Matrimonial Disputes & Tax
Our specialist tax Partners, working alongside our Forensic team, provide independent expert advice and expert witness evidence on complex tax matters arising in matrimonial and family law disputes.
We are appointed by applicants, respondents, jointly by parties, and by legal advisers, to support negotiations, mediation, other ADR proceedings, and family court litigation.
Our experience spans a wide range of industries and complex private wealth structures, combining technical tax expertise with practical understanding of the sensitivities involved in matrimonial matters.
As a multidisciplinary accounting and business advisory firm, we work closely with colleagues across forensic accounting, audit, corporate finance, and sector-specialist teams where required. We also collaborate with other independent experts, including valuation and property specialists, or with colleagues or specialists in other jurisdictions, when matters require wider technical input.
Key Issues We Advise On
We regularly advise on:
- Valuation of contingent or uncrystallised tax liabilities within the matrimonial estate, including Capital Gains Tax and Corporation Tax exposures
- Tax risks arising from historic tax compliance failings or alleged aggressive tax planning arrangements
- Quantification of potential tax liabilities, penalties, and associated defence costs where HMRC investigations or tax disputes are ongoing
- Tax considerations affecting international matrimonial estates and cross-border asset structures
- Tax-efficient division, transfer, or disposal of matrimonial assets
- Tax implications of restructuring business interests, investment holdings, trusts, and property portfolios as part of settlement arrangements
What We Do
We assist clients and their legal advisers by providing clear, objective, and commercially focused tax advice to support informed decision-making throughout the resolution process.
Where matters proceed to court, we act as independent experts and expert witnesses in accordance with applicable procedural rules and expert duties, assisting the court in determining complex tax issues.
Our Services
Our specialist matrimonial tax services include:
- Independent advisory and expert reports
- Expert witness reports, including party-appointed and Single Joint Expert instructions
- Responding to Questions to Experts and reviewing opposing expert evidence
- Participation in Meetings of Experts and preparation of Joint Statements
- Expert witness testimony at trial
- Support during negotiations, mediation, arbitration, and pre-trial strategy discussions
Contact Mark Dawes or Jamie Muirhead for an exploratory discussion or to discuss how we may be able to help in a particular matter.
