Podcast with Neil Dring, Jones Myers Senior Solicitor   

If your relationship has broken down and separation is inevitable, resolving major issues about finances and arrangements for children – whose interests should always come first – is a priority.   

In these circumstances, understanding the process of separation and the difference in outcomes between married and unmarried couples is also vital to help you plan the way forward during this difficult period.       

In this podcast, Senior Solicitor Neil Dring, explains to radio presenter, Nick Hancock, how finances, namely savings and investments,  are divided – and how the needs of children are met for both married couples and couples who have lived together.  

To listen to the Podcast click here: https://rb.gy/g802m

For information on any aspect of family law, call us at Leeds on 0113 246 0055, at Harrogate on 01423 276104, or at York on 01904 202550. Visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post Separate ways : the different outcomes for married and unmarried couples  appeared first on Jones Myers.

Jones Myers has appointed a senior family law specialist with almost four decades of expertise in relationship breakdown and financial settlements to head its Harrogate office.

Neil Dring, Senior Solicitor and Consultant, joins the firm’s Financial Remedies Department, which is regularly instructed in multi-jurisdictional proceedings and cases involving complex corporate and offshore trust structures.

His track record in divorce and separation includes complex high net worth financial disputes and advocacy, along with both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.

Jones Myers, which set up offices in Harrogate in 2017, has recently moved to bigger town centre premises opposite the Harrogate Justice Centre in Victoria Avenue in line with client demand.

Neil said: “Jones Myers’ standing as an award-winning leader in its field which attracts the best family lawyers is acknowledged on a regional and national level. Its esteemed Children’s Department is also renowned internationally.

“The firm’s ethos of seeking non-confrontational solutions to relationship breakdowns resonates with my approach and values, and I am looking forward to playing a key role in the practice’s continued expansion.”

Richard Peaker, Jones Myers Managing Partner who heads the Financial Remedies Department, said: “Neil is a highly respected and well-known family lawyer whose breadth and depth of experience highly complements our expertise and approach in delivering bespoke solutions for our clients.

“We warmly welcome him to the team as we continue to go from strength to strength in Yorkshire and beyond.”       

The appointment coincides with the practice’s York team also moving to bigger city centre offices at Bootham Row to accommodate future growth.

Retaining its Family Law Firm of the year North award in the Family Law Awards across 2020-2022, Jones Myers was the only Yorkshire-based family law firm in the national finals of the awards’ Children Law Team of the Year category.   

The practice, whose headquarters are in Leeds, also has offices in York and marks its 30^th anniversary this year.

For divorce or family law related issues including children, call us at Leeds on 0113 246 0055, Harrogate on 01423 276104, or York on 01904 202550. Visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

Jones Myers blog is ranked 9^th in the UK’s Best 25 family law blogs and websites to follow in 2022.

The post Senior appointment marks further growth for Jones Myers   appeared first on Jones Myers.

Our expertise and commitment to excellence have been acknowledged in the Best Lawyers listing for the 12^th consecutive year.

Of the seven family law firms listed in Leeds, Jones Myers is proud and delighted to be the only practice to have three of our highly experienced lawyers included. They are partner and director Richard Peaker, founder Peter Jones and collaborative law expert, Norman Taylor. 

Our trio of experts have been deemed worthy of a listing by their peers – leading lawyers who give their opinion on the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Here’s an insight into their expertise.  

Richard Peaker

Richard has vast experience in divorce and separation cases and is an expert in complex financial disputes.

A specialist in high net worth cases, he acts for a wide range of clients 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.

Peter Jones  

Peter Jones, one of the UK’s leading divorce lawyers, founded Jones Myers in 1992 as the first specialist practice of its kind in Leeds.

Peter has extensive experience at the highest level in all aspects of divorce and financial disputes and advises clients both regionally and nationally.

A former Deputy District Judge and an ex national chairman of Resolution, Peter chairs Resolution’s national Specialist Accreditation Committee.

He was also among the country’s first Arbitrators qualified to arbitrate on financial and property disputes and the break-up of civil partnerships or disputes between cohabitating couples whose relationships have ended.

Peter’s recognised combination of sensitivity and professionalism are the principles upon which he founded the firm and remain central to his approach today.

Norman Taylor

with over four decades of experience relating to financial issues arising from family and relationship breakdown, Norman has extensive experience in medium to high value cases.

Norman is respected nationally and locally as an enthusiastic advocate of non-confrontational, solution-based resolution of family issues.

Norman is respected nationally and locally as an enthusiastic advocate of non-confrontational, solution-based resolution of family issues.

Recognised for his work in promoting, developing and championing collaborative law in Yorkshire, Norman is a Lecturer in collaborative law and mentors students at Leeds Beckett University.   

For queries on divorce or any aspect of family law, call us at Leeds on 0113 246 0055, Harrogate on 01423 276104, or York on 01904 202550. Visit jm2023.jonesmyers.co.uk, email info@jonesmyers.co.uk or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post Jones Myers features in Best Lawyers listing for 12th consecutive year appeared first on Jones Myers.

Such a large figure makes for good media headlines, which are misleading as they imply that the legal costs run into five figures. However, further into the article the report reveals that the cost of divorce includes a whole raft of other expenses resulting from the breakdown of a marriage.

Setting up a new home and buying a new car are included in the total, while a common extra cost is childcare if a mother has to return to work or take a second job – this can typically be around £4,300 a year.

In fact one in eight women said they ‘worked longer hours or took a second job’ following a separation and one in 10, who previously hadn’t worked, had to find a job.

Not all the additional expenses are essential – some people feel the need for a treat to lift their spirits. While some splashed out on average £1,500 on clothes and jewellery, one in eight spent nearly £2,000 on a holiday to ‘celebrate their newly-single status’.

The research was based on interviews with 616 adults who have been married or co-habited with a partner within the last 10 years, but subsequently split up.

Any statistics can be misleading and what the article doesn’t do is to break down the £44,000 bill to identify a ‘typical’ cost of legal fees for divorce. Besides, averages are always difficult to rely on – if one person in the room has a bill of £100k, and 10 others have bills of £5k, the total in the room is £150k, but the average is £13.63k – not representative of the sample.

The important message for couples to take from this report is to obtain transparent information at the outset of separation as to the potential costs of your legal representation and to bear in mind – the more you fight, the more it costs.

Do you have any thoughts on the hidden costs of divorce?

Please share your views by leaving a comment below, drop us an e-mail or tweet us @helpwithdivorce

The post How childcare, shopping, holidays ramp up divorce costs appeared first on Jones Myers.