Posts by Mary Waring
How is the value of your pension share calculated?
During your divorce negotiations both you and your spouse will have obtained a valuation for each of your pensions. The date of this valuation must be within 12 months of the hearing date. Clients will often rely on this figure as the value of the pension that is to be shared. They apply the sharing…
Read MoreWould you be happy to throw away your money?
Now of course we all know that if I asked this question directly the answer from everyone would be “NO”. And probably you would think that I was even mad to ask the question. And yet, I often see this being done by my clients. I am dealing with a client now who received a…
Read MoreShould I downsize when I divorce or keep the house?
If you and your spouse have decided to split the joint assets it’s very easy to think that how you achieve that split will not affect the outcome. Will it make a difference if you remain in the house and don’t take any other assets compared to if you downsize now and take a share…
Read MoreThe Financial Settlement: What’s involved?
The Financial Settlement The financial settlement is a separate process to the dissolution of the marriage. Although they are often done at the same time there is no legal mechanism to compel people sort out their financial matters with the divorce. One party can force the other to sort out financial matters by making…
Read MoreThe Divorce Process
The Divorce Process Divorce is the ending of the marriage. Sorting the finances is a separate issue. It is not unusual for the legal process to be finalised before the financial settlement. However, since some provisions cannot be altered after the Decree Absolute this part of the process is often delayed until all issues are…
Read MoreAre you entitled to a fair share of the assets on divorce?
It’s not unusual that when there are children in the marriage that the wife earns less than the husband. She may be a stay at home mum or earn a lower income simply because she works fewer hours in order to be able to cover childcare. It’s also quite usual that if your family budget…
Read MoreWhat lifestyle will you lead after your divorce?
Following divorce it’s very likely you will want to maintain the same lifestyle as you enjoyed during your marriage. If there are sufficient funds to go round that’s likely to be the outcome. However, consider what will happen if there isn’t enough money. The same income that was being used to support one household during…
Read MoreAlternatives to court for your divorce
As mentioned in “Should I use a solicitor for my divorce?” instructing a solicitor does not automatically mean you will end up in court with protracted, drawn out divorce proceedings. There are a number of other alternatives, and which one of these is best for you depends on your individual circumstances. Below I’m briefly going to…
Read MoreShould you use a solicitor for your divorce?
If you and your husband are getting on well, or you have a limited budget, you might think it’s a good idea to want to sort the divorce yourself, without instructing a solicitor. A DIY divorce will be cheaper than using a solicitor in the short term, but may infact be more expensive in the…
Read MoreDo you bury your head in the sand regarding your finances?
I have some clients who come to me feeling almost shell shocked their husband has asked for a divorce. In many instances these women weren’t even aware there was a problem in their marriage. Some clients come to me and they’ve known for a long time their marriage wasn’t right, they weren’t happy, but they…
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