Julie Bailey

Julie Bailey is a partner in the family law team, based in our Lincoln office.

Having qualified as a solicitor in 1986, Julie has over 37 years’ experience advising in all aspects of family law for married and cohabitating couples.

She frequently advises couples regarding prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. She also regularly deals with divorce and related financial claims, which can vary in complexity and asset value from less than £500,000 to in excess of £2.5 million.

She advises on cohabitation agreements for couples intending to live together. Further, she can assist in a relationship breakdown, creating a separation agreement for those that need to agree on how their assets are to be divided.

Key specialisms

Business interests

Julie has acted for many individuals who are involved in a business partnership or limited company, some of which have also been family businesses. This often brings additional considerations and difficulties, whether the business is in its early days and turnover is low or it is well established and has a several million pound turnover.

In these cases, she works closely with the corporate and commercial team to consider how the business should be valued, the impact on it if a change in the partnership or shareholding occurs, its liquidity and the ability to raise funds secured against the business, and how the value of any  business interest may possibly be off set against other assets.

Farming and agriculture

Her experience of acting for farmers and landowners means that Julie is well aware of the additional considerations that need to be taken into account for families in the agriculture sector.

She often provides advice in regard to:

• the heritage of the business;

• issues relating to the ownership or the right to occupy property;

• whether or not that property belongs to the individuals or the farm business; and

• arrangements that may have been put in place without any documentation to confirm them.

There can also be issues of valuation including the value of tenancies and the impact of agreements, such as overage agreements and planning issues.

Military personnel

With two veterans and a serving member of the armed forces in her own family, Julie has acted for military personnel and their families throughout her career and she has a deep understanding of how life in the military can impact family life.

She regularly advises members of the junior ranks and senior officers in the military sector. As a result, she is experienced in advising on cases involving all three of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes (AFPS). She understands the nuances of each scheme and how they may impact on the terms of any settlement.

Public sector pensions

In addition to understanding the nuances of the AFPS, Julie also has extensive experience in dealing with many other types of public sector pensions. She is able to help individuals working in the NHS, police force, and education sector.

She can also advise on individual arrangements such as self-invested personal pensions (SIPPS), which can often be a client’s most significant asset in terms of value and requires careful consideration when it comes to pension sharing or offsetting.

Voluntary work and memberships

Julie is a member of Resolution, a respected community of family justice professionals founded in 1982.

She volunteers her time to provide initial pro bono advice at RAF Waddington.

From time to time, she has appeared on Radio Lincolnshire to provide commentary pieces on legal updates and to answer questions from the public as part of the show’s lunch time phone-ins.