Sarah Thompson

Sarah specialises in settling financial disputes between divorcing and unmarried couples, including financial settlements on divorce, pre- and post-marital agreements, and unmarried property disputes.

• Advised the CEO of a multinational airline company in relation to jurisdictional issues, child maintenance when CMS does not have jurisdiction, and overall financial settlement.
• Advised a client on an application to set aside due to the ex-spouse’s non-disclosure and application to vary maintenance in a case where the asset base was in excess of £35m.
• Advised a client who had several foreign properties, a family business, and complex pension issues.
• Advised a client in relation to unmarried property where the ex-partner was seeking to rely on purported variation of declaration of trust.
• Advised a client in relation to an inherited farm and the impact of divorce on the same.
• Advised a client in relation to a family company upon divorce, where assets also included foreign property and major non-disclosure by the ex-spouse.
• Advised a client with a substantial personal injury compensation award on a pre-marital agreement.
• Advised several clients in financial remedy proceedings where there were multiple interim applications, including s37 injunctions, interim spousal maintenance, enforcement proceedings, third-party disclosure orders, and orders for specific disclosure made against the client and their new partner.
• Advised and represented a multi-millionaire in relation to a cohabitation agreement, with several cross-jurisdictional issues to consider, as well as religious aspects.
• Represented a wife in financial remedy proceedings following the husband leaving the former matrimonial home. Particular consideration was given to the wife’s mortgage borrowing capacity and the need to stay in the home. This resulted in the wife receiving the lion’s share of the martial assets so that she and the children could remain in the family home.
• Represented a wife in respect of financial remedy proceedings. The case involved the sharing of the husband’s pension and financial provisions in relation to the children.
• Represented a husband in financial remedy proceedings. Significant issues centred around the wife’s unrealistic spousal maintenance expectations despite earning twice as much as the husband. A costs order was made as a result of the wife pursuing a claim that had little chance of succeeding.
• Represented a client in divorce and financial proceedings. The case involved balancing the need to provide the children with a property and the wife with the lion’s share of the capital against spousal maintenance.
• Advised on a multi-million-pound divorce involving share options and complex company structure.
• Advised a wife suffering from physical, mental, and financial abuse in financial remedy proceedings, where both her ex and his parents were involved.

Sarah is a trained collaborative lawyer offering a constructive, non-adversarial approach to family disputes. She works closely with clients and professionals to reach solutions without going to court wherever possible.

• Undertaken several cases on a collaborative basis over the years and has been on the Greater Manchester Resolution Dispute Resolution Committee since it was set up.
• Collaboratively worked with a Tier 1 Manchester firm over a complex financial remedy matter involving complex pensions and cross-jurisdictional issues.
• Collaboratively worked with the head of department at a Manchester firm over a financial remedy matter involving a top-up order for child maintenance and assets running into the tens of millions.

Sarah specialises in settling financial disputes between divorcing and unmarried couples. She represents clients that own farms, agriculture businesses, equestrian centres, and livery yards, and advises on all related family matters.

• Advised and represented a client, with teenage children, whose former spouse owned a farm that had been in their family for three generations.
• Advised and represented a client in financial remedy proceedings who jointly owned a farm and related agricultural business worth in excess of £10m.
• Advised and represented a farmer in respect of a pre-marital agreement, which set out how they and their future spouse wished to regulate their financial and business affairs, in the event that their upcoming marriage ended in divorce.
• Advised and represented the owner of an equestrian centre, who had the business prior to what was a medium-term, childless, same-sex civil partnership.
• Advised and represented an unmarried client, who had a livery yard and smallholding, in relation to the extent of their ex-partner’s beneficial interest in the same given their financial contribution and a declaration of trust that was in existence.
• Acted for the wife in divorce and financial remedy proceedings concerning a farming business. Assets consisted of three farms, machinery and livestock, held as a partnership between the husband, his brother and their father
• Advised a wife in divorce proceedings involving the sale of a family farm, storage business, and land with a holiday let.
• Advised a wife in divorce and financial remedy proceedings concerning a farming business and inheritance. The claim covered non-marital assets and spousal maintenance.
• Advised and represented a husband in financial remedy proceedings over division of farming partnership, the effect of one party being bought out, and instruction of shadow accountant as well as SJE accountant and surveyor to value the same.

Recognised by Chambers UK for Family/Matrimonial 2023–2026

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Family 2022–2027

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Agriculture and Estates 2026