Bill Gates Divorce

Following the announcement of the high profile split of Bill and Melinda Gates, family law specialist at Langleys Solicitors; Emma Lawler discusses the issues surrounding the couple’s intention to split their £93bn ($103bn) assets.

Emma Lawler said: “There is a lot of speculation already about how the couple is intending to split their wealth. If they were to split this amount 50/50 it would see Bill Gates, one of the world’s wealthiest men, lose a large proportion of his wealth, making it one of the most expensive divorces on record.

“The main concern with this arrangement is that the couple has a lot of shared interests, namely the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that donates a large amount of their combined wealth to charitable causes each year. A lengthy and costly court case would impact the running and funding of this organisation as their assets begin to be divided.

“As a lot of their wealth is tied up in assets such as in Bill Gates’s title company, Microsoft, these cannot be easily dissolved and split between the two without serious repercussions. The two should and will most likely pursue an out of court settlement, to limit legal fees as far as possible and to divide their wealth with full consideration and understanding of the large ripple effects on all the organisations they are jointly involved in.

“Additionally, although their children are legally adults it’s important to remember the stress that can be placed on other members of a family in these situations. The couple has famously agreed to only donate a small proportion of their wealth to each of their children following their death; this intention and any other agreements that they had decided during their marriage could also be discussed during their divorce settlement to avoid future court proceedings.

“This case highlights the benefit of using out of court mediation in order to avoid mass interruptions during the splitting of assets when pursuing a divorce, as well as the ability to discuss and consider the wider implications for those affected. Taking advantage of mediation, rather than resorting to court, for these kinds of disputes is a far less emotionally taxing route for both parents and children, and can help to keep divorces amicable.”

For advice on divorce proceedings, disputes between separated parents or other family disagreements, visit the Langleys website for a free initial consultation with mediation and collaboratively trained lawyers.