UHNW Advisory: Family Law for Ultra-High Net Worth and International Clients

Ultra-high net worth family law matters require more than advice on the immediate legal issues. Where significant wealth is held through trusts, corporate structures, private equity, international assets or family investment vehicles, decisions made during divorce proceedings can have long-term consequences for your financial future, your family and your wider wealth.

At JMW, we advise high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, family offices, trustees and professional advisers on the financial and structural issues that arise in complex family law matters. Our work includes high-value divorce, trusts in divorce, asset protection planning, nuptial agreements and cases involving offshore assets, business interests and substantial wealth often across multiple jurisdictions.

Our UHNW advisory work is led by Ruben Sinha, a recognised family law specialist with extensive experience in complex divorce and financial cases involving significant assets, intricate financial structures and international holdings. Ruben works closely with JMW’s private wealth, private wealth disputes and in-house advocacy specialists to provide clear, strategic advice where family law, trusts and long-term wealth planning intersect.

Whether you are facing divorce proceedings, reviewing existing asset protection arrangements or seeking early advice on how family wealth may be treated in a future financial settlement, we provide practical advice focused on protecting your position and achieving a fair and equitable settlement.

To speak with a specialist in confidence, contact our UHNW advisory team on 0345 872 6666, or complete our online enquiry form to arrange a call at a time that suits you.

Our UHNW Advisory Services

We advise on the family law issues that commonly arise where personal wealth, family wealth and complex asset structures overlap. Our role is to help you identify the right route at an early stage, whether you need advice on a current dispute, a future risk or the treatment of substantial assets in divorce proceedings.

HNW and UHNW Divorce

High net worth divorce and ultra-high net worth divorce cases often involve intricate financial structures, including business interests, private equity, trusts, investment portfolios, international property portfolios and offshore assets. These cases require a strategic approach to financial disclosure, asset division and the wider financial settlement.

We advise business owners, senior executives, entrepreneurs, professionals and spouses with significant financial assets on how to protect their position throughout the entire process. This includes working with forensic accountants and other specialist advisers where forensic analysis is needed to trace, value or understand complicated financial arrangements.

Our high net worth divorce solicitors provide clear advice on matrimonial assets, non-matrimonial assets, hidden assets, business valuations, pensions, tax implications and long-term financial security. The focus is always on cutting through the complexity of divorce proceedings protecting your interests and safeguarding your financial future.

Trusts and Divorce

Trusts are often a key part of high and ultra-high net worth divorce cases, particularly where significant wealth has been structured across generations. The court may consider whether trust assets should be treated as financial resources, whether they have supported the family during the marriage, and whether they should influence the overall divorce settlement.

We advise beneficiaries, trustees and family offices on how trusts may be approached in divorce proceedings. This includes cases involving discretionary trusts, offshore trusts, international assets and trust structures that hold substantial assets or family business interests.

Our advice covers financial disclosure, engagement with trustees, the distinction between matrimonial assets and wider family wealth, and the risk of trust assets being brought into the financial settlement. We also advise trustees (often offshore) who need to balance their fiduciary duties with requests for information, documentation or involvement in financial claims on divorce.

Asset Protection and Divorce

For families with substantial wealth, early planning can help mitigate future risk and provide greater clarity if divorce proceedings arise. We advise on asset protection strategies involving trusts, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, business ownership structures and international holdings.

This work often involves reviewing existing arrangements to assess how they may be treated within the current legal landscape. We consider how assets have been held and used over time, whether personal assets and trust assets have remained separate, and how structures may be viewed if challenged during a future divorce.

We work with families, trustees, family offices and professional advisers to provide strategic solutions that support long-term financial security.

A Co-ordinated Approach to Complex Wealth And Family Law Matters

UHNW family law matters rarely sit within one legal discipline. A high-value divorce may involve trusts, corporate structures, business interests, private equity, international property portfolios, offshore assets, tax implications, inheritance planning and wider questions about how family wealth should be protected over time.

This is where JMW’s cross-departmental approach provides a clear advantage. Through our JMW Signature service, we work with high and ultra-high net worth families, family offices and family businesses in the UK and internationally, bringing together the legal expertise needed to address the complex needs of those clients and their families. Rather than considering each issue in isolation, we coordinate advice across the relevant disciplines so that the family law strategy, wealth planning strategy and asset protection strategy are aligned, working with the right specialists from the outset.

Our family law team works closely with colleagues across private wealth, private wealth disputes, tax, trusts, corporate and other related disciplines. Through JMW Signature, we can also coordinate advice with handpicked external advisers where required, including accountants, asset managers, private banks, fiduciaries, offshore trustees and advisers in other international jurisdictions.

Key members of this cross-disciplinary team for family law clients include:

• Ruben Sinha, who leads JMW Signature and advises on ultra-high net worth divorce, trusts in divorce, asset protection and financial cases involving substantial wealth.
• Abigail Bennett, an in-house barrister and family law specialist who provides strategic insight on matrimonial finance, court strategy and complex asset disputes.
• Joe Cobb, our Head of Private Wealth, who advises on trusts, tax, succession planning, estate planning and long-term wealth structuring.
• Alison Parry, Head of Private Wealth Disputes, who advises on trust disputes, contested estates and litigation involving high-value family wealth structures.

This collaboration allows us to look at the full financial landscape, rather than treating any given family law issue in isolation. For clients whose personal, family and business affairs are closely connected, that means clearer advice, fewer gaps between disciplines and a strategy that takes account of both the immediate financial settlement and the long-term protection of significant wealth.

The purpose of this model is simple: to give you one clear strategic view. Whether the matter involves a current financial settlement, future divorce risk, high-value financial structures or global assets, we help you understand the legal landscape, protect your position and make decisions that support long-term financial security.

International UHNW Family Law Matters

Many high and ultra-high net worth family law matters involve assets, advisers or family members across more than one jurisdiction. This may include assets across the globe, offshore accounts, international property portfolios, overseas trusts, business interests held through foreign corporate structures, or competing questions about where divorce proceedings should take place.

We advise international families on the English family law issues that arise where wealth is held across borders. Our work includes cases involving offshore assets, international holdings, multiple jurisdictions and complex financial disclosure. We also work with trusted advisers in other international jurisdictions where local advice is needed, overseeing the overall strategy to ensure matters remain coordinated.

Choice of jurisdiction can have a significant impact on the financial settlement in a divorce, particularly where substantial assets are held internationally. England and Wales is recognised as one of the most favourable jurisdictions in the world for divorce and financial remedy proceedings, particularly for the financially weaker spouse. For international parties or those with international connections, the choice of jurisdiction and the timing of that choice are some  of the most critical decisions in the divorce process. Taking early advice can help you understand the legal landscape, protect your position and manage the practical issues that arise when personal, family and business interests are spread across different countries.

For further information, visit our international family law page.

Case Studies