Our Farming Divorce Services
No two farming divorce cases are ever the same, so it’s important to take advice from experienced lawyers who can adopt the right approach. We offer services in the following areas:
- No fault divorce
- Financial Settlements
- Child Arrangements
Whatever your circumstances might be, Thursfields farming divorce lawyers can work with you to choose the right method that safeguards your future interests.
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Understand Farming Divorce
Advice for Farming Divorce Cases
Farming divorce in farming families can be made challenging by the complex ownership structures that are often present in inter-generational businesses. It is possible for multiple family members to have vested interests in the future of farmland through the likes of family trusts, partnerships, or limited liability companies. Additionally, farming divorce cases often need to consider important factors such as succession planning and inheritance tax obligations.
At Thursfields, our farming divorce lawyers aim to simplify even the most complex of situations, before clearly presenting all of the options available to you. While we’ll prioritise a constructive approach to your divorce, we can also fight your corner robustly if this proves to be impractical.
Our expert team will offer straightforward advice that is tailored to your needs.
Meet Our
Farming Divorce Lawyers
If you require trustworthy advice built around your personal circumstances, Thursfields’ farming divorce lawyers are here to help.
Key Contact
Shane Miller
Director & Head of Family Law
A highly-motivated and driven lawyer, Shane specialises in complex financial disputes, matters involving children, living arrangements, wealth protection, and pre/post nuptial agreements.
Recognised by the Legal 500, Shane prides herself in taking a robust but practical approach that delivers a first class service that her clients can rely upon. Her leadership has led the Thursfields Family team to be regarded as a top tier legal department in the Legal 500 rankings.
GET IN TOUCH
Want to know more about how our farming divorce lawyers can help? Get in touch with a member of the Thursfields team today.
Bespoke farming
Divorce Services
Thursfields appreciates that separations of those with interests in farms and rural land can be hugely complex, often involving multiple stakeholders and moving parts. Our expertise allows us to navigate these complexities and guide you towards an outcome that is in your best interests.
Our dedicated team of lawyers specialise in farming divorce cases and possess experience across the entire agricultural sector, from arranging mediation to work through the division of assets such as farmland and machinery, business valuation and restructuring, navigating inheritance tax obligations, and more. However complex your circumstances, you can have confidence that all of the main features will be addressed professionally by our experienced and versatile team.
We can also assist with child arrangements, financial settlements, child support, and more. With the long-term future of hard earned family businesses at stake, it’s vital that you seek out a law firm with a proven track-record of helping clients to achieve a positive outcome. Our farming divorce lawyers will help to clarify your circumstances and bring peace of mind for the future for your rural business and any other related financial matters.
A Full Suite of Agricultural Legal Services
In addition to providing specialist guidance with farming divorce cases, our team can help with a wide range of subject areas across the agricultural sector.
Rural Business Support
From company formation and employment law to succession planning and dispute resolution, we have the expertise to deal with all aspects of owning and operating an agricultural business.
Agricultural Property Law
We can help with anything from the buying and selling of land, to commercial leases, partnership agreements, and more. Our team has demonstrable experience with farms of all shapes and sizes and offer a holistic service.
Frequently Asked Questions
During farming divorce proceedings, you can sell your farm as a sole owner without any direct impact on business-related decisions. However, it's worth noting that the proceeds might be considered a marital asset, potentially entitling your spouse to a share of the compensation. If the farm is jointly-owned by both spouses, consent will be required for the sale to proceed.
However, if you are considering selling your farming enterprise ahead of divorce, it’s worth first considering the following:
- Is Your State of Mind Clouding Your Judgement?: Divorce is often an extremely stressful period of time. If the decision to sell has come around quite suddenly, or as a reaction to any ongoing hostilities, it might be worth taking a moment to weigh up your options before doing anything rash.
- Think About the Future: Are there any restrictions in place that would stop you operating in the future? Is there any branding tied to your name/identity that would make a future farming business difficult? Similarly, are there any other contractual restrictions that would stop you from running a new farm? Again, these decisions are best made when tensions are not running high.
- How Might Children be Affected? Have you thought about how selling farmland might affect future generations? It’s likely that selling will affect their inheritance and, potentially, their future career plans.
Ultimately, it’s advisable to enlist the services of a reliable farming divorce lawyers before making any decisions about selling a farm ahead of divorce. Knowing what you’re entitled to, and understanding the advantages and potential pitfalls of a sale, could have a major bearing on how you choose to proceed.
The courts will look to avoid the break up or dissolution of an agricultural business. However, much will depend on whether both spouses were involved in the running of the farm. If, as is often the case with family enterprises, both parties were actively involved, other assets may be divided to allow one party to retain control.
If both spouses have a longstanding interest in the farming operation, reaching a settlement can become much more complex. In some cases it may be necessary for one party to give the other shares or for them to buy out the other spouse entirely.
While there is no legal obligation to use specialist farming divorce lawyers, there are many reasons why taking legal advice could prove useful. With such essential features as child arrangements, future finances, the division of farming assets, and more at stake, an understanding of your entitlement could ensure a fair outcome for all parties.
Contact Our
Team Today
Whether you’re expecting a relatively simple divorce or something more difficult, our specialist team of farming divorce lawyers is here to help.
