Armed Forces

Specialist lawyers to members of the armed forces community, both in the UK and international

Legal services for the armed forces​

At Goughs our Armed Forces team is led by Mark Hood, a veteran who served a twenty year Army career in the Royal Logistic Corps as an officer before turning his skills to family law. Not only does Mark therefore understand your world and the challenges that come with it, but he has lived them too.

We are strongly committed to serving the Armed Forces community, and are signatories to the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant. You can read our pledge here.

The Armed Forces Team is exceptionally proud to have been awarded Silver Employer Recognition Scheme status. We are committed to developing our offering for the Services, Ex-Services and MoD community and are working with members of the community to better understand and meet your needs. For Goughs, the Silver award represents a milestone on that journey, and recognition that we are getting it right. We look forward to serving our military, ex-military and MoD community.

Key Contact

Mark Hood

Associate Solicitor & Head of Armed Forces Sector

Why else should you trust us?

Our lawyers have either served, (in non-legal roles before re-training in law), have close family connections, or a deep interest in the community. We have an understanding of the complexities and challenges of service life, as well as the culture within the organisation you’ve worked within. There is deep expertise in dealing with aspects of MoD systems including pensions, forces help to buy and service leavers.

Legal services for military families​

As part of our commitment to the armed forces, we offer all members of the armed forces and veterans, spouses, reservists and MoD personnel:

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The largest team of armed forces legal experts in the South West

Legal services for military families​

We provide expertise in areas of law relevant to your needs, so that you can have complete confidence that you are in safe hands.

Family law for military families – including Service pensions on divorce, protecting assets in nuptial agreements and resolving disputes in relation to children

Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning – to ensure that your wishes are followed during your lifetime and after your death

Residential and investment property – we have particular expertise in the Forces Help to Buy scheme and advising landlords and other property owners

Business advice – on leaving the service you may be unsure of where to turn for advice on setting up your own business, purchasing a business or simply looking for inspiration on what to do next.

Your armed forces legal questions answered

There are a number of pensions schemes that a service person may be a member of, each with their own intricacies and rules. The pension will often represent the largest asset in a marriage and require specialist knowledge to deal with it fairly on divorce.

How then should it be treated by the parties when trying to achieve a fair financial settlement? The main options currently available are:

1. Offsetting

2. Pension attachment

3. Pension sharing

For further details on the pros and cons of each option and which might be best for you, get in touch with a specialist lawyer.

Yes absolutely. A member of our dedicated armed forces team is a residential property practitioner who specialises in Forces Help to Buy agreements.

The Forces Help to Buy Scheme (FHTB) can be a considerable benefit to service personnel. It enables you to borrow a percentage of your salary, up to a maximum loan amount of £25,000.

The loan is interest free, does not have to be secured against your property by way of a charge (unlike a commercial mortgage), and can be used for the purchase of your first home, if you move to another property on assignment, or indeed as your needs change. It is currently a pilot scheme. Its aim is to address the low rate of home ownership in the forces.

To qualify for the Forces Help to Buy Scheme there are certain criteria which will need to be meet, in that you must:-

  • Have completed the pre-requisite length of service
  • Have more than 6 months left to serve at the time you apply
  • Meet the relevant medical criteria

The loan is repayable by monthly instalments over 10 years, provided that each monthly payment is met. The monies will be repayable through your service pay or settlement payment.

Your forces Will will essentially be a basic document. At Goughs we offer a full service of private client advice to include not only your Will, but also advice on lasting powers of attorney, estate and future planning and tax planning.

A Will is only one of many documents you may need to consider to protect yourself, your future, your family and your finances.

The need for a Will is even greater if you own a property, are married, in a civil partnership or with a long-term partner, or have children. The only way to ensure your estate passes to the people you wish, and in the way you intend, is to make a Will. Without a Will your estate will pass in accordance with the complex intestacy rules, which may not match your wishes and are regularly subject to change by the government. Don’t risk it!

If you have children under the age of 18, you can name guardians in your Will. If you and your children’s other parent were to die without having named guardians, there would be nobody with parental responsibility to care for your children. In this situation, the Court may become involved, which would be very distressing for your children at a time when they are already grieving.

As a member of the Armed Forces it is especially important to take professional advice on making a Will and estate planning, as there are certain provisions which specifically apply to military personnel.

