Boom or Bust

The accountancy firm Grant Thornton has recently published it's sixth annual survey of "the UK's leading law firms" specialising in family law. I have downloaded the report as a pdf but cannot now find the address, grr... The survey of matrimonial lawyers makes interesting reading and I have highlighted some of the figures below;

• 48%, of respondents predicted a fall in the number of couples filing for divorce in the English and Welsh Courts due to the economic slowdown

• women filed for divorce in 91% of cases and in all but 3% of cases, the divorces are not contested

• 23% of lawyers believe that the number of divorces will stay at the same level as the previous year

• lawyers supporting collaborative law has fallen to 81% from 89%. However, the number of respondents trained as collaborative lawyers has increased to 50%, up 2%

• the total family assets for distribution in a divorce, dealt with by the respondents, fell from £2.85 million in 2007 to under £1.5 million this year

• 65% of respondents predict there will be a fall in lump sum financial agreements and an increase in maintenance based settlement

• 59% of lawyers surveyed advise on pre-nups more than other types of agreement

• 52% of respondents predict that there will be an increase in pre and post nuptial agreements due to the economic slowdown

• 82% of solicitors felt that pre-nups should be a factor considered by the Courts. This compares to 18% of respondents considering that they should be legally binding, down from 56% in 2007

• lawyers are increasingly concerned about the treatment of cohabiting couples, 45% called for a change in legislation.

• 19% of respondents have had instances of cases involving concealed assets over the last twelve months it has been more common for the concealment to be an action of the husband (91% of the cases). This year there were no cases (2% in 2007) of the concealment resulting from the actions of a wife

• 85% of respondents, had dealt with cases which had international elements

• The jurisdiction thought by 98% of respondents to most favour the wife (in terms of financial settlement) continues to be England and Wales. Whilst Scotland continues to be cited as the most favourable jurisdiction for husbands (30% of respondents in 2008)


Press release Source Grant Thornton