Does a Lawyer help with the maths!!!??

[indianwoman]

My financial situation is quite complicated involving several properties and remortgages needed. I need to think about different scenarios of either selling or not and costs increasing. I also need a solicitors advice on the asset split to go for.
But I'm not great at the maths in detail and not sure what the best thing to do is. In your experience do solicitors help with the maths and sorting out different potential percentage scenarios with different costings re separation of assets and living costs?

It's exactly the kind of thing solicitors do, though you might need to go to a slightly larger firm. A high street one that doesn't do that often maybe wouldn't have the expertise. You get what you pay for...

You'll need an experienced one and it will be a LOT more expensive

First go to link above to ADVICE NOW and read up on “fair settlement “ and process of defining split of assets

do not pay a solicitor at £200 + an hour to answer questions at basic level to understand the principles. Do your own homework first. Then see solicitor with your specific questions on that…or you’ll run up massive bills just listening to them explain stuff you could find out yourself

ADVICE NOW also explains the forms and process for the joint legal financial disclosure. You can’t agree or even discuss settlement until that’s done ( form E and D81). Not unless you’re silly and naive! Again a solicitor could do those, but you’re throwing money away, as only you and stbex know your financial situation- why pay to tell a solicitor your data and have him write down into an official form you’re capable of doing yourself! Ok, if your stbex isn’t happy to do financial disclosure, or he’s abusive, or he will lie on forms and committ criminal offence of contempt of court, then solicitor WILL be needed, but he legally will be forced to do it as some point so it’s best to agree to do yourselves to get it out of way , with full and honest disclosure, between yourselves.

My stbxh has said he needs to sell his buy to lets now as the mortgage is about to shoot up. I don't know whether that is good or not and I also am not sure about the new capital gains tax rules.

If mortgages are due for renewal & were last fixed years ago, the BTL mortgages going up makes sense, sounds legit why he might want to simplify the portfolio.

CGT is applicable (for him) to his former residence (assuming you jointly lived as owner-occupiers) 9 months after he moved out. On top of the CGT on the BTL properties.

Good people for advice:

Mortgage advisor, mine gives me details of all the best products and durations currently available and whether I would meet the requirements.

Letting agent, they are dealing with landlords in your position all the time. Ask them what others are doing to manage? As this will affect their clients/ your tenants.

My accountant has an abundance of knowledge, he comes across all scenarios and again will be privy to current financial trends and moves people are making to pre empt mortgage issues.

My friends who have various lump sums due to come to them from employment, early pensions and will be back in paid employment, and have rental income (so quite a mixture a finances ) are paying to see a wealth management specialist. They will look at your whole financial portfolio.

Totally missed the bit of soon to be ex!! SORRY -

All I would say is try your best to be amicable!! Solicitors will make shit loads out of this!!

Thank you.

There are divorce services like www.fair-result.co.uk and this is exactly what they do. They have an inhouse accounting team who look at all the finances that make up the marital pot and what the split should be. They give a fixed fee quote that you don't pay until your divorce is finalised and have a free initial consultation so may be well worth you looking into?