One area of specialist advice and expertise that Goughs offer is that of setting up your own business.

We understand that the skills and experience you have acquired are unrivalled and so we are here to help you put those to good use in your next career move. Get in touch with our commercial and corporate team for further information.

Yes absolutely, with British Forces stationed around the world (and of course serving at sea), we have enabled processes and procedures to support you wherever you are.

Separation from family and friends can create a challenge to marriages and other relationships, and if things do become difficult you may also feel you don’t have anyone on hand to provide advice and support.

Fortunately, at Goughs we have considerable experience in advising and acting for people spread around the globe. Many of our clients tell us that they find us invaluable as a listening ear and moral support, as well as their expert legal adviser. And, of course, they do need access to advice from a solicitor practising English law, as in family law matters it’s very likely that English law will apply to their situation.

In fact, it’s vital to take advice from an English solicitor urgently if you have a family law problem abroad, because there’s a possibility that another legal jurisdiction (perhaps the country in which you’re stationed) may also have the power to deal with the situation, which may not be to your advantage, particularly where children issues are concerned.

Well, some professional formalities do need to be tackled. We have to verify the identity and address of all our clients. This usually takes the form of your passport and a recent utility bill or bank statement, but other documentation may do the job.

If we don’t meet you face to face initially, you will need to liaise with an authorised person abroad who can verify your papers in your presence – don’t worry about the details, we’ll take you through all that when you get in touch with us. As far as ongoing communication is concerned, our lawyers are very comfortable dealing with their clients by telephone and email, and have extensive experience in doing just that.

We all have a few clients who we’ve never even met, because they are based some distance from our offices in Wiltshire – but that doesn’t prevent us from being with them every step of the way.

So, don’t feel you’ve got nowhere to turn. Get in touch with Goughs. And if you do return to the UK, come and see us – it’s always great to meet face-to-face.

Goughs offer many corporate services to the spouse of a service person, including running a business, employment advice, corporate secretarial services, and many more.

Our clients rate us as excellent

TH

I could not have wished for a more professional dedicated team, I am so grateful for all their help and support, I would highly recommend Goughs solicitors to family and friends.

C Addy, Chippenham

I was very happy with the service from Goughs, I wouldn’t change anything. Very satisfied

Mr & Mrs C

Friendly exact explanations on all legal aspects, helpful throughout and always with a smile.

B Shaw, Devizes

I have been very well looked after by Goughs and I am very appreciative of the service provided.

Ms M

Understanding, clear and honest advice.  Transparent with regard to costs.  Excellent.

P Brown, Corsham

Superb from start to finish on a case that was totally against me on paper and succeeded in helping me get the final payment down. Superb service throughout, even out of hours.

Your armed forces team​

Amy Moran

Chartered Legal Executive

Elizabeth Stiddard

Associate (FCILEx)

Gemma Creighton

Trainee Solicitor

Georgina Catlin

Associate Solicitor

Isabel Figueiredo

Partner & Notary Public

Mark Hood

Associate Solicitor & Head of Armed Forces Sector

Matthew Drew

Managing Partner & Finance Partner

Rebecca Dennis

Head of Employment

Gemma Creighton

Trainee Solicitor

Rebecca Dennis

Head of Employment

Samantha Pettersen

Associate Solicitor

Elizabeth Stiddard

Associate (FCILEx)

Matthew Drew

Managing Partner & Finance Partner

Amy Moran

Chartered Legal Executive

Rhianna Cole

Senior Associate

Mark Hood

Associate Solicitor & Head of Armed Forces Sector

Georgina Catlin

Associate Solicitor

Isabel Figueiredo

Partner & Notary Public

forces pension society logo

Goughs joining forces with The Forces Pension Society

The Forces Pension Society is an independent, not-for-profit membership funded organisation that acts as a pension watchdog for the whole military community. The Society guides its members on the technical aspects of their Armed Forces Pension, campaigns against any injustices in the policy provision or mal-administration of Armed Forces Pensions, and educates the wider Armed Forces community on all pension matters.

Why choose Goughs?

Local since 1882, with an excellent reputation

First-class, effective service

Largest solicitors in Wiltshire

Seven offices throughout the county

Nationally accredited law firm

Recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners

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