We have earned an enviable reputation working exclusively in divorce, separation, complex financial disputes, children issues and contested wills and estates.

Our highly respected firm was founded in Leeds by leading divorce lawyer, Peter Jones, as the first specialist practice of its kind in the city.

A former Deputy District Judge who was National Chair of Resolution and continues as chair of Resolution’s specialist Accreditation Committee, Peter has extensive experience at the highest level in all aspects of divorce and financial disputes.

Fast forward a quarter of a decade and our sustained success is reinforced by a series of milestones which include opening a London office in 2012. We also launched our third office in Harrogate this year to accommodate an increase in instructions from our clients in North Yorkshire.

Our breadth and depth of expertise is also further reflected in our consistent joint Top Tier rankings by the highly regarded Legal 500 and Chambers guides. Our team of experts, which also include an experienced mediator, a family law arbitrator and our own in-house barrister, jointly combine over 250 years of legal experience.

With over 40% of marriages ending in divorce and a high percentage of cohabitation relationships breaking down we deliver a bespoke service tailored to the circumstances of our clients who are based regionally, nationally and internationally.

Consistently striving for the right solution for every client, we support, guide and advise them through options including options which avoid going to court.

Likewise, when clients require strong and tenacious support to pursue litigation, we adeptly advise, support and guide them through this process.

Our expertise also extends to anticipating difficulties by advising and arranging pre marriage and cohabitation agreements.

We know only too well the impact that relationship and family issues can have on people’s lives – which is why our understanding, expertise and reputation underpins everything we do.

For more information about any aspect of divorce or family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

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Our standing as a leader in the field of family law is endorsed by the 2017 Legal 500 guide  which has once again awarded Jones Myers a joint Top Tier position for Leeds, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

The highly respected industry guide describes us as ‘a family practice that is one of the best in the area’ and attracts praise for our ‘sensible, expert, conciliatory advice that does what it says on the tin’.

Singled out for our track record in financial remedy cases, our partner Richard Peaker is acknowledged as a leading individual practitioner – the highest accolade the guide can bestow on a lawyer.

A specialist in high net worth cases, Richard acts for a wide range of clients regionally, nationally and internationally who include businesses owners, shareholders, lawyers, accountants and other high end professionals. His experience also includes cases involving farming and rural communities.

Richard’s tenacious approach with difficult divorce cases – often involving family owned businesses and trusts – entails working closely with financial experts. His national reputation as a pragmatic, tactical and committed lawyer precedes him and he is regularly recommended by clients, barristers and independent financial advisors.

The guide also applauds our expertise in matters involving children. Our children’s department is headed by Kate Banerjee who has Higher Court Rights and is a member of the International Child Abduction and Custody Unit.

Jointly combining seven decades of expertise, our children’s team specialises in residence and contact disputes, care proceedings, international child abduction, adoption, special guardianship, relocation and public law cases, attracting complex and varied casework in the UK and overseas.

Contentious trusts and probate solicitor, Martin Holdsworth, has also been ranked as a leading lawyer.

The powerful endorsements come in a formative year in which milestones include opening a new office in Harrogate. Based at Windsor House, our services will complement those we provide at our existing offices in Leeds and Essex where we combine professional legal advice with a sensitive approach.

Dealing exclusively in family law, including divorce, separation, complex financial disputes, and children issues, we understand that choosing the right representation, particularly in an area as complex and sensitive as family law, is critical.

For more information about divorce, children’s issues or any aspect of family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

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By Peter Jones, founder

A senior judge’s call for parents with valuable homes to be forced to pay more child support highlights a loophole in the system which is criticised as being unfair and does not put children’s interests first.

Since 2012, child maintenance payments have been based on income only, with assets not included in calculations by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), which decides the rate. This means that people can live off their capital, declare a low income and pay minimal child support.

While Mr Justice Mostyn has said that the law is unjust and should be changed, in my opinion a more comprehensive solution would be to return child maintenance in matrimonial and non- matrimonial cases to the jurisdiction of the family court. The courts should be accessed through one uniform procedure, regardless of the parent’s matrimonial status.

Here judges have a wide discretion and would ensure that the family assets are shared to achieve fairness – with the first consideration being the welfare of any children.

This would also free up the CMS to concentrate on its other vital responsibilities such as pursuing parents who do not pay and enforcing child upkeep.

In addition, the Matrimonial Causes Act should be re-examined with a view to making it fit for purpose for today’s modern and evolving world.

Drafted forty years ago, it has been criticised for provoking conflict and confrontation. In 2013, retiring High Court judge Paul Coleridge aptly said: “The days of the gladiatorial wars of the titans are over. The dinosaurs have had their day.”

As members of Resolution, all Jones Myers family lawyers are prominent supporters of alternative dispute resolution – striving to resolve family disputes constructively, to try to avoid costly, public and stressful litigation.

Our approach encourages clients to co-operate and reach agreement wherever possible about dividing their assets and securing the future of their children, whose interests should be at heart of everything.

