Hearts, flowers & Pre-nups...

There has been increasing media noise lately about Pre-nuptial Agreements – usually those of the rich and famous, and it would appear that even Katie Price has finally got the message. What’s not to like after all? What’s mine is mine and Abba got it wrong if they thought I’d take a chance on you!

Well, the thing is – it’s not quite as simple as that.  To clarify, whilst  the Pre-nup culture has doggy-paddled  inexorably across the Atlantic to us, it  hasn't been  grasped  fondly to the bosom of its judicial master in the courts of our great land and it has remained far from a ‘sure thing’  that what you will get is what you signed up to before marital bliss took its toll . The reason for this is that the courts retain the absolute right to override a Pre-nup if its content would otherwise be ‘unreasonable’, principally in meeting the parties’ needs with reference to their resources at the time of divorce. So whilst a court will always consider a Pre-nup where one exists, it does so as one of a number of considerations, not as an overriding one. This is what makes it so important to get the drafting right – if it looks unreasonable, sounds unreasonable and tastes unreasonable, then odds are, the court will disregard it for being unreasonable.

The Law Commission has just put together a series of proposals for statutory reform in this area for the government to consider introducing specific legislation for the recognition and implementation of Pre-nups. This could change the scenery a little and one can’t help feeling that the vast private and inherited wealth of the current cabinet may be prone to favour the move. Even if this vision of the future comes to pass however, it isn't going to be a brave new world out there. Lady Hale of the Supreme Court may not be Judge Dredd but she won’t take lightly to an attack on a family’s needs or a court’s ability to meet those - “Marriage still counts for something in the law of this country and long may it continue to do so”.

So, where now?  Well, you may want to order your wedding invites from Moonpig.com, but for goodness sake, the internet is not the place to find a DIY Pre-nup in advance of the big day! If you want to make it count then it has got to be comprehensively detailed and accurate with clear provision for all eventualities. More so, it has to be reasonable, and only an experienced matrimonial lawyer can tell you what a court would deem that to be in your individual circumstances.  I won’t start on all the validity requirements that relate to the ‘how’ of entering into such an agreement for it to be accepted as such in the first place….you get my gist . If you want to give your heart but not your financial health, a well drafted Pre-nup will already serve you and save you!

Nicola Fraser

Senior Associate Matrimonial Solicitor

email: nicola.fraser@gorvins.com

telephone@ 0161 930 5151

War! What is it good for?

The benefits of collaborative divorce

Whilst the breakdown of a relationship can be hugely upsetting and often frightening, the last thing that will improve the situation, especially for any children involved, is a legal war.

Any professional matrimonial lawyer should know this and have the skills to put your interests and those of your family first.  Obviously it is vital that arrangements for children, financial facts, needs and legal principles are completely understood and addressed, but it is equally important to do it in the best way for the family.

Collaborative law is a professional approach to divorce that empowers you to achieve an outcome that is agreed and arrived at jointly and openly.

It has been adopted by many experienced divorce lawyers who have seen first-hand the negative impact and cost of divorces that are approached by some clients (and unfortunately some solicitors) as a war of attrition and point scoring.  Trained collaborative lawyers will instead provide a supportive divorce process through shared communication.  Each party’s Collaborative Solicitor will act as a legally aware mediator with the aim of reaching a workable and legally sound conclusion.  The process includes:-

·         Pre agreed agendas.

·       Joint meetings with both parties and their lawyers, to discuss financials and address practical facts as well as personal concerns and issues about the children.

·       Meetings are based on an initial written agreement that sets out the plan and reasons for working towards an agreed outcome.  This is drawn up by the parties themselves and both they and their collaborative lawyers “sign up” to this at the start.

·       Matters are openly discussed with the professional support and advice of both lawyers to agree arrangements for any children of the family plus a full financial and property settlement.

·       It can take between one to five meetings to achieve overall agreement, which is then drawn up into an agreed Court application. This is submitted to the Court in order to request that the Court approve the agreed settlement as a final and legally binding Order.  During this process neither party has to attend court.

 The outcomes are agreed, rather than imposed.  There are no winners or losers in the collaborative process, plus there is more scope to arrive at a bespoke arrangement that works for each individual family than contested Court proceedings might achieve.  Most important of all, you are the ones to decide the outcome and your own family’s future rather than risking your fate (and theirs) to the increasingly uncertain outcome that any given Judge on any particular day might impose.

Nicola Fraser

Collaborative Lawyer
Matrimonial Solicitor
Senior Associate Gorvins