Family: Divorce And Financial Remedy

Leading Silks

Leslie Samuels KC – Pump Court Chambers ‘Leslie is a renowned and exceptional barrister with a calm and measured approach. His years of experience show he is first-class.’

Christopher Sharp KC – St John’s Chambers

Leading Juniors

Jonathon Bosanko – KBG Chambers ‘Jon is a solid advocate and the best financial remedy counsel in Cornwall. He is brilliant with clients and always a pleasure to deal with.'

Edward Boydell – Pump Court Chambers 'Edward is the stellar junior on the circuit. He is an exceptional barrister and manages to digest huge amounts of complex information to get to the root of issues. He is a strong advocate and clients love him because he is always calm, and meticulously prepared. He is at the top of his game.'

Deborah Dinan-Hayward – The 36 Group

Hamish Dunlop – 3PB

‘Hamish is well-prepared, takes a pragmatic approach and his delivery is always spot on. He is a smooth operator and a real star in his field.’

Richard English – Albion Chambers ‘Richard is always exceptionally well prepared and his knowledge of the law is second to none. He has a very approachable manner and a great rapport with the clients. His advice is clear and his advocacy is exemplary.'

Geoffrey Kelly – Pump Court Chambers ‘Geoff has an incredible eye for detail and is always thoroughly well-prepared with an in-depth analysis of figures. He has a reassuring and down-to-earth manner with clients and is an articulate and firm but sensible advocate.’

Daniel Leafe – Albion Chambers ‘Dan is a very quick thinker on his feet, particularly with regard to mathematical calculations which is a key skill to have in financial remedy work. He argues clearly both in his written submissions and in court and always ensures he has the evidence to support his position.'

Jennifer Lee –Pump Court Chambers ‘Jennifer is a complete powerhouse. She is extremely knowledgeable and utterly committed to the Bar, excelling year-on-year. She takes a robust approach on cases, her paperwork is exceptional, and she is always up-to-date with legal trends.’

Christopher Naish – Magdalen Chambers

Nicholas Sproull – Albion Chambers ‘Nicholas is a brilliant judge of a case who will fight in a very persuasive style if required but will always seek a fair settlement if it can be found. He is a go-to barrister in Bristol and the South West.'

Tahina Akther – College Chambers ‘Tahina is incredibly knowledgeable and her advice is reliable whatever the issue. She is unflappable against the most difficult opponents and always builds a solid rapport with clients.'

Gemma Borkowski – Albion Chambers ‘Gemma is a fantastic financial remedy barrister. She fierce, tenacious and brings with her knowledge from the bench. She is also extremely well prepared and gives honest and clear advice.'

Catherine Breslin – Pump Court Chambers

John Chapman – Pump Court Chambers ‘John is a tenacious and tactically astute advocate and negotiator. In court, he stands his ground and constructs eloquent and persuasive arguments without fail. Clients also warm to him instantly.’

Rupert Chapman – Magdalen Chambers ‘Rupert has a forensic grasp of detail - he masters the details of a case like no other and makes very complicated cases seem simple. He gives sensible and practical advice and is always focussed on settlement and the core issues in a case.'

Mark Elliott – 3PB

‘Mark is a strategic genius who leaves no stone unturned. He is also utterly devastating in cross-examination.'

Tara Lyons –Pump Court Chambers ‘She has excellent soft client skills and is a persuasive advocate with an intelligent and strategic approach to cases.'

Richard Norman – St John’s Chambers 'Richard is the perfect package for divorce and financial remedy work. He provides strong realistic advice, has an excellent client manner and is extremely well respected by judges.'

Zoë Saunders – St John’s Chambers 'Zoe is a powerhouse, in both her preparation and on her feet. Her swift grasp of case nuances and complexities is second to none, and is matched only by her robust but kind way with clients.'

Oliver Thorne – 3PB

‘Oliver is a force to be reckoned with in hearings. He is well-prepared and his knowledge shines through very clearly. Oliver has always been very pragmatic, delivering information clearly and sensitively where needed. He can easily cut through a number of issues to the relevant crux of the case.’

Jody Atkinson – St John’s Chambers 'His case preparation is superb, as is his technical expertise.'

Amy Beddis – 3PB

‘Amy is a fantastic financial remedy barrister who can handles cases above her year of call. She is a safe pair of hands; calm and sensible under pressure. She cuts through the noise of a case to focus on what is important to clients and to the court.'

Helen Brander – Pump Court Chambers ‘Helen is extremely bright and a very robust advocate. One particular strength of hers is her understanding of the figures and structure of complex financial settlements. She is also lovely to work with and very helpful.'

Nicola Frost – 3PB

‘Nicola is extremely thorough and her attention to detail is impressive. She has excellent client care qualities and goes the extra mile for her clients. Nicola is a calm but very persuasive advocate.'

Jack Harris –St John’s Chambers 'Jack is a tenacious advocate with a pragmatic and solution-orientated focus.'

Maria Henty – Pump Court Chambers ‘Maria is an absolutely top-drawer advocate, a force of nature in court, dealing with the trickiest of opponents or litigants in person with calm composure. Maria is both forensic in her analysis and empathetic with clients. She is always approachable and good-humoured, even on the toughest of cases. She is simply excellent.’

William Hillier – Magdalen Chambers ‘William is a bold and strong advocate. He is forthright and achieves good results. He is also good with clients and provides sound advice.’