For more information about children’s issues or any aspect of family law, call Jones Myers at our Leeds office on 0113 246 0055, our Harrogate office on 01423 276104, visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

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Our latest guest blog on The Divorce Magazine asks what you need to do if your ex won’t provide details of the Cash Equivalent Transfer Value of a pension.

When it comes to divorce, pensions are treated just like any other asset.

However, unlike bricks and mortar, it can sometimes be difficult to establish whether a pension exists and what it might be worth. This can become even more difficult in an acrimonious split, when one partner refuses to divulge the financial details of their pension arrangements.

If this situation arises, there are number of steps you can take with the help of a specialist solicitor.

First, you need to find out if a pension exists. A useful first step is to take advantage of the Government’s Pension Tracing Service – an online database containing details of all workplace and personal pension schemes.

Although you won’t be able to search your partner’s details, you can make an application to the court for them to be forced to make search by putting in all of their past and current employers, together with any personal pension providers that might be relevant. This won’t give you the value of the pension, but it will tell you who the provider is and give you details of where to write for more information.

The next step in securing a fair allocation of assets is to find out how much the pension is worth by obtaining a calculation of the Cash Equivalent Value (CEV) of the pension benefits that have accrued.

Under normal circumstances, this information is put on the table along with any other assets in order to work out what each spouse is entitled to. However, it does happen occasionally, when relationships have completely broken down, that this information is not produced.

In cases of a refusal to provide CEV information about a known pension fund, there is provision in law for the court to require the member spouse to obtain information and also for the court to order the pension provider to supply that information to the court.

To make that happen, the non-member spouse’s solicitor would send a copy of the application for a pension sharing order direct to the pension supplier. It is then obliged to provide certain information to the member, including the value of the pension benefits. If the member spouse refuses to disclose that information, an application can be made to the court for a separate order for this information to be provided.

Once all of the information is before the court, it enables a decision to be made about how the pensions should be split equitably between the parties. This split can take a number of forms, of which the most usual are:

• Pension sharing – where you receive a percentage share of any one (or more) of your ex-partner’s pensions. This is either transferred into a pension in your name or you can join your ex-partner’s pension scheme, depending upon the pension scheme rules and independent financial advice;
• Pensions offsetting – where the value of any pension(s) is offset against other assets, for example, you might obtain a bigger share of the family home in return for your ex-partner keeping their pension.

Amid the stress and emotional turmoil of divorce, it can be difficult to think beyond the day-to-day. However this is precisely the time to focus on planning ahead and avoid later regrets about failing to make adequate provision for the future.

For more information about financial claims on divorce or any aspect of family law call our team of experts at Jones Myers on 0113 246 0055 or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce

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A divorce law firm exclusively for male clients – which unashamedly champions ‘aggressive representation’ and alludes to finances in divorce as a ‘treacherous affair’ – has attempted to catapult the modern day collaborative and problem-solving approach back into the dark ages.

Harnessing inflammatory language such as ‘battle,’ the practice also promotes ‘child custody’ (an antiquated term which has been replaced by child arrangement orders), among its services.

Since the launch of Resolution (of which I am a former National Chair) over three decades ago, our profession’s approach has evolved, achieving a non-confrontational approach to family problems.

Drawing on our extensive experience, I fear that such inappropriate and outdated methods could cause irreparable rifts, damage, and resentment in divorce and family issues at an uncertain and anxious time when emotions are running high.

Resolution’s code of practice encourages solutions which consider the needs of the whole family and always strives to put children’s interests first. It is wholly aligned with our ethos at Jones Myers where we help parents and couples to avoid a protracted, expensive and stressful court process through collaboration, mediation and arbitration.

The high-profile publicity afforded to the tactics of the practice in question contrasts with the mood of society – the majority of which supports the introduction of no-fault divorce which is designed to stop ‘aggression’ and ‘battles’ between couples.

Jones Myers has been at the forefront of Resolution’s sustained campaign to change current divorce law which demands that, unless couples have lived apart for two years, one partner has to take the blame. No fault divorces will make it easier for people to manage their separation and work together to avoid lengthy and stressful court disputes.

We know that striving for a perfect outcome in an imperfect situation such as divorce – is nigh-on impossible. However, strive we must and starting from a position of compromise where both parties acknowledge the wider family’s responsibilities and needs.

This spirit of compromise, which is particularly important in putting children’s best interests first, goes a long way to help those involved feel more in control over their future and benefit from improved levels of communication and planning.

Adopting an inflexible stance where hard-core financial gain, hostility and prolonged battles take priority over a process of collaboration and co-operation will inevitably lead to heartache, guilt and regret in years, if not decades, to come.

For more information about any aspect of family law call the team at Jones Myers on 0113 246 0055 or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce

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We are delighted to have retained our Tier 1 ranking in the Chambers 2017 Guide for Leeds, Bradford and surrounding areas – and have more leading experts in family law listed than any other firm of our kind in Yorkshire.

A year after hailing Jones Myers as ‘A genuinely brilliant firm’ in its 2016 UK Guide, Chambers 2017 describes our practice as ‘particularly famed for its ability to handle complicated children cases’ and one which is ‘Also well versed in wills, probates and trusts.’

