At First Law Solicitors, we manage high-value financial matters for clients navigating divorce and relationship breakdowns. Our solicitors deliver strategic, discreet and technically precise legal solutions for professionals, entrepreneurs and families with complex asset portfolios.
Based in Manchester and advising clients across England and Wales, we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID No: 665823). Every case is overseen by a senior solicitor with more than twenty years of post-qualification experience in high-value financial remedies, corporate valuations and asset protection.
Divorce reshapes not only relationships but also entire financial ecosystems. Under section 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, courts must balance needs, contribution and fairness.
For high-net-worth clients, this process demands strategic depth. We handle multi-jurisdictional portfolios, company assets, investment vehicles and trust interests, ensuring that every element of your financial life is accurately represented, valued and protected.
At First Law Solicitors, we treat divorce as a structured financial transition rather than an adversarial contest. Our role is to safeguard wealth, preserve liquidity and build post-divorce stability through disciplined legal and financial architecture.
The Supreme Court decision in Standish v Standish (2025) fundamentally redefined the boundary between matrimonial and non-matrimonial assets. The ruling established a two-limb test, requiring the court to examine both the contributor’s original intention and the subsequent treatment of the asset over time.
This means inherited wealth or pre-marital business interests can only be drawn into the marital pool where both intention and conduct demonstrate shared use.
We apply this test rigorously through our Standish Shield framework, a forensic tracing method that maps capital movement, reinvestment and ownership patterns to protect non-matrimonial wealth. Without such analysis, valuable property or company shares risk matrimonialisation, blurring legal boundaries and eroding generational wealth.
We value and structure the transfer of family homes, investment properties and international real estate portfolios. Our approach integrates the RICS Service Charge Standard 2025 and full Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards compliance to future-proof property settlements.
For entrepreneurs and shareholders, we balance equity retention with fairness. We conduct business valuations that account for goodwill, liquidity and minority shareholding dynamics. Where appropriate, we structure offset agreements allowing one party to retain corporate control in exchange for compensatory asset allocation elsewhere.
Following the Autumn Budget 2024/2025, unspent pensions are legislated to be included within the taxable estate for Inheritance Tax purposes from April 2027. We are already restructuring settlements to mitigate this future liability through pension sharing and alternative trust vehicles that preserve intergenerational value and liquidity.
We ensure complete visibility of investment portfolios, cryptocurrency holdings and offshore entities. Our compliance systems align with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, ensuring lawful data transfer and secure digital asset disclosure across jurisdictions.
The financial resolution process begins with comprehensive financial disclosure. We obtain a complete financial picture using advanced digital tools and forensic accounting to uncover undervalued or hidden assets.
This is followed by valuation and forensic tracing. Every asset class is traced, valued and categorised under the Standish framework, allowing matrimonial property to be clearly distinguished from ring-fenced holdings.
We then move to negotiation and Private Financial Dispute Resolution. Private FDR is prioritised to avoid the twelve-month public court backlog, offering confidentiality, faster resolution and strategic control of outcomes. Matters are typically resolved within eight to twelve weeks.
Once agreement is reached, we secure enforceable Financial Consent Orders and complete court approval. All documentation is executed using Qualified Electronic Signatures in accordance with HM Land Registry requirements and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
We use Predictive Settlement Modeling, an advanced analytical system that simulates hundreds of potential judicial outcomes using 2026 Family Court data. This enables us to forecast realistic settlement ranges, quantify litigation risk and negotiate from a position of statistical strength.
Predictive modeling transforms subjective negotiation into data-driven strategy and is a defining hallmark of our premium financial counsel.
A settlement is only complete when it is tax-efficient, enforceable and future-proof. Our solicitors work alongside financial advisers and accountants to ensure that Capital Gains Tax and Stamp Duty liabilities are minimised, corporate and property structures are adjusted without triggering unnecessary tax exposure, trusts and wills are updated to reflect new asset ownership, and compliance with forthcoming March 2026 tax reforms is built into every settlement.
At First Law Solicitors, we go beyond compliance by creating financial stability through strategy. We safeguard every element of your wealth through evidence-based asset tracing and legal precision. Our forensic accountants and analysts align each case with predictive data and digital compliance tools. We design settlements that endure beyond 2026, delivering financial peace of mind for years to come.
Our role is not merely to divide assets; it is to architect your financial future.
If you require strategic representation for property division, business valuation or complex financial settlements, contact First Law Solicitors today.
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