L – R Megan Wroe, Angela Moores, Isabella Franchini

The start of the New Year is traditionally one of the busiest periods for family law firms, with the first working Monday of January widely referred to as ‘Divorce Day’ due to a surge in enquiries following Christmas and the New Year.

Here at Graysons, our family team is preparing for an expected rise in calls, with this January marking the first such period under Megan Wroe’s leadership since her appointment as head of family team.

While the introduction of no-fault divorce has simplified the legal process of ending a marriage, it does not deal with financial arrangements. Graysons says this has led to a growing number of couples completing do-it-yourself or online divorces without achieving financial finality.

National figures underline the scale of the issue. In the first three months of 2025 alone, almost 12,000 financial remedy applications were made to family courts in England and Wales, highlighting how many separating couples still require formal legal intervention to resolve money matters.

Without a legally binding consent order approved by the court, former partners can remain financially connected long after the divorce itself is finalised, leaving open the possibility of future claims against property, savings and pensions.

Pensions are a particular area of risk. Despite often being one of the most valuable assets built up during a marriage, they are frequently overlooked or misunderstood during separation, especially where one partner assumes a pension held in their own name is protected.

Megan Wroe, who joined Graysons in 2017 after graduating with a first-class law degree and qualifying as a solicitor in 2021, says compassion and clarity are central to the team’s approach.

“Divorce is never something people should rush into, and wherever possible it should be avoided,” she said. “When separation does happen, understanding the financial implications and dealing with them properly at the outset can prevent serious and costly problems emerging later on.”

Alongside Megan is senior family law solicitor Angela Moores, who has more than 30 years’ experience advising on financial settlements, including complex and high-value cases.

Supporting Megan and Angela, is Isabella Franchini, a newly qualified solicitor who deals with a range of family law matters.

Together, they are urging anyone facing relationship difficulties this January to seek early guidance, understand their options fully and protect their long-term financial security.

Megan and the family team can be contacted on:  0114 299 7546.

Find more information about the family team.