Our Services
Sports Law & Wealth Protection
Protecting personal wealth, property and the future of your sporting career.
Our Expertise
Wealth Protection for Professional Sportspeople
A successful sporting career can produce significant earnings at a young age. It can also be unpredictable and comparatively short. Sound legal planning is therefore important from the outset.
Blackstar Law advises professional and emerging sportspeople on protecting personal wealth, property and other assets. The service is particularly suited to rising-star footballers, as well as individuals involved in darts, snooker, rugby, motor sport and other professional sports.
The focus is on putting clear arrangements in place before problems arise.
Strategic Context
Protecting Property and Personal Wealth
Professional sportspeople may purchase property or make substantial financial commitments early in their careers. Difficulties can arise where a partner moves into a property, contributes to household costs or helps fund improvements without the parties clearly recording their intentions.
Blackstar Law can assist with arrangements concerning:
- property purchased in one person’s sole name;
- property purchased jointly with a partner;
- deposits and mortgage contributions;
- household expenditure;
- renovations and improvements;
- ownership of furniture and other valuable items;
- the treatment of gifts and loans;
- responsibility for property-related liabilities;
- what will happen if the relationship ends; and
- arrangements for either party to leave or sell the property.
Clear written arrangements can reduce uncertainty and help prevent a costly dispute.
How We Work
How We Can Help
Cohabitation Agreements
A cohabitation agreement records how an unmarried couple intends to manage property, finances and liabilities during their relationship and if they separate.
Contrary to a common misconception, unmarried couples do not automatically acquire the same rights as married couples simply because they have lived together for a particular period. The expression “common-law marriage” does not create the legal rights associated with marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales.
A cohabitation agreement may address:
- ownership of the home;
- each party’s financial contributions;
- payment of the mortgage, utilities and household expenses;
- ownership of savings and investments;
- treatment of income and personal assets;
- financial support during the relationship;
- debts and other liabilities;
- ownership of vehicles and valuable possessions;
- arrangements following separation; and
- the procedure for resolving a disagreement.
For a wealth earner who purchases a property and later shares it with a partner, a properly prepared agreement can provide important evidence of the parties’ intentions.
Declarations of Trust
Where property is owned jointly, or another person contributes towards its purchase, a declaration of trust may be appropriate.
A declaration of trust can record:
- the beneficial shares in which the property is held;
- the amount contributed by each party;
- how mortgage payments will be treated;
- whether contributions to improvements affect ownership;
- how sale proceeds will be divided;
- whether either party has a right to buy out the other; and
- what will happen if the relationship ends.
A declaration of trust concerns ownership of the property and may be used alongside a wider cohabitation agreement.
A Discreet and Personal Service
Financial and relationship matters require sensitivity and discretion. Blackstar Law provides clear, confidential advice designed around the client’s personal circumstances and long-term objectives.
Where a matter involves tax, financial planning, overseas assets, trusts or family-law issues outside the firm’s services, Blackstar Law can work alongside the client’s other professional advisers.
Plan Before a Dispute Arises
The best time to agree how property and finances will be managed is when the relationship is stable and the parties are able to discuss their intentions constructively.
Early planning can:
- protect pre-existing and future wealth;
- clarify property ownership;
- reduce the risk of misunderstanding;
- support informed financial decisions; and
- limit the cost and disruption of a future dispute.
Committed to deliver outstanding service while ensuring clients have complete clarity and confidence in their legal support
- Cohabitation agreements
- Declarations of trust
- Property ownership
- Personal wealth protection
