Sarah Jane Tasteyre
Based in Leeds, Sarah Jane Tasteyre currently oversees JC Legal’s UK office, set up to meet the demands of an increasingly international region, with a focus on building professional networks with Asia, in particular Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Qualified in France in 2003, Sarah Jane has established herself as a reputable practitioner in cross-border family law, inheritance and probate between Hong Kong, France and the UK since 2015. She is an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a member of Resolution in the UK, a community of family justice professionals who work with families and individuals to resolve issues in a constructive way.
With her global vision of family protection, Sarah Jane regularly works with family lawyers in Asia and Europe, advising private clients on complicated matrimonial issues and estate planning. Her extensive work experience in Hong Kong and in the UK brought her a good understanding of common law.
Sarah Jane understand the needs of her clients and the misconceptions they may have of international law. She is skilled at adapting to every situation depending on the nationality, plans and resources of each client. She always seeks to find a solution to intricate situations.
Sarah Jane currently publishes a weekly bilingual podcast in French and English titled #DIVORCE dealing with divorce, separation and well-being, with co-host Audrey Zeitoun, a divorce and relationship coach, and various guests each week.
Notable Experience
Estate Planning
- Advised clients on complex cross-border estate between France and Hong Kong, with plans to leave Hong Kong after decades there
- Assisted many mixed couples in England and Wales with assets in France
- Advised terminally ill clients in setting up cross-border wills between France and Hong Kong
- Advised French families in England and Wales and Hong Kong on protecting their young children and providing for them in the event of the death of both parents
Cross-border Probate
- Advised extensively on complex cross-border probates between France and Hong Kong, liaising with professionals in various jurisdictions to obtain the Grant of probate in Hong Kong
- These cases involve knowledge and understanding of various probate proceedings in different countries, and the ability to anticipate the questions and difficulties in each jurisdiction, in order to avoid delays or at least reduce them in the administration of cross-border cases
- Handled probates between France, Hong Kong and England and Wales, involving other jurisdictions such as Scotland, Singapore, various states of the US, Canada, Madagascar, Thailand and PRC etc., involving multiple beneficiaries in various jurisdictions as well as assets in various countries in different shapes and sizes
- Successfully obtained the Letters of Administration in an ongoing case since 1996, after being instructed in 2017, initially between France and Hong Kong, but with beneficiaries in Canada and the US
Legal Opinion
- Drafted legal opinions in complex international divorces on specific aspects of French divorce law, such as the liquidation of matrimonial regimes and the consequences of the enforcement of French matrimonial contracts
- Drafted Affirmation of French Law in complex cross-border probates involving French law
Marital Contracts
- Advised on prenuptial and marital contracts, accompanying clients in their journey to set up such instruments before or after marriage valid in all jurisdictions they have interests in
International Divorces
- Handled complex cross-border divorces with issues of jurisdiction, child abduction, domestic abuse and complex division of assets between Hong Kong and France, or France and England and Wales
- Advised clients on child relocation between France and the UK
- Assisted client victims or survivors of domestic abuse in complex international situations mostly between France and the UK
- Dealt with quick and effective non-contentious divorces in challenging situations with assets and children involving different countries, by working hand in hand with divorce coaches and mediators
Admission
France (2003)
Practice Areas
Education
Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession, Centre Régional de Formation à la Profession d’Avocat in Versailles
LLM in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, University of Évry Val d’Essonne
LLM in International Law, University of Nottingham
LLB in French Commercial Law and Diploma in Anglo-American Law, Paris Nanterre University
