Phil O’Connor
The Divorce IFA is me, Phil O’Connor, a Resolution Accredited Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). I specialise in the financial aspects of divorce settlements especially those involving pensions.
I qualified as one of the first Resolution Accredited IFAs in February 2007 and I received my reaccreditation in July 2012. At current count there are approximately 30 IFAs who hold this specialised qualification. (The overall number of advisers in the UK is approximately 20,000).
In 2014 I was asked to help to set and mark the new Reaccreditation and Accreditation rounds of the Resolution Accredited Independent Financial Adviser qualification to increase the numbers of advisers working in this specialised area.
I regularly attend the Greater Manchester Collaborative Law, Merseyside Collaborative Law POD and Bolton POD meetings and I was previously joint chair of the Manchester Pod in 2012. I am also an affiliate member of Resolution.
I trained as a mediator in 2014 with the Family Mediation Association.
I am married to Gill with two children, Lauren and Lewis and I have a Jack Russell called Toby. In my spare time I enjoy coaching at Bolton Lads & Girls Club, playing golf and walking.
My Qualifications / CV
You can find out more about my qualifications here.
My Purpose
Ever since my parents divorced back in 1994 I have wondered whether there was a better way to resolve the issues surrounding financial settlements on divorce. With the range of dispute resolution choices available to you today and the wider financial options available this is much easier than it ever was in 1994.
Twenty years on my purpose is to help you make better, more informed decisions on all aspects of your finances during and beyond divorce, saving you time and money and providing peace of mind and security.
I do this by spending time understanding you and your family’s needs and working through and showing you the consequences of every decision you make.
I take time to educate and inform you on the range of options available, the pros and cons of each option and the likely outcomes for you and your family. You will receive individual advice and guidance from me tailored to your own circumstances.
What Our Clients Say...
We have no hesitation in recommending Phil O’Connor as an Independent Financial Advisor....
“We have known Phil O’Connor for over 10 years as an independent financial advisor. We were initially introduced to him at Baker Tilly Financial Services Limited and were sufficiently impressed with his approach, advice and professionalism to follow him when he moved to HW Financial Services Limited in Manchester and again when he set up his own company, Whitewell Financial Planning Limited in late 2008.
Phil has given as much time as necessary to get to know us and our opinions about money, risk and investment. As a result he has been able to advise us in the most appropriate way – no easy task when faced with two people with very different attitudes to risk. His advice includes much sound financial common sense but where the course of action is less clear cut, he has been able to guide us with tact and diplomacy to the decision with which we feel most comfortable. He does this with a very pleasant manner using humour when appropriate and a more directive approach when necessary.
Phil maintains regular contact, keeping us fully informed and confirming decisions and meeting dates by letter or email, whichever is the most appropriate. He is also easy to contact by phone when necessary. He uses up-to-date computer software to assess attitudes to risk and to develop financial plans. Phil lays out his fees clearly before undertaking any work.
We have no hesitation in recommending Phil O’Connor as an Independent Financial Advisor.”
Dr Richard T Johnson and Dr Elaine M Johnson – Warrington
What Our Clients Say...
The divorce was an extremely difficult time for Mum and I know she was so grateful to you and Linda for going above and beyond to help her and provide sound advice....
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the support you gave to Mum, and to us as a family, over the last four years. The divorce was an extremely difficult time for Mum and I know she was so grateful to you and Linda for going above and beyond to help her and provide sound advice. Furthermore, the advice you gave to Mum following her cancer diagnosis has provided us with the reassurance of financial security for many years to come. We are incredibly sad Mum will not see our new home, as she so dearly wished, but we know it was very comforting to her in her final months to know that Adam and I would have this opportunity at this time. It is some light in the darkness for us. For many months, Mum had on her to-do list to write a testimonial for you, but unfortunately become too unwell.
With deep gratitude,”
Chantelle and Adam Haywood – Berkshire
- Who we are
- Phil O’Connor