Samantha Woodham > 4PB > London, England > Barrister Profile
4PB Offices
6th Floor, St Martin’s Court, 10 Paternoster Row
LONDON
EC4M 7HP
England
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Samantha Woodham
Work Department
Family Law
Position
Barrister specialising in financial remedy and private law children proceedings. Samantha is also the co-founder with Harry Gates, a fellow member of chambers, of The Divorce Surgery, a unique service which allows couples to obtain joint, impartial legal advice at any stage of the divorce process: www.thedivorcesurgery.co.uk
Career
Praised by clients, colleagues and the legal directories alike, Samantha specialises in complex and high-value financial disputes and in contentious private law children cases. She is a fearless advocate with a keen intellect, yet possesses a warm and approachable manner that puts clients at ease.
Samantha is in high demand from clients with complex financial circumstances, both domestic and international. She is known for her meticulous preparation, and her understanding of the corporate world. She speaks French and Spanish, and worked for a top London law firm before joining the bar, giving her a good grounding in corporate law.
In addition to representing married or formerly married clients in financial disputes, Samantha has considerable expertise in financial cases relating to children (Schedule 1 cases) where the parents may not have been married and claims by unmarried cohabitants under trusts of land legislation. This is a specialist area, and Samantha is widely recognised for her skill and success in representing her clients who find themselves in a very different legal landscape to married couples. She is recognised as an expert in complex and high value cases.
Samantha’s financial practice is complemented by her work on cases concerning living and contact arrangements for children, both within this country and internationally. She is often instructed in factually complex and difficult cases in which her charm, down-to-earth professionalism and unwavering support are appreciated by clients involved in litigation over their children’s futures.
Samantha is also trained as a collaborative lawyer and believes passionately that for the right cases, out-of-court dispute resolution can bring a speedier and more dignified resolution.
Languages
French and Spanish.
Memberships
Family Law Bar Association.
Education
The Abbey School; St Catharine’s College, Cambridge (2002 MA law).
Leisure
Skiing, tennis, shopping, socialising. Only joking: all free time entirely taken up with two young children and our golden retriever Teddy.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Family: children and domestic abuse
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Samantha Woodham –4PB ‘Samantha has amazing insight into a case very quickly. She has the ear of the court and makes meaningful submissions which land will with tribunals. She is very empathetic with clients and gives difficult advice in a way in which they feel hugely supported and able to make decisions. She is focused on the settlement but not at all costs. She has huge attention to detail and is a wonderful advocate.’
London Bar > Family: divorce and financial remedy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Samantha Woodham –4PB ‘Samantha is an intelligent and persuasive advocate. She is deeply committed to her clients and always well-prepared. She remains calm under pressure and builds rapport with her clients. She is fantastic to work with and extremely supportive of her instructing solicitors.’
4PB is an ‘exceptional and first-rate family set, with expertise in all areas’ of divorce and financial remedy. ‘Superb, persuasive and powerful advocate’ Charles Hale KC successfully acted on behalf of a wife seeking proceedings from the English divorce of a Moroccan marriage in the case Boughajdim v Hayoukane, while ‘brilliantly bright and tenacious advocate’ Judith Murray KC who was appointed as silk in 2023 is notable for her involvement in large-value cases. Other key members of the team include ‘brilliant advocate’ Samantha Woodham and Henry Clayton , who is praised for his ‘immense attention to detail’.