection, by setting out the ownership of belongings (money, assets and property) and what will happen to them in the event of a breakdown of the relationship.
In a recent case led by the Oxford team, a client was looking to put in place a prenup to protect a number of non-matrimonial assets, including a property, and shares in a family business.
The team worked with the client to draft a fair and considered prenup that was agreed with the other party, and their legal representation without contest.
They also recommended the prenup was periodically reviewed, particularly if the couple had children or their circumstances changed.
Navigating the division of a family business
Financial matters surrounding the division of a business, or interest in it, often lead to disagreement between divorcing couples.
A recent example of this was a case worked on by Stowe Family Law in Oxford, who represented the wife in a complex financial settlement involving multiple businesses.
Having focused on bringing up the couple’s children, the wife had very limited knowledge of the businesses, their value or structure.
To properly advise the client, it was important that the team understood how the businesses are owned, what they are worth, what income they provide, and can provide in the future.
Due to the complexity of the businesses’ structure and potentially inaccurate disclosure from the other party, the team called upon the Stowe in-house forensic accountancy team.
Working together, a more accurate business valuation was determined, along with a clearer understanding of the structure and income potential.
Having this level of detail ensured that the Oxford team could move forward negotiations to achieve a fairer financial settlement for the wife.
Get in touch with Stowe Family Law Oxford today
Stowe Family Law is the largest specialist family law firm in the UK.
The Oxford office in Oxfordshire is one of the firm's many locations and offers legal support to people dealing with issues such as divorce, division of financial assets, and nuptial agreements.
Whether you are going through a difficult divorce, need support to reach a financial settlement, or need advice on child support, the solicitors at Stowe Family Law's Oxford office, including Emily Bevan, are here to help.
Our address is Parkway Court, Suite 22, Oxford House, Pure Offices Ltd, John Smith Dr, Oxford OX4 2JY. Stowe Family Law’s Oxford office is located just off the Eastern By-Pass Rd (A4142), south-east of Oxford City Centre. If you’re travelling by car, turn off at Garsington Rd (B480) and use the roundabout for John Smith Dr. Call our Oxford office today on 01865 634646.
