John Hooper & Co

John Hooper & Co operates from offices in central Nottingham.  The firm specialises in family law in the East Midlands and beyond and has particular expertise in the financial aspects of relationship breakdowns.  The firm is justly proud of its First Tier ranking in The Legal 500.

The firm: Established in May 1995, John Hooper & Co’s principal, John Hooper, together with his colleagues have many years of specialist family law experience between them; that experience has been enhanced by the presence of Yasmine Roff.  The firm has close contacts with specialist divorce counsel in London and the provinces, along with forensic accountants and valuers.

John Hooper & Co acts for clients of varying means, with rates geared towards assisting people from a wide variety of circumstances. The firm has specialist expertise in areas such as the negotiation and finalisation of complex financial settlements involving substantial assets and pensions, including offshore trusts and private and public companies; freezing orders; the negotiation and settlement of cohabitee disputes; and the negotiation and settlement of applications for maintenance and lump sums in respect of children.

The firm has growing expertise in international family law, especially in relation to cases involving an Irish or a New Zealand context.

Types of work undertaken
Divorce/dissolution for spouses/civil partners and separating cohabitees: The applicable law varies substantially between married couples and unmarried couples.  We continue to develop our expertise in relation to cohabitation cases, given their complexity and the ongoing changes to this area.

Children’s issues: We continue to be increasingly instructed on behalf of both mothers and fathers in children disputes.

Financial disputes:  These compromise disputes between both married and unmarried couples.  The firm recommends, to each and every client, all of the alternatives to an actual divorce, ensuring that the client has been properly advised about their rights, together with the consequences of pursuing any particular course of action (whether or not it is divorce, separation, counselling or otherwise).

Cases with an international content: The firm, because it is headed by a New Zealand solicitor, has connections throughout not only Europe but also Australasia.  This necessarily involves liaising with family lawyers in those jurisdictions and an increasing knowledge of both the similarities and differences between both the English system and those systems in particular.  There are also issues of enforcement which are an important part of any family practice.

Other areas include: prenuptial agreements, cohabitation disputes and financial settlements.