Vardags

Divorce and family law

Emma Gill is the Managing Partner of Vardags, overseeing the firm nationally following her appointment in April 2025.  

Emma specialises in complex matrimonial finance cases, frequently dealing with issues arising from share valuations, option schemes, trusts, foreign properties and pension funds. Emma also acts in financial claims for unmarried partners and is experienced in children matters, often advising on child contact arrangements and relocation within the UK and overseas. Emma’s tough, pragmatic, but sensitive approach has earned her regular recommendations in legal directories since 2009. Legal 500 has previously described her as ‘quite simply the best matrimonial lawyer in the North’ and ‘a very formidable opponent in the big cases’. 

In addition to the many cases Emma has handled discreetly and outside the public eye, one of her recent reported judgments, ON v ON [2024] EWFC 379, stands out as a landmark decision. It marked the first-ever application to set aside an arbitral award in family law. With no established procedure under the Family Procedure Rules, Emma devised a new procedural framework herself, which was subsequently approved and adopted by the judge. The case set a precedent and showcased Emma’s innovative legal thinking and leadership in uncharted territory. 

Accustomed to high-profile cases, Emma’s clients include CEOs of multi-million pound companies, footballers and their spouses, entrepreneurs and business owners. She has a broad geographical practice with clients based in the North West and North East of England but also the Midlands, Shropshire, Wales and London. 

After qualifying in 2005, Emma quickly rose through the ranks at a national law firm, becoming associate partner and then equity partner within just eight years. Following three successful years as an equity partner, she joined Vardags in June 2016 as Director and Head of the Manchester office. In 2022, Emma was promoted to Regional Managing Partner, expanding her leadership to include the Cambridge office while continuing to head the Manchester team. Her exceptional leadership and strategic vision led to her appointment as Managing Partner of the firm in April 2025, taking on responsibility for Vardags’ operations nationwide. 

Emma is also a frequent commentator in the press, where she is known as “Manchester’s top divorce lawyer” (I Love Manchester), and has frequently appeared on television, including BBC Breakfast. She has been broadcasted on BBC Radio 5 Live, in addition to regional BBC radio programmes in Manchester, Birmingham, London and Wales. Her comments are likewise sought after in print, having been featured in The Times, The Guardian, The Financial Times and The Telegraph, amongst others. 

Manchester Law Society

The University of Manchester (2001 LLB); College of Law, Chester.

Emma resides in Lancashire.