ANGELA LALLY

angela.lally@legalstudio.co.uk

FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST

I studied law at the University of Liverpool and the Legal Practice Course in my home city, Sheffield. I qualified in 2002 and worked at a regional firm based in Chesterfield before moving to a Sheffield based firm where I progressed from Assistant Solicitor to Head of Department and Partner. During this time, I developed innovative fixed fees, offering a service to clients which was not readily available to clients on the traditional hourly rate approach. As a result, I built a strong nationwide client base which has continued to grow during my work as a Consultant over the past 2 years.

As a Consultant, I have been able to build a niche caseload focusing on financial matters arising out of divorce. I have experience in dealing with the full range of cases, from amicable agreements to litigated cases. I offer pragmatic advice and the feedback I regularly receive from clients is that I am always on hand to deal with matters efficiently and without delay. This gives them peace of mind at what is undoubtedly a very stressful time. 

As a mum of 3 children and with a new puppy, spare time is in short supply, but you will usually find me out running, in training for 10ks or half marathons. I also enjoy live music and going to gigs. Holidays are usually driving holidays to France and Spain.

Specialist Areas of Interest

Family Law

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

Following a lengthy divorce my only regret is not to have met Angela Lally earlier. Having spent 2 years with a previous solicitor to get nowhere, she has in the last 12 months finalised my divorce and financial matters. From our first meeting I was put at ease and knew I was in safe hands. She has given me honest, realistic advice throughout whilst at the same time being understanding and approachable. She has gone over and beyond in replying to queries when others would have ‘clocked off’ and always had my best interest at heart. I cannot speak highly enough of Angela as a solicitor but more importantly as a person and would not hesitate in recommending her. Thank you for the difference you have made in allowing me to move forward with my life.
Matrimonial Client

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

"Thank you for your super efficient work, it gave me the confidence to keep going ..."
Matrimonial Client

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

Angela has been a god send supporting me through my divorce. The divorce was a bit messy and stressful and Angela guided me through every step of the way. She recognised when my stress levels were high and consciously spent more time with me talking me through issues and explaining them in a straightforward way, helping take the stress out of the situation. Angela is a fantastic solicitor. The difference I have found with Angela compared to other solicitors is her investment in you. She is available when you need her and she gets to know you as a person which really helps the relationship. Angela's advice was always spot on too, which helped instill a lot of confidence in her. I was delighted with the outcome of my divorce, an even better result than I could have hoped for and that is down to the professionalism and caring approach that Angela took. I would highly recommend Angela if you have a tricky divorce that needs a real expert to guide you through it all. Thank you for all that you have done for me Angela. I will always be truly grateful.
Matrimonial Client

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

I would like to thank you so much for all your help support and guidance. Been invaluable.
Matrimonial Client

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

Thank you to Angela for being an enormous support during one of my toughest times. She was able to give me constructive advice to make my separation as easy and smooth as possible.
Matrimonial Client

Angela Lally Client Testimonial

Angela has been amazing throughout the sensitive matter of my divorce and has been supportive throughout. Always available whenever I needed to reach out or had any questions and understanding of the situation. I would just like to say thank you for her support and how fast everything went through and has been completed!
Private Client

Angela's Latest Blogs

On 6 April 2022, the law changed in relation to applications for divorce. It is now possible to start divorce proceedings simply on the basis that the marriage has broken down. This is a massive shift from the old system and has been much anticipated by family lawyers and clients.
 
Today, I filed my first divorce application on behalf of a client under the new “no fault“ divorce rules. It felt strange to only have to indicate that the reason for the application was irretrievable breakdown of marriage. Under the “old” divorce law, a couple who had been separated for less than 2 years could only commence divorce by relying on a “fault” ground - either unreasonable behaviour or adultery. There were “no fault“ grounds under the old law, but this required a couple to be separated for at least 2 years and, if separated for less than 5 years, to be reliant upon the other spouse consenting to the divorce. This meant a couple, who maybe had been separated for a few months (as my client in today’s application) would either have to blame the other spouse for the breakdown of the marriage or wait 2 years for the 2 years separation with consent ground. Even if it was the case that neither spouse was in a rush to re-marry, the fact of having to wait for 2 years to commence the divorce application often meant they felt unable to fully move on with their lives. They were tied to each other financially, because the court cannot give effect to financial clean break until decree nisi stage of the divorce proceedings. A pension sharing order could not be made until the consent order was filed and could not be implemented until decree absolute. The couple remained tied to each other financially, even where they had separated amicably.
 
This led me to think, does this mean couples will separate more readily or that it will be “easier” to get a divorce? Certainly that is how it has been portrayed in the press, but in my experience (20 years as a family solicitor) if a couple wished to separate formally and finalise their finances, they would quite often resort to the “unreasonable behaviour” ground. Even if they kept the allegations mild and tried to agree them with each other in advance, it was still difficult for the respondent spouse to find themselves unable to put their side of a marital breakdown across in the divorce application. And even in the most amicable cases, this could lead to ill-feeling. Where there are young children involved and the couple remain in each other’s lives for a significant period of time, an unreasonable behaviour divorce petition could leave a sour taste.
 
