There must be something in the air. Sportsmen seem to be wading into areas of other walks of life at the moment and after Sir Ian Botham controversially went into bat last weekend for the Brexit campaign to leave the EU; Gary Lineker has spoken out about Family Law.

The Match of the Day host has waded into the battle of Divorce Law in the last few days by describing solicitors as “manipulative”. The ex Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur striker who bagged 49 international goals for England, called for a “mathematical equation that went straight to the courts”.

Lineker has just completed his second divorce with the model Danielle Bux by using a government website for £400. He has been extolling the virtues of not using lawyers in an interview with the Radio Times this week. The television host controversially claimed, “Just generally speaking, it’s very easy to get married and very difficult to get divorced. And we know that lawyers try to manipulate it to make you spend more money and basically end up hating each other”. He makes no mention of how he and Bux dealt with the division of their family assets.

This follows on from the ex England striker and Bux announcing their amicable divorce via social media earlier this year, where they claimed that they would be “the best of friends”. Lineker had four children from his first marriage to Michelle Cockayne but none with Bux. He is also considered to be worth around £20 million after a successful playing and media career.

But what about less amicable divorces? Or where the parties can’t agree on how to divide family assets and care for the children?

Each divorce offers its own challenges, conflicts and idiosyncrasies. There is no set formula when it comes to deciding how to split the family assets. Every family is different. Good family lawyers will guide and assist, therefore avoiding conflict. Many conflicts are the result of people simply not understanding the law and what they may be entitled to. The advice of a good family lawyer at the earliest opportunity is invaluable and will most certainly reduce, if not eliminate, acrimony between the divorcing couples.

Just as every game of football that Mr Lineker played in had different challenges, so does every case.

For further information and advice on this issue, and other family law issues, please contact us for a free initial consultation on 01992 306 616 or 0207 956 2740 or email us.