Peter Kent > Chambers of David Berkley KC > Oxford, England > Barrister Profile

Peter Kent

Work Department

Family.

Position

Peter Kent is a civil practitioner with extensive experience of advocacy in High Court, County Court and ADR venues. He practises in all areas of matrimonial law, including Inheritance Act and TOLATA cases. He is a member of the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (“IFLA”).

Peter is also a member of our construction group and property/chancery group. Areas of expertise include professional negligence in the conveyancing context, banking and O’Brien type cases.

As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, he was on the FIMBRA arbitration panel dealing with financial services until it was wound up. He has acted within construction arbitrations. He is now a member of IFLA: see below.

Peter enjoys one-to-one interaction with clients. Experience makes him especially alert to the need to be informative and frank about the costs of litigation, and to calm clients in what is often, to them, a very frightening experience.

Peter lives near Worcester. Hobbies include Real Tennis, skiing and classic cars. Married with two daughters. Speaks conversational French.

Peter is an Accredited Mediation Advocate.

FAMILY

Children: Private law

Peter Kent finds job satisfaction in getting parents to put aside their differences and concentrate on the practicalities of childcare and, importantly, the best interests of the children. He has acted in the full gamut of family cases including removal of the child from the jurisdiction, all types of Section 8 orders and cases with a foreign element.

Children: Public law

This is a stressful area especially for parents who often lack the objective insight that is needed. Peter has been involved in public law cases since qualification and has seen and adapted to many changes. He acts both for local authorities and parents. While this is increasingly a technical area, he is determined that matters can be resolved as efficiently as the system permits, and ultimately in the best interests of the child.

Ancillary Relief 

Peter enjoys the practical challenge of understanding family finances and has extensive experience of dealing with high value and complex cases. As well as this, Peter is alert to the difficulties of low monetary value cases which can be just as difficult as those with high net worth. He has acted on and advised in many TOLATA claims and takes a particular interest in the conveyancing process when acting for unmarried people or for the elderly. He also deals with the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 (applications for financial relief following a foreign divorce).

Institute of Family Law Arbitrators

This scheme was inaugurated in 2012 and Peter qualified as an Arbitrator within the scheme in the early days.
The scheme covers: financial disputes arising from divorce; claims on inheritance from a child, spouse etc; financial claims made in England and Wales after a divorce abroad; claims for child maintenance between unmarried parents; disputes about ownership of a property between cohabiting couples and civil partnership financial claims.
While procedure is flexible, arbitrators apply the MCA 1973 and relevant case law.

IFLA developed the arbitration scheme to enable parties to resolve financial disputes more quickly, cheaply and in a more flexible and less formal setting than a court room. It is also expected to save court resources and reduce pressure on the already stretched family courts.
Peter will accept instructions as an advocate where disputes are within the scheme or to be nominated to act as arbitrator.

Members of IFLA all hope that we can offer a user friendly alternative to those seeking a solution to their dispute. We hope, too, that the flexibility within arbitration can keep costs down and enable a speedier resolution of cases.

Notable cases 