Five of our solicitors retain their listings as Leading Individuals – our head of the contentious wills, trust & estates team, Martin Holdsworth, director Richard Peaker, founder Peter Jones, head of the children department Kate Banerjee and collaborative law guru, Norman Taylor.

Based on interviews with, and recommendations from, clients, here are just a couple of many testimonials we receive and which Chambers have included in this year’s Guide:

“They have a brilliant reputation in the local marketplace”

“A very strong children law team, certainly a very good practice”

What the Guide says about our top team:

Kate Banerjee

Kate is hailed for her “Very professional approach” and excellent reputation for relocation and contact cases – regularly representing children, guardians, parents and local authorities.

Richard Peaker

Richard is described as “A very good advocate” who “Always knows exactly what he is doing” and is recommended for his expertise in complex financial disputes, with impressive experience in cases concerning farming assets.

Peter Jones

Peter is commended as “A highly regarded stalwart of the sector” and “One of the most long-standing experts here.” With high praise for his expertise on high-value financial disputes, he is described as “Hugely respected – he’s been a big fish here for years.” 

Norman Taylor

Norman is described as “A huge advocate of collaborative work in the region” and “Very strong on ADR generally.” His experience in medium to high value cases, including those involving childcare, are highlighted.

Martin Holdsworth said: “This latest ranking acknowledges the wealth of experience of our team which includes in house counsel, mediators, an arbitrator, Deputy District Judge, advocates with higher rights of audience, advanced financial provision specialists – along with ACTAPS and Resolution Accreditation national committee members.

“In terms of leading individuals listed, we have twice as many leading experts in family law in the Leeds and surrounding area than the next best law firm.”

Our firm, whose lawyers boast a combined 250 years of legal experience, has marked another formative year. Our expertise in the field of contentious probate has resulted in double digit year-on-year growth – and our team is one of the largest of its kind outside London.

Concluded Richard Peaker: “This development places our practice in the top tier in both Chambers and Legal 500 for family law for 2017, with the latest Legal 500 Guide highlighting our particular expertise in marriage-related issues, including divorce, child residence disputes and pre-nuptial agreements’, along with financial disputes and expertise in disputes over will validity.”

If you have any comments, queries or concerns on wider divorce related issues, leave a comment below or tweet us on @helpwithdivorce.

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As we have said before in this blog, where there’s a will there is often a disappointed beneficiary.

However, few disputes can be as unusual – or involve such eye-watering figures – as the case of Ruanne Dellal, widow of flamboyant property developer Jack Dellal, who has won the first round of a court battle to challenge the provisions of her late husband’s will.

Although Mrs Dellal inherited the not insubstantial sum of £15.4m, she claims that her husband, who died in 2012 aged 89, had a much bigger fortune and must have given away millions to blood relatives without her knowledge.

Known as ‘Black Jack’ for his love of gambling, Mr Dellal regularly featured in the Sunday Times Rich List with his fortune estimated at £445m in the year he died. His widow told the High Court in London that the amount she inherited was an “absurd presentation” of her late husband’s wealth.

Mrs Dellal, the second wife of the charismatic businessman, believes that family members must have received substantial assets in the years after Jack made his will in 2006 and ‘to all intents and purposes left his entire estate” to her.  She is seeking “reasonable provision” from his estate (beyond the £15.4m she has already received) and suggesting that his state net estate should be increased by a number of other properties and assets.

Jack Dellal’s 96-year-old sister Violet and six of his adult children from previous relationships had asked the court to throw out his widow’s claim. However, Mr Justice Mostyn has rejected that demand and instead suggested that he wants to analyse more evidence.

The property dealer, who was born in Manchester to exiled Iraqi Jewish parents, initially made his money in merchant banking. The court heard that he is said to have gambled £1.7million in just one night. However, it seems that neither Mrs Dellal nor the judge believes that ‘Black Jack’ could have simply frittered away the bulk of his vast fortune in casinos.

It is not uncommon for some people to dispose of their assets towards the end of their life and thereafter use their wills to try control what should happen to their remaining estates. Whilst that is the very nature and purpose of a will, problems arise where such testamentary planning is used to try and avoid discharging genuine testamentary obligations (often towards spouses or cohabitees). Disposing of assets prior to death is a risky approach not least because the law does provide for such to be reversed in certain circumstances. Furthermore, the later in life the gift is made, the more likely there will be a challenge based on failing testamentary mental capacity.

At Jones Myers we have dealt with and resolved many disputes of this type and nature. There has been an increase in the number of clients approaching us in life to advise on the likely effect and associated risk of claims as a result of their intended actions. We would encourage open dialogues with family members effected to avoid claims at a later stage.

With or without a will, where there is a dispute that has arisen, we can help resolve it.

If you would like to talk to us about any aspect of disappointed inheritance claims or disputed wills please contact Martin Holdsworth on 0113 3804571 or email martin.holdsworth@jonesmyers.co.uk

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