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More marriages are breaking up, but couples should jaw jaw, not war war

As Spring is traditional for weddings, so January has earned a reputation for the time to kick off a divorce. 

And this year has been no exception, if celebrity announcements are anything to go by.  Hard on the heels of Katy Perry and Russell Brand, super-couple Seal and Heidi Klum have said they will be going their separate ways, as will reality star Kim Kardashian.

For the fortunate few, a court battle may bring a secure future and London has become the divorce capital of the world, with the biggest pay-outs and the most sensational splits.  John Cleese and Sir Paul McCartney are just two of the recent cases and this month has seen another multi-million pound payout in the High Court in London – this time a £12.5m award to the former wife of a Russian oligarch.  It’s the sort of sum which has attracted venture capitalists to get in on the act, with two hedge fund companies announcing this month that they are prepared to ‘invest’ in high-end divorce cases in return for a percentage of the final award. 

But the big issue for most divorcing couples is how they will manage what can be an emotionally and financially draining endurance test, particularly with the growing clamp down on Government funded legal support, and attempts to shift the emphasis towards out of court settlements through mediation. So as this month’s casualties sit and take stock, family law expert Richard Sauvain  of Aylesbury based solicitors Parrott & Coales LLP has some advice about how to avoid the worst of a warring divorce; the role that mediation can play; and some tips to secure your future. 

For more information, please contact Richard Sauvain.