3PB

Family

Davinia Riley is a family barrister who specialises in money and property disputes following matrimonial and other relationship breakdowns. She joined 3PB on 4 August 2025.

Davinia’s experience is primarily in high value, complex financial issues often involving trust assets, businesses, multiple properties (UK- based and international) and inheritance.

Ranked since 2022 in Legal 500 as a leading junior barrister in matrimonial finance, Davinia has experience in the full range of applications and hearings in those proceedings including First Direction Appointments, Financial Dispute Resolution hearings, and final hearings in cases involving pensions, overseas assets and companies.

She also has experience in dealing with property disputes between unmarried partners under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA), applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, Maintenance Pending Suit and applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975.  Davinia is regularly instructed in applications for section 37 and freezing injunctions designed to prevent the dissipation of assets. She has also successfully sought committal to jail for a Respondent’s failure to complete, file or serve their Form E.

Davinia is experienced in disputes over wills, trusts and probate and therefore familiar with civil litigation and the Civil Procedure Rules. Her diverse legal knowledge enables her to provide rounded advice and a remedies-based approach for enforcement of orders such as third-party debt orders and applications for judgment summons.

Davinia prides herself on providing clear, strategic advice to both professional and lay clients. Known for building a strong rapport with those whom she represents, Davinia combines a practical approach with substantial advocacy experience gained through appearances at various levels of court (including being led in the Court of Appeal), ensuring a strategic and results-driven approach tailored to the needs of the client.

Davinia is regularly instructed in cases involving farming assets, including those requiring specialist valuation and liquidity assessments. She has significant experience in matters concerning company and business interests, from valuation disputes to the division of multi-million-pound companies.

Her practice includes cases with substantial property portfolios, both in the UK and overseas, as well as disputes involving non-matrimonial assets such as inherited wealth, pre- and post-marital contributions to companies, and family trusts.

Davinia is able to conduct in-house training upon request. She is the author of a recent review of the Supreme Court ruling in Standish v Standish [2025] UKSC 26 and its clarification on the operation of the sharing principle in financial remedy cases, particularly in relation to  non-matrimonial property.
Recent Cases
JPM v CEM: Davinia appeared as a led junior for the husband in a successful appeal of a final order in financial remedy proceedings, after the judge at first instance proceeded in the absence of the husband and attributed company assets to the husband personally in the computation exercise. As a result of the successful appeal, the order was overturned.

W v W: case where H claimed that W controlled assets left in a discretionary trust and thus should be part of the matrimonial pot.  Davinia successfully argued for contribution costs towards and an order that W pay a portion of H costs towards the proceedings.

H v H: Davinia acted for the respondent in a case where the matrimonial assets were valued at over £2.5m.  The case involved arguments over inherited funds and whether or not they should be ringfenced, and a complex pension scheme for the husband who had a significant pension worth over £1m

M v M: Davinia represented respondent husband in a case where the assets are worth over £3.6m.  The case involved a dispute over a significant property portfolio both in the UK and in Europe.  The case also involves a dispute as to whether it is a needs, or sharing based case.

K v K: Davinia acts for the respondent husband in a case involving a business with a turnover of over £3m with several shareholders including the married couple.  There have been several forensic accountants’ reports and there is a significant dispute as to the value of the business, and whether H can claim ‘special contribution’.  There is also a complex issue regarding H’s pension as it is linked to the business and SJE reports in respect of the true pension value.

W v W: Davinia represented the applicant in a case where the assets were worth over £2.8m in an enforcement application, whereby the respondent had failed to set up a trust fund for £300,000 was over £7,000 in arrears for maintenance, and had failed to pay the full periodical payments of £1500 per month.  The issues that arose included whether or not the arrears ought to be remitted; whether or not the respondent ought to be committed to prison and costs.  Davinia was successful in the application and obtained 90% of the costs sought.

Local Authority v B and B: Davinia was instructed to advise and represent a Large Local Authority who sought to be joined to proceedings in respect of a Proceeds of Crime Act Order against one of the parties where the assets were worth over £2.5m.

Property

Davinia Riley specialises in a diverse range of property and probate-related legal work, with a focus on achieving practical and favourable outcomes for clients.

Davinia has significant expertise in representing both claimants and defendants in contested probate and estate disputes, including issues of undue influence, forgery, and proprietary estoppel claims. Recently, Davinia successfully secured a favourable judgment in a contentious estate matter which spanned a five-day hearing, involving the validation of a will and the dismissal of a counterclaim under proprietary estoppel.

Davinia has also been involved in a long-standing estate matter where allegations of forgery of a will were found against the defendant, and her clients successfully defended claims of undue influence.

Having extensive experience in Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) hearings, Davinia regularly secures settlements for clients and achieves favourable outcomes through roundtable settlement discussions and mediations.

Davinia regularly provides written advice on the full range of contested probate matters including allegations of lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence and the validity of wills and claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.  Additionally, Davinia advises on cohabitation disputes and property claims under TOLATA (Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996) and and is able to sit as a FDR judge in cohabitee disputes.

Called in 2004.

FLBA MCCBA

Bar Vocational Course, Very Competent,  Nottingham Law School Post Graduate Diploma in Law, Birmingham University BSc Psychology (2:1), University of East London

In her spare time, Davinia enjoys racing around Donnington Park And Mallory Race Track on her Kawaski ZX6-R motorbike.