Our People

Sara Gilak is a senior associate solicitor who specialises in all aspects of Family Law. Sara advises and represents clients within the breakdown of a relationship whether a marriage, civil partnership or common law relationship. Sara also represents clients within their preparation for marriage or civil partnerships in the form of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Sara represents high net worth clients ensuring a fair and secure financial outcome because of a relationship breakdown. She has detailed knowledge and experience dealing with a multitude of assets from businesses, property portfolios, investments, complex bonus schemes and high value pensions. Her experience extends to foreign assets and income sources. Sara is tenacious and robust in her negotiations and approach seeking to ensure the best outcome for her clients. Sara also represents clients within the legal process of divorce and/or dissolution of a civil partnership, the ending of both requiring a Financial Order to ensure that her client’s are not at risk of financial claims in the future.

Sara also negotiates and drafts complex pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements allowing clients to preplan their finances in the eventuality of a relationship breakdown providing a source of financial security from the outset. In respect of clients who do not intend to marry or enter into a civil partnership Sara negotiates and drafts Cohabitation Agreement setting out their respective claims to jointly owned property or a property one partner owns, and the other party intends to reside within.

As well as financial matters Sara represents clients in respect of all private children proceedings and injunction proceedings.

Sara typically represents clients within:

• Financial matters upon a divorce or dissolution of civil partnership, whether issued financial proceedings or the negotiation and drafting of a financial order by consent.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial agreements allowing clients to preplan their finances in the eventuality of a separation.
• Separation Agreement for clients who have not married but have financial matters which need resolving.
• Cohabitation Agreements for unmarried clients.
• Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 Proceedings whereby unmarried clients have an interest in a property which is in dispute.
• Private Children proceedings, Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders, Special Guardianship Orders, Parental Responsibility Orders, Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 proceedings and private Adoption.
• Injunction proceedings were there is domestic violence, Non-Molestation Order and Occupation Order.
• Advocacy within the above areass

Sara is known to be empathetic, progressive, straight talking, tenacious and professional. Clients appreciate the strong and clear advice received throughout their matter and Sara’s experienced negotiation, communication and drafting skills to secure a favourable outcome for them.

Recent example of deals which Sara has and represented on include:

• Prenuptial agreements crossing foreign assets and jurisdiction.
• Financial proceedings concluding at the Financial Dispute Resolution Appointment on the exact terms offered by Sara on behalf of her client.
• Representing client in complex issued financial proceedings to a Final Hearing whereby the client was happy with the outcome in respect of the terms of the Order and the legal costs.
• Representing clients within the financial disclosure and negotiation of a consented Financial Order.
• Representing unmarried clients within pre-issued and issued Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees matter.
• Representing grandparents in achieving a Special Guardianship Order in respect of their grandchild.
• Representing client within issued Children Proceedings obtaining an agreed progressive Child Arrangements Programme Order providing for shared care.
• Drafting of complex Cohabitation Agreements.

Accolades, accreditations and memberships

Resolution

Outside the office

Sara enjoys spending time with her two young daughters, keeping fit and frequenting the beautiful beaches of Bournemouth and Poole.