The impact of divorce on any business can be significant, but in farming a divorce can have a crippling effect on the future viability of the farm.

In this series of blogs, Laura Lambert, family law solicitor at Ansons Solicitors advises on ways to limit the impact of divorce on your farming business.

If you do not already have one, make a will. If you already have a will, consider redrafting it as a holding will during divorce proceedings. Getting tax planning advice at this stage would be prudent too.

Once your divorce is finalised, any existing will becomes void. You should make a new will to ensure that your farming business and assets will be left to your chosen beneficiaries.

The complex structure of farming businesses; including the partnership structure, the seasonal variations of farming, the timing of state subsidies, specialised agricultural tenancies and any contracting arrangements in place, requires specialist knowledge and legal advice.

At Ansons Solicitors, our agricultural law team has experts in:

• company and commercial law;
• commercial property;
• tax planning and trusts;
• wills and probate;
• dispute resolution; and
• environmental and planning.

For more advice on divorce and financial settlements, contact Laura Lambert in the Cannock office on 01543 431 996 or email llambert@ansonsllp.com or Susan Davies at the Lichfield office on 01543 267 190 or email sdavies@ansonsllp.com.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. It should not be used as a substitute for legal advice relating to your particular circumstances. Please note that the law may have changed since the date this article was published.