Neil Maton – College Chambers ‘Neil is a superb and well-rounded barrister with an ability to get straight to the heart of a case. He is a master tactician and also very approachable.'

Imogen Robins – Pump Court Chambers ‘Imogen is one of the most approachable barristers around. She is technically astute, clients love her and she is certainly a safe pair of hands in any situation.'

Bethany Scarsbrook – St John’s Chambers 'An incredibly bright junior and an exceptional advocate.'

Annie Ward –Pump Court Chambers 'Annie is a strong and persuasive advocate. Her client care is excellent and her advice is always detailed, well thought out and of a high level.'

Alexander West – Albion Chambers ‘Alex is very personable, approachable and calm with his instructing solicitors and clients alike. He has an eye for detail and a disarming approach that can catch his opposite number off-guard. He works well with judges, can think fast on his feet and his advocacy is strong.’

Family: divorce and financial remedy in Regional Bar

Tier 1 sets

Albion Chambers

Albion Chambers is ‘one of the strongest in the South West’ for divorce and financial remedy work. Richard English, whose ‘advocacy style is both highly persuasive and measured’, has a broad practice which includes applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act and TLATA. Gemma Borkowski is widely praised for her ‘confident and empathetic’ approach to engaging with clients and regularly handles cases involving pre- and post-nuptial agreements, company assets, trust assets, non-matrimonial property, and complex pension arrangements. Alexander West is a ‘clever advocate respected by the bench’ who has a ‘wonderful manner with clients’.

Testimonials

‘Michael Harding and Julie Hathaway are very responsive and willing to discuss costs, turnaround, availability etc.’

‘The clerks are always ready to help. Michael Harding and Julie Hathaway stand out.’

‘The best family set in Bristol and the South-west, with great strength in depth.’

‘Albion Chambers has great strength in complex financial remedy work.’

‘Albion is certainly a specialist set when it comes to family law. The team for finance work is highly experienced and well able to deal with complex and heavy weight cases. They are the top set in Bristol.’

‘Albion Chambers is a first class set for financial remedy work. They also offer brilliant training in the South West for financial remedy practitioners.’

‘The most flexible and accommodating clerks I have ever come across.’

Pump Court Chambers

Pump Court Chambers hosts an ‘excellent set of family law barristers with a wide range of expertise’. Edward Boydell, ‘a formidable and punchy advocate’, heads the family finance team. He handles high-net worth cases, often involving farms, family companies, overseas trusts, and various other complicating factors. Jennifer Lee has a ‘superb forensic eye’ which she employs in high-value and technical matters concerning inherited wealth, businesses, and trusts. Her cases often involve jurisdictional issues, hidden assets, capacity issues, and disputes regarding the validity of overseas marriages and divorces. Maria Henty is gaining a strong reputation for financial remedy work, and her advocacy and cross-examination have been described as ‘phenomenally impressive’.

Testimonials

‘James Collier and Matthew Fuller are superb. They are efficient, reasonable and a real pleasure to deal with.’

‘Tony Atkins is a real asset to chambers. He is very experienced and will always go the extra mile to assist.’

‘All of the clerks are helpful and have a great manner but in particular Sean Gentleman goes out of his way to find the right barrister for the client.’

‘Tony is the best clerk on the Western Circuit! He is by far the most approachable and knowledgeable clerk around.’

‘Pump Court Chambers is an excellent chambers, providing a first class service with a smile.’

‘Pump Court is a strong and reputable set consisting of knowledgeable and highly regarded barristers in all aspects of family law.’

‘Pump Court is without a doubt a chambers with a very strong family team, with good breadth of experience in terms of year of call. A go-to set in this area.’

Tier 2 sets

3PB

3PB is widely praised as an ‘exceptional set‘ that houses a ‘broad range of counsel’ specialising in all areas of family law. Hamish Dunlop, with particular expertise in cases involving family businesses and inherited wealth, has a ‘very persuasive manner in court’. Amy Beddis has an ‘eye for detail’, while Oliver Thorne ‘is great on his feet and a whizz with numbers’.

Testimonials

‘Sarah Jenking and Robert Leonard are first rate. Both clerks are understand clients’ needs and budgets and know their set so well they can be given a case background and suggest counsel that fits the client perfectly.’

‘Rob Leonard is amazing and nothing is too much trouble.’

‘Ian Charlton and his team offer a hands-on approach where special requests are never too much trouble. He goes above and beyond to provide a Rolls-Royce service and is a real credit to his chambers and the profession in general.’

‘3PB is an exceptional set to work with, with a wide variety of counsel offering different levels of experience.’

‘3PB is a class act all round. They have a wide range of experience and styles. Their brunch training through Covid and since has been invaluable.’

‘3PB has a broad range of counswl in all areas of family law. The family law brunch webinars are very relevant and an excellent source of updates on the law.’

‘The go-to set for all-round family work.’

St John's Chambers

St John’s Chambers is a strong set for divorce and financial remedy work, with several barristers, including a KC, well-known across the Western Circuit for acting in high-value and technically complex cases. Zoe Saunders, specialising in cases involving farms and farming businesses, multiple properties, trusts of land, complex pensions schemes, and insolvency, heads the team. Christopher Sharp KC has considerable experience in high-net-worth cases, while Bethany Scarsbrook’s practice includes cases involving allegations of non-disclosure as well as complex multi-jurisdictional asset structures. Andrew Commins has left the profession.

Coverage By Practice AreaRegional Bar