Divorce Financial Settlement Solicitors | Free Consultation – Howells
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Divorce Financial Settlement Solicitors

Divorce Financial Settlement Solicitors – Free 30‑minute consultation Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham, London & Nationwide

Divorce is emotional and challenging—especially when it comes to dividing money, property, pensions, business assets, and debts. Our specialist divorce financial settlement solicitors guide you through the process, protect your position, and work to secure a fair, legally binding settlement—including a clean break order where appropriate to prevent future claims.

 

Our family law solicitors offer a free initial 30-minute consultation to new clients by telephone, video call or face to face and offer extremely competitive prices on fixed fee divorces from £275 + VAT, making us one of the most price affordable law firms offering family law services in the UK, without compromising on quality.

What Is a Divorce Financial Settlement?

A divorce financial settlement is the legally binding outcome that decides how assets and liabilities are handled after separation. It’s an important part of the divorce because:

  • Provides financial security: Provides clarity and stability for both parties post‑divorce.
  • Prevents future disputes: A court‑approved order helps avoid costly claims years later.
  • Legally enforceable: Meets legal requirements and sets out clear obligations.

A divorce financial settlement typically covers:

  • Property (family home and other real estate)
  • Savings & investments
  • Pensions & retirement funds
  • Business interests and shares
  • Debts & liabilities
  • Spousal maintenance and agreed child-related financial provisions

A court‑approved consent order (and clean break order if suitable) gives certainty and prevents future claims.

This process makes sure that both people get a fair share of the things they own together, like property, money saved, businesses, investments, and pensions/retirement funds.

If you and your ex-spouse or civil partner do not reach an agreement they could make a financial claim against you in the future.

 

How Our Divorce Solicitors Help

Whether you’ve agreed terms or not ex-spouse, we can:

  • Draft and submit consent orders and clean break orders
  • Negotiate robustly to avoid court where possible
  • Represent you in financial remedy proceedings if needed
  • Advise on pension sharing/offsetting, property transfers/sale, lump sums, spousal maintenance
  • Handle business assets and international assets considerations
  • Provide clear costs upfront with fixed‑fee options where available

If you and your ex-partner agree on how to settle your finances, our divorce financial settlement solicitors will draft a legally binding agreement for you. If you are unable to agree, we will advise you on negotiations and represent you in court if needed.

Appointments are available in person at our offices in Sheffield, Barnsley, or Rotherham, or remotely via phone or video call. We accept clients from across England and Wales.

Contact us or call us on 0114 2235 807 to book your free appointment today.

 

What’s Included in Your Free 30‑Minute Consultation

  • A 30-minute in-depth meeting with a qualified family law specialist
  • A clear understanding of your legal position and options
  • A tailored roadmap for resolving your situation
  • An estimate of costs if you choose to proceed

Appointments are available in person at our offices in Sheffield, Barnsley, or Rotherham, or remotely via phone or video call. We accept clients from across England and Wales.

 

Why Are Divorce Financial Settlements Important?

The division of divorce assets (matrimonial assets) is a critical aspect of any divorce. Ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of assets can have a significant impact on both parties’ financial well-being post-divorce. Here are some key reasons why asset division is essential:

Financial Security – Ensuring that both parties receive a fair share of the marital assets helps provide financial security for both individuals. This is especially important if one spouse was financially dependent on the other during the marriage.

Avoiding Future Disputes – By addressing all financial matters during the divorce process, both parties can move forward with a clean slate. This minimises the potential for ongoing legal battles and emotional stress, which can be costly and time-consuming.

Legal Obligations – Family courts have a duty to ensure that the division of assets is fair and in accordance with the law. A divorce financial settlement solicitor can help ensure that all legal requirements are met, and that the settlement is legally binding.

Additionally, a divorce solicitor can provide valuable insights into how the law applies to specific assets, such as a family businesses, international properties, or complex investment portfolios.

Our family teams’ expertise will ensure that your settlement is comprehensive and legally sound, reducing the risk of future legal challenges.

 

Types of Financial Orders in Divorce

  • Consent Order – formalises an agreement and can include a clean break
  • Clean Break Order – ends ongoing financial claims (where appropriate)
  • Lump Sum Order – one‑off or staged payments
  • Property Adjustment Order – transfer or sale of property
  • Pension Sharing/Attachment/Offsetting – deals with retirement provision
  • Spousal Maintenance/Periodical Payments or Maintenance Pending Suit
  • Legal Services Payment Order – contribution towards legal costs in some cases

Find out more on What is a Financial Order in Divorce?

 

How Are Assets Split in a Divorce?

Courts aim for fairness—not necessarily a 50/50 split. Key factors include:

  • Children’s welfare & housing needs (priority)
  • Each party’s needs, income & future earning capacity
  • Property, pensions, savings, investments, debts
  • Length of marriage/civil partnership & contributions (financial and non‑financial)
  • Age, health, and any disabilities
  • Standard of living during the marriage

Our team prepares the right evidence and proposals to support a fair outcome.

 

Pensions & Divorce

Pensions are often among the largest assets in a divorce settlement. Options include pension sharing, attachment, or offsetting. We work with specialist actuaries where needed to protect your long‑term financial position.

Learn more on Pensions & Divorce

 

Online Divorce

If you’ve completed your online divorce application, it’s vital to understand that the process only legally ends your marriage—it does not resolve financial matters. Many people mistakenly believe that an online divorce includes a financial settlement, but without a legally binding agreement such as a Consent Order, your ex-spouse could make future claims against your assets, even years later.

To protect your financial future, ensure all property, pensions, and savings are formally divided. The government’s digital divorce service, introduced after no-fault divorce in April 2022, simplifies paperwork but does not cover financial arrangements. For complete peace of mind, seek expert legal advice to secure a binding settlement alongside your online divorce.

 

Our Divorce Financial Settlement Fees

Our divorce solicitors offer transparent and affordable prices to suit all financial circumstances. You will always be kept up to date with costs and they offer fixed fees for most areas, so you are always in full control.

Find a full list of our fees here.

 

Divorce Financial Settlement Frequently Asked Questions

 

How is financial settlement calculated in a divorce?

The family court will consider how parties’ assets can be divided in the fairest way, meeting each party’s needs and those of the children and considering the factors listed above.  Earnings and potential future earnings will also be considered.

 

How long does it take for a financial settlement in divorce?

Typically, a divorce settlement will take between 9 and 12 months.  If an application is made to the court this could be longer, depending on when the application is made. Factors such as the length of the marriage, the contributions of each spouse, and future financial needs are considered. Properly managing these factors can result in a settlement that provides stability and security for both parties. This is where a divorce financial settlement solicitor can help.

 

What happens to the mortgage after divorce?

If the mortgage is joint then your divorce is irrelevant and you both remain as liable for paying it as if you were still together. You can continue paying off the mortgage together or may agree something else, whether you both live in the house, one party lives in the house, or even if neither you nor your ex-partner does.

 

What happens to a pension in divorce?

Pensions are often one of the biggest financial assets in divorce for consideration and the Court would normally consider that any pensions accrued during the marriage should be shared. It is vital that the issue is not overlooked to ensure that needs in retirement will also be met. How a pension is shared will depend on the type of pension you have. The options available will be a pension sharing order, pension offsetting or a pension attachment order. Your divorce financial settlement solicitor can discuss your pension options with you.

 

Is a 50/50 split guaranteed?

No. The court looks at overall fairness and needs, particularly where children live, housing, income, and pensions.

Free Legal Consultation

Our family law team offer a free legal consultation to new clients. You can book an appointment by telephone, video call or in person You can book a consultation to have by telephone, video call or in person, at a time that suits your needs.

 

Contact our team today

How can we help? Contact us today

Contact us on 0114 2235 807 and one of our advisors will be in touch to discuss your situation. We will take some initial information and if we can help, we will book you in for a consultation with a legal professional.

Contact our team today

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Solicitors for Divorce Financial Settlements

The Howells family law solicitors are one of the largest family law teams in the region, probably the UK. they specialise in a wide range of family law services, including divorcefinancial settlementschild custody arrangementscollaborative law, care proceedings, adoption, guardianship, child abduction and domestic abuse, to name a few areas.

 

The family team have an exceptional reputation for dealing with a vast range of cases, from high-net-worth finances to complex cases involving children. The team also have extensive experience of representing clients at court, including parents, grandparents, guardians, and children.

 

The team covers the entirety of South Yorkshire and the UK, with offices in Sheffield, Barnsley, and Rotherham. However they also regularly take instruction from clients from across the UK, including regular instruction from clients in London and the surrounding areas.

 

The team rank number 2 in Sheffield, and number 1 in Rotherham and Barnsley on Review Solicitors with an average ranking of 4.9 out of 5 stars in reviews received and 99% of former clients confirm they would recommend the firm, which is a testament to the quality of advice they provide and their exceptional client care. The team are often praised for their professionalism, compassion, empathy, and kindness.

 

The team are supervised by our family law solicitor and director John Clegg. John is a family law specialist and covers all aspects of family law including divorce, civil partnership and cohabitation breakdown, financial matters arising on separation and divorce, pre and post-nuptial agreements and protection from domestic abuse. John is also accredited as one of the top solicitors in the UK by the prestigious Chambers and Partners.

 

The matrimonial team are supervised by senior divorce solicitor and director Sharon Lockwood, who is a highly regarded in Rotherham and the rest of South Yorkshire. Sharon is a specialist in complex cases involving children and high value assets. Sharon is also very active in the local community of South Yorkshire and receives a high amount of praise from her clients and colleagues and has established herself as one of the most distinguish divorce specialists in the region.

Client Feedback

The divorce team rank number 2 in Sheffield, and number 1 in Rotherham and Barnsley on Review Solicitors with an average ranking of 4.9 out of 5 stars in reviews received and 99% of former clients confirm they would recommend the firm, which is a testament to the quality of advice they provide and their exceptional client care. The team are often praised for their professionalism, compassion, empathy, and kindness.

“Thank you so much for all you have done. I cannot speak highly enough of you & everyone I have met at Howells. I have already recommended Howells & yourself to the specialist teams I am now in contact with & will continue to do so.”

“Many thanks again for your invaluable help, advice and your calm, approachable manner. It is very much appreciated!”

“Howells provided a great service and worked quickly and efficiently to get the job completed to try to keep my costs down too. I would recommend Sharon and the team.”

“Excellent service with prompt response time.”

“I used Sharon Lockwood in my extremely messy and prolonged divorce case, and I cannot thank her enough. She was kind and caring at times when I was very distressed and at the same time both efficient and professional.”

“Sharon was exceptional from our first telephone call and throughout this process. Professional, supportive, knowledgeable, and very clear.”

“Sharon has been a rock she explains everything every step of the way she has gotten me through a very tough year, and I will be for ever grateful to her.”

“I chose to sort my divorce and financial settlement with Sharon Lockwood at Howells solicitors after seeing other reviews. I was not disappointed in any way, shape, or form. She is very professional and quick off the ball. I would highly recommend Sharon and her colleagues at Howells for a fast and very efficient service and would use again if needed.”

Legal 500 Ranking

2018 – Tier 3 – “The Howells family team works across Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley, with Alyson Siddall focusing on high-value financial work, and co-leading the team alongside Sharon Lockwood, whose expertise lies in matters involving tax elements and inherited assets, and John Clegg, who brings extensive experience regarding complex cases involving children. The team undertakes a wide range of family work, with notable expertise in working on complex domestic abuse and care cases.”

2021 – Tier 2 – “Howells fields a substantial family team, which also features eight Children Panel members and five Resolution accredited panel members. Practice head Alyson Siddall is a key name for high-value financial work, advising clients in high-net-worth cases involving significant assets and pensions. John Clegg is particularly well known and respected for children and finance work. He is one of a handful of solicitors in the city who still does finance legal aid work.”

2022 – Tier 2 Ranking – “The team are particularly well known for high-net-worth cases. In addition, the practice has a strong regional reputation.”

2023 – Tier 2 Ranking – “The team undertakes a wide range of family work, with notable expertise in working on complex domestic abuse and care cases.”

2024- Tier 2 Ranking

Professional Feedback

“A go to for complex children matters. Is thorough and deals with cases with a level of detail and knowledge that are truly impressive. Has the detail of every aspect of the case at her fingertips. She is also sensitive and compassionate in her approach to clients, but quite capable of delivering difficult and realistic advice.”

“Sharon Lockwood is dedicated to seeking very practical solutions to financial cases. Tenacious but also very realistic at the same time”

“Alyson Siddall is a pleasure to deal with and is very knowledgeable and competent. She also has a very calm manner, which I am sure is appreciated by clients and other professionals alike.”

“An effective and tenacious advocate known for his thorough, sensible, and constructive approach. Has a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of financial and children cases and the safest pair of hands no matter how difficult the case.”

“Excellent Collaborative lawyer and a leading family solicitor in Sheffield. Experienced, dedicated and knowledgeable.”

“Thorough in preparation, experienced, excellent with clients, willing to go above and beyond and a strong presence in the courtroom.”

John Clegg

Family Law

0114 249 6795
Sharon Lockwood

Family Law

01709 364000
Caroline Euinton

Family Law

0114 249 6643
Louise Ellis

Family Law

01709 364 000
Ramandeep Kaur

Family Law

0114 249 6703
Wendy Bailey

Family Law

01226 805 190
Danielle Mahyar

Family Law

01226 805 190
Cody Minshall

Family Law

0114 249 6656
Colin Musgrave

Family Law

0114 249 6709
Laura Hill

Family Law

0114 249 6638
Michaela Logue

Family Law

0114 2496666
Ben Thompson

Family Law

0114 2496666
Alexandria Broadley

Family Law

0114 2496 640