1.        Have an early strategic meeting

Without a strategy upfront and experienced advice, if you are used to being in the public eye, things can spiral very quickly. It’s essential to plan carefully how to broach the topic of a separation and what steps need to be taken in advance to plan how to do it without jeopardising reputation.

2.        Have a crisis strategy

Do you have a PR team on board? What could go wrong? Have you considered the possibility of assets needing to be frozen or injuncted? What will inform a crisis strategy is a good overview about what the assets and your circumstances are and they should be discussed in the initial strategic meeting. PR agencies and reputational management lawyers can be drafted in to be on standby.

3.        Don’t underestimate the possibility of your reputation being weaponised against you

For many people in the public eye, their reputation is their most valuable asset. Protecting it is going to be important as they look to move past a separation in the most efficient way possible and avoid damage to any personal brand or financial interests.

4.        Consider early forms of non-court dispute resolution

NCDR is your friend if you’re used to being in the public eye. How can you incentivise the other person to engage with NCDR and avoid a court route? It would be much better if any disputes around finances or children are dealt with behind closed doors. This should be considered in the early stages with your legal teams. They will be able to create a bespoke approach, tailored to your overall goals.

5.        Ensure joined up thinking

For people in the public eye they often have agents, PR people and social media managers as well as tax, wealth and legal advisors. It’s essential to make sure everybody is working in tandem and that the strategy is joined up. For example, if a particular deal or professional move is in the offing, how will the divorce impact that? Are there particular movements of money within the family finances which need to be considered or reviewed or paused until such time as the separation has been progressed? What are the current financial structures in place and how could these be taken advantage of?

6.        Be responsive

Things can move very fast at the early stages of the case and although preparation is key, it’s also essential to make sure that you and your team are on the same page and are able to communicate effectively at short notice.

If you’d like to discuss this more, please contact one of our team of specialist lawyers who are used to handling ultra-high net worth separations and co-ordinating a broad strategy across multiple disciplines.

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