The new system is, in my view, much kinder in its approach - it even allows for a joint application to be made (alongside the option of a sole application). Already, my experience of this one divorce application I have filed, it has a different feeling to it. I got the impression that the couple had felt much more comfortable approaching matters on a “no fault” basis. I have a number of clients who have waited for the new law to come into effect before looking to commence the divorce application. Over time, we will see whether there is an increase in divorce rates, but I cannot see that being the case. What I can see is it leading to more amicable separations.

For more information contact Angela Lally on 0113 247 3804 or email at angela.lally@legalstudio.co.uk
 2022 39 21
Angela Lally
The New Divorce Law

From Autumn 2021, the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act will finally bring change to divorce law.

As the law currently stands, couples who want to divorce in England and Wales must rely on one or more ‘facts’ to prove that their relationship has irretrievably broken down. These facts are:
  • Unreasonable behaviour
  • Adultery
  • Desertion
  • 2 years separation with the consent of both parties
  • 5 years separation 
As only one party can petition for divorce, this can often lead to an acrimonious situation where the other party is “blamed” for the marriage breakdown, even though it may have been a mutual decision to separate. This can be difficult when the parties remain in each other’s lives because they have children. They could decide to wait and separate on the ground of two years separation with consent, but that can could lead to a delay in finalising financial claims which effectively prevents them from moving on with their lives.

As a result of this unsatisfactory situation, there have been long standing campaigns from family law professionals to change the law, which had been unchanged since 1973.

A recent catalyst for change was the widely reported case of Owens, which reached the highest court in the country in 2018. In that case, Mrs Owens had sought to petition for divorce relying on her husband’s “unreasonable behaviour” as the fact to prove that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. She had initially tried to keep the “allegations” as neutral as possibly, to try and reduce the conflict. However, when Mr Owens stated he would defend the divorce, Mrs Owens sought permission from the court to amend her allegations to include 27 allegations, her position being that whilst each allegation taken alone may seem minor, the cumulative effect was such that she could not be expected to live with her husband. The judge hearing the case described her allegations as “flimsy and exaggerated” and her divorce petition was dismissed. Her appeals to both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court were unsuccessful, however it was noted by the Supreme Court that the outcome was less than satisfactory. She therefore had to wait to divorce based on 5 years separation (it not being possible to rely on 2 years separation as her husband’s consent would have been required). It was clear that the law needed to change.

Under the new law, separating couples will no longer have to rely on one of the ‘five facts’ to prove the ground for divorce – the irretrievable breakdown of the relationship. Instead, the new law will encourage a more constructive approach to separation.

The new law will introduce the following changes:
  • Introduce joint applications where the couple both agree that the relationship has irretrievably broken down;
  • Applicants will still be able to submit a sole application if their partner does not agree;
  • Remove the ability to defend a divorce, dissolution or separation;
  • Remove the requirement to reply on one of the 5 facts;
  • Introduce a new minimum period of 20 weeks from the start of proceedings to the ‘Conditional Order’ (currently called the decree nisi).
For advice on divorce and financial settlements, please contact specialist family law solicitor Angela Lally for a free initial chat.
  2020 00 07
Angela Lally
One of the most common misconceptions I come across when dealing with divorce and finances cases is about bringing to an end financial claims. I have had many conversations with clients who think that the divorce itself brings the financial claims to an end – it does not.

Even years after divorce, your assets could be at risk unless you sort out the financial claims within the divorce process. When you separate from your spouse, you can make a claim financially in respect of the assets. Financial claims can include a claim against a house, savings, pensions or income (spousal maintenance). Sorting this out is straightforward if you have agreed how the finances are to be dealt with. It involves filing an agreed order at the court (called a consent order), and providing to the court some basic information about your finances.

So for example if you have sold the house, divided the proceeds and you have decided to leave each other’s pensions and income alone, this can be included in a consent order to provide that there is a clean break. Without doing this, even after the decree absolute has been made, the financial claims remain live and are not time limited (although delay can have an impact on the success of a claim).

You should still consider having a consent order even if you do not currently have any assets … who knows what may happen in the future? You may receive inheritance or win the lottery! The consent order is like an insurance policy – it means that you have protection against claims in the future.

If you have done your own divorce, it is still possible to instruct a solicitor to prepare a consent order. The consent order can be filed at court any time after the decree nisi has been pronounced.

At Legal Studio solicitors, I can provide you with a free initial assessment to see whether a consent order is right for you and how to put it in place. I also offer fixed fees if you want to go ahead with a consent order.

Please contact specialist family finances solicitor, Angela Lally, for more information.
  2020 00 16
Angela Lally