They say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes Team to ensure the best outcome for your divorce/separation.. Read on

They say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes Team to ensure the best outcome for your divorce/separation. . Read on

There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’

Life is full of people with different skill sets. You see it in all service based industries. What one person can do for you, another can’t, so you look to bring someone else in. You see your GP if you are unwell and they may need to involve nurses/radiographers/specialists consultants. You employ a builder to do an extension on your house, and they bring in electricians/plumbers/tilers.

We lawyers are no different. We offer specialist legal advice in our chosen areas. We offer strategy, guidance and support through the process and decisions you face, we represent and advise you during court proceedings or alongside an alternative process such as arbitration or mediation. To do our jobs most effectively, we need to bring other people in.

During the course of representing you, we may need to bring in or recommend one or more of the following:

Divorce Coach

Divorce coaches offer emotional and practical support to those going through divorce/separation. They may become involved for those clients experiencing difficulties in coming to terms with their separation, helping them with planning and decision-making both before, during and after the process has finished or managing safe exits and additional specialist support if there is domestic abuse.

Accountant/Tax Advisor

More than one property, sales of shares/other investments and business assets would all give rise to taxation issues where an accountant or tax advice will be needed.

Mortgage Advisor

Understanding what you can borrow and on what terms is a key consideration when looking at future housing needs, whether that’s purchasing a property independently or looking to buy out your former spouse or partner from the family home.

IFA/Financial Planner

If you have pensions, other forms of investments and need advice on what to do (or not) with them then an IFA is essential. A financial planner will provide advice on whether what you have (or may get) will enable you to carry out your future plans.

Pension on Divorce Expert

Provides specialist advice on pensions and how they can be dealt with, this is especially important in case where there is a mix of different types of schemes with different rules and benefits.

Therapists/Counsellors

Available for more specific support whether that’s for yourself or your children and can be used in conjunction with other services.

Family Consultant

There to help couples navigate their divorce, often working alongside mediators, with lawyers undertaking a One Lawyer: One Couple way of working to manage the separation in a constructive manner, understand the dynamics of the couple and help overcome emotional roadblocks.

How will I know who I might need?

We consider who you might need in your team from the outset and keep this under review. Some may be by your side throughout such as coaches, therapists or financial planners. Others may be required for a specific piece of work such mortgage advisors, accountants, pension experts. Some clients will have their own advisors in place already, in which case we work with them. Depending on whether how we are working with you may also mean that some are instructed on a joint basis, to work with you both.

How much will it all cost?

This of course varies from case to case and the level of input that is needed. However, in our experience, getting the relevant input from the right professional early on, often saves time/money and second guessing in the long run. The key point is, you only bring in who you need and when you need them.

How will I know who to go to?

We have established relationships with all of the above and tailor the person with the client’s circumstances. We have working relationships with them and we are happy to make introductions so you can have a chat, see how they work and whether they are right for you.

All of the above can be utilised in both out of court processes and within court proceedings. See our blog ‘Keeping it out of Court: what are your options?’ for more information.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes Team to ensure the best outcome for your divorce/separation. To find out how we can help you and who you need in your team, come and talk to us. We listen and we are here to help.

To find out more, click here.