There are just 35 miles between Liverpool and Manchester but, in many respects, there is something of a friendly rivalry between these two cities – which are among England’s biggest and most internationally renowned locations.

I have no doubt it is borne of pride, pride in our cities, pride in our football clubs, pride in our music scene and pride in our people. Industrial, northern cities in which the people share more than they think, not least their work ethic, values and grit.

Recently, the Telegraph named Liverpool as Britain’s best “Biggest City”. A “one-off” boasting a “magical waterfront”, “the UK’s two finest modern-era cathedrals, a still buzzing pub scene, improving gastronomy and a small but strong arts scene”.  We are even hosting the Tour De France next year!

These are amongst the many reasons why I am relishing the opportunity to head up the office which Manchester-founded, Hall Brown Family Law has just opened in Liverpool.

Even more than the pride of being someone born and raised in the city being chosen to help one of the country’s leading law firms develop its operations still further, I would hope I am well placed to cater to the family law needs of people in this area.

The region is vibrant. According to figures published last month by the House of Commons’ Library, Merseyside is second only to London in terms of the rate of businesses being set up (https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06152/).

There are now more than 92,000 businesses in the area, organisations which together contribute more than £33 billion of Gross Value Added (GVA) each year (https://api.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Plan-for-Prosperity-Evidence-Base-Summary.pdf).

In spite of the issues currently impacting the UK’s economy, the Merseyside business community has delivered strong growth (https://www.grantthornton.co.uk/insights/merseyside-ltd-2025-who-made-the-list/).

Late last year, the business community was delighted to learn that Liverpool has been designated a “Professional Business Services Hub” in the Government’s strategy giving credence to what we’ve all known for a long time, that we have real strength in this area.

Where there are businesses, there are people and as many will know, challenges do not only exist in the workplace but often in a domestic setting too.

The most recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that there were 102,678 divorces in England and Wales in 2023 – up just over 28 per cent on the previous year’s number (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/divorce/bulletins/divorcesinenglandandwales/2023).

Over the last 15 years, I have worked very closely with businessmen and women trying to resolve the breakdown of their marriages in as amicable and straightforward a way as possible.

One of the common priorities is protecting business assets which they might have invested immense effort in developing and might represent a family’s biggest single source of wealth.

If the benefits have been relied on by both spouses, it can be difficult to divide marital assets in a way which does not impede how it functions after the divorce is concluded.

That can also be compounded by the length of time which it can take to navigate the divorce process and the uncertainty it can create.

New data from the Ministry of Justice has revealed that divorces completed last autumn had taken more than 15 months on average (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025/family-court-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2025).

Break-ups involving people with complex assets, not only spanning home and business but extending across different jurisdictions, can by their very nature require delicate handling.

It is in dealing with such matters that Hall Brown has built an incredibly strong reputation, tailoring its service to the individual requirements of its clients, wherever they are and whatever they do.

Regardless of the geographic, cultural or professional differences, Hall Brown has maintained the very highest standards.

Those practices will be to the fore in Liverpool, just as they have already been in Manchester, Leeds, London, Sheffield and Birmingham.

Given that we still await the Government’s full and formal response to a scoping report produced by the Law Commission about possible changes to the law applied to the financial aspects of divorce (https://lawcom.gov.uk/project/financial-remedies-on-divorce/), it is even more important for couples to ensure that they have the right advice when their marriages end – not just practical for now but into the future, many years after they have gone their separate ways.

That ambition and ability to arrive at the best possible solution for clients is what has cemented Hall Brown’s place among the very best family law firms since it was founded and it is that which we will deliver to clients in Liverpool and the surrounding area.