Department:
Family
Contact details:
T: 01722 424416
E: Send Dinshaw an Email
Office Address:
Rougemont House
Rougemont Close
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 1ly
T: 01722 422300
F: 01722 422121
DX: 58017 Salisbury
Solicitor – Head of our Family Law Team
Dinshaw qualified as a solicitor in 1986 and is a Family Law specialist. He has practiced as a Family Lawyer for the last 25 years in Southampton and the New Forest before joining Bonallack & Bishop in May 2020.
He has experience of big money cases of complexity involving businesses, trusts, farms, and pensions as well as all matters relating to children (including claims for financial provision for children). As the son of a Colonel, Dinshaw grew up in the Army and this has led to a particular specialism in military family work, especially pension issues.
Whatever your family law problem, Dinshaw will provide advice on a fair and reasonable outcome, and how to achieve it cost effectively.
In addition, Dinshaw is a Collaborative Lawyer, and a Family Law Arbitrator, believing that where possible it is better to resolve family disputes outside of the court system. He has a wide experience in matters relating to and associated with relationship breakdowns, and regularly deals with claims involving cohabitees, their property and associated wealth. He provides legal help to those with wealth getting married drafting and advising on pre-marriage agreements. He also undertakes claims for those wishing to challenge wills under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
Dinshaw is a practical, hands on lawyer who gets good results through friendly but firm negotiating skills. He is approachable but no-nonsense. He is widely travelled, has two daughters and believes that his life experience is integral to his ability to help his clients. Having been through a difficult divorce himself, he knows from both sides of the courtroom what it feels like.
In his private life, Dinshaw enjoys cricket, tennis and hacking around a golf course. He prefers being outdoors on land or water. A petrol head of sorts, he enjoys motor sports and driving generally.
Areas of work covered:
• Cohabitation disputes and agreements
• Children – arrangements on separation/divorce
• Collaborative Law
• Divorce
• Family Arbitration
• Financial claims on behalf of children
• Family Arbitration
• Prenuptial and post nuptial agreements
• Same-sex marriage and civil partnerships
Here’s what just three of Dinshaw’s clients have said about him. Click here to read more client reviews of our family lawyers
Nicola Rodriguez
Dinshaw expertly and efficiently guided me through a complex and difficult process with his diverse experience and eclectic knowledge. Dinshaw and his assistant Gemma, highly recommend.
David triandafilou
Dinshaw Printer quickly became a trusted adviser that helped me through some difficult times. His knowledge of the divorce process and the effects of the military pension are exceptional. Honest, direct and always putting my best interests as a priority. I hope my friends never have to go through a divorce, but if they do I would absolutely recommend Dinshaw with Bonallack & Bishop Solicitors.
Andy H
Dinshaw Printer of Bonallack and Bishop Solicitors was superb in handling of all aspects of my recent divorce. Providing succinct balanced advice, in a highly efficient manner, he has an intricate understanding of divorce proceedings with the knack of making the complex simple. My only regret was not instructing him at an earlier date. I would have no hesitation in recommending him and Bonallack and Bishop Solicitors
How Dinshaw Helped Clients – some real examples
- Case study 1
Client: Serving army officer nearing retirement (35 years of service) separated in 2012, divorce and finances needed sorting out, not actioned until 2020.
Client’s problem: he had accrued eight years post separation pension contributions and growth and had also enhanced his capital profile having prudently invested in property with his share of the capital the parties had otherwise divided when they separated in 2012. He wanted to move on with his life get divorced and have finances resolved without his wife benefiting too much from his post separation accruals both in pension terms and capital. The fact he had remained married, and his wealth enhanced by his own actions left him believing enhancements would be all his , but his wife had different ideas. She has squandered her capital and now wanted more.
Action: divorce proceedings were started, the wife failed to engage with the same action was taken to have her personally served with the divorce papers and ultimately the marriage was brought to an end.
Matrimonial finances were approached, by agreement through voluntary financial disclosure and the obtaining of a pensions report but sadly a negotiated settlement was not possible. Court proceedings ensued and progressed to the financial dispute resolution appointment(FDR) The client retired during the proceedings and a further updated pensions report was prepared. The court accepted that apportionment based upon the years of the relationship to date of separation was a valid parameter amongst others and that generated several percentages that we were then able to consider in the context of needs on retirement. Parties by this stage were in their early 50s. The wife was seeking not less than 50% of husbands lump-sum received during the proceedings but also 50% of the capital growth of the husband’s other post separation capital together with a 50% pension share.
The Result: Settlement was ultimately achieved at the financial dispute resolution appointment and the court approved an order making a lump sum to the wife of 34% of the husband’s capital and 17% of his pension by way of pension share. This represented a good result for the husband particularly in respect of the pension share.
Comment: This case illustrates that a careful analysis when constructing a pensions expert can provide outcomes that might be unexpected when viewed through the lens of equality. The fact that a lesser percentage, together with the wife’s pension and state pension satisfied needs in retirement was reflected in the pension share in this case. Had we not investigated apportionment and succeeded in our needs argument the outcome would have been very different. The involvement of an Armed Forces pension creates complex legal issues which must not be overlooked. The need for a pension’s expert is essential where Armed Forces pensions are concerned.
- Case study 2
Client: serving army officer 25 years plus service nearing retirement. Deployed abroad for an extended period but marriage broke down.
Clients problem: wanted to get divorced prior to leaving the Army but location was a problem due to remoteness how could we help. On speaking terms with his wife.
Our actions: advised on options – divorce are bleak matrimonial finances – wife could ultimately commence divorce proceedings and finances were dealt with using the collaborative law approach using videoconferencing allowing the parties to negotiate face-to-face as far apart as Northwest Africa, Salisbury Shrewsbury.
Finances involved matrimonial home income and pensions. The parties agreed early on that a priority is for the wife to benefit from the sale proceeds from the family home, with our client accepting he was housed until he retired and wanting to be in a position on retirement to purchase a house for himself. A pensions expert attended our meetings that allow the parties to understand pension sharing fully thereafter prepare a focused report this provided pension sharing options parties to discuss. Offsetting capital against pension was what they wish to achieve primarily.
Result: parties agreed ultimately in roundtable discussions that the wife would retain the net sale proceeds of the family home to allow her to rehouse , the husband, our client would retain a greater share of his pension to allow him to rehouse when he retired. The parties created a fair outcome for themselves within the collaborative law process and the court ultimately approved the consent order.
Comment: collaborative law provided a flexible and in innovative way for the parties to resolve issues on marriage breakdown. They did so with dignity and fairness assisted by their collaborative lawyers which Dinshaw Printer is one. The use of technology meant that the exercise can be undertaken regardless of geography and the use of a pensions expert talking to the parties face-to-face during the process enhance their understanding of pension sharing and ultimately save them costs because they were able to agree a focused approach to the pensions report.
