The first months of the year are often a busy time for divorce lawyers in the UK, with enquiries rising threefold once the end-of-year holidays are out of the way.
Despite a growing realisation there is little chance of salvaging the relationship, people typically avoid talk of divorce in the run-up to Christmas, prolonging the marriage a little longer, for the family to spend quality time together, before they start down the road to permanent separation.
Whether or not resolutions lasted this long, a new year often inspires positive lifestyle changes.
This focus on the future will cause many couples to consider their marriage and finally decide there is nothing left to do; all avenues of reconciliation have been exhausted.
Of course, while divorce is a highly emotional matter, experienced family lawyers work hard to understand their client’s perspective, advising them quickly and cost-effectively and helping them avoid ending their marriage in court, if at all possible.
Team approach
While many consider a strong marriage to be based on good teamwork, a good divorce will also rely on the efforts of many lawyers and other professionals, collaborating closely to deliver the desired outcome for their client.
Children in the relationship can undoubtedly increase problems during a divorce, but matters can be seriously tricky when one or both of the divorcing couple own or manage a business. Research shows around 1.4m UK companies are now run by couples, with the number on the rise.
This applies to family-run businesses across all sectors and industries, with divorce difficulties often creating unwanted bumps along an already challenging road.
Two’s company
Many business owners remain unaware their partner may be entitled to some share in their company, even if the partner has never been involved in the day-to-day activities of the company. The likelihood of this situation grows with the length of marriage or inequality in financial resources.
In the UK, for the court to consider a ‘fair’ division of all your assets, everything will be taken together in one lump, with little distinction made between assets, unless you have legal documentation that proves a different position.
From there, the court may decide the only reasonable way to divide assets is to sell or break up the business, which can be disappointing for owners who have invested significant time and money into building their company and its reputation.
Divorce can be bad for business
Dealing with a family business during the divorce process often raises many complex issues, starting with its valuation, inheritance wishes, financial contributions, dividend payments and the shares or interests of other family members.
