Rachel Buckley

“Rachel has steered me through some challenging times over the years and I cannot recommend her more highly. In difficult periods in your life you can look to her for unswerving determination and the focus needed to get the best possible outcome, displaying insight and attention to detail, as well as being highly responsive to fast moving situations – you will definitely feel that Rachel and her team are 100% there for you, 100% of the time.”

Rachel joined the company in 2006 as an Associate Solicitor and is now the Joint Managing Director and owner of the company. Rachel is also Head of the Divorce and Finance Team.

Rachel specialises in high net worth divorce and the financial consequences of marriage and civil partnership breakdown. She also has a wealth of experience in cases involving members of the Armed Forces, Police and Fire service and frequently represents high ranking members of these professions. Rachel also prepares pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements, along with separation agreements.

Rachel regularly acts for clients who are divorcing abroad and where there is a Military pension involved, for self employed business owners, head teachers, GP’s and consultants. She is highly regarded and respected by the legal profession and her clients. She uses a problem solving approach where possible. Rachel is an expert at finding assets where the other party has been trying to put them beyond her client’s reach. She is well used to dealing with high functioning opponents.

Rachel regularly provides commentary in the legal, regional and national media – most notably the Financial Times.

In her spare time Rachel enjoys watching historical World War II programmes, reading war poetry and travelling European cities and the West Coast of America. Rachel plays a mean game of table tennis.

Relevant Experience

Acting on high net worth divorce for the wife of a hotelier who had assets of over £25 million. They had signed a pre-nuptial agreement at the time of the marriage. The PNA conferred upon the wife a property which was to revert to the husband when the youngest child reached the age of 18. I succeeded in setting aside the PNA and obtaining a substantial capital settlement for the wife along with periodical payments for life and a school fees order.
Acting for a wife who is a foreign citizen and resides outside of the jurisdiction. She became divorced from husband who is a member of the British Armed Forces. I made an application in this jurisdiction for her to receive part of the husband’s pension and secured a fair share for her.
Acting for a husband who had been ordered to pay periodical payments to his former wife for their joint lives. I succeeded in an application to dismiss those periodical payments and secured a clean break.
Acting for a husband whose wife received a substantial inheritance during their long marriage. I successfully argued that the matrimonial assets should be shared equally between them as otherwise there would not have been enough capital to meet their housing needs.
Acting for a fiancée who is a wealthy individual with substantial inheritance prospects, I executed a pre-nuptial agreement to protect that wealth and potential inheritance in the event of a marriage breakdown.
Acting for a husband in a medium length marriage. He has a substantial local Government final salary pension and I succeeded in ensuring he retained his entire pension provision and a fair share of the capital assets.
Acting for a husband whose wife removed a substantial sum of money from their joint account at the commencement of divorce proceedings. I obtained an order to freeze those transactions and secure the lump sums so they were available for distribution during the divorce proceedings.

Awards

Named on CityWealth Leaders list – Rachel Buckley | Citywealth Leaders List
Named on the Spears 500 High Net Worth Divorce Advisor list – Rachel Buckley (spears500.com)
Highly Commended – Inspiring Leader of the Year – Devon Women in Business Awards 2023
373 Awards – Winner of the Award for being the Top Business Person in The South West 2019
2018 – Winner of the award for being 1 of the 100 most influential women in Exeter
Winner of the Devon and Somerset Law Society Awards 2017
Finalist for the Devon and Somerset Law Society Awards 2016
Finalist for the Venus Awards 2015

Qualifications

Member of the Law Society’s Family Law Panel since 2006
Qualified as a solicitor in 2002
Graduated top of her year with a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2000
Graduated in the top two of her year with a Law Degree in 1999
Member of Inspiring the Future
NVQ in Leadership
NVQ in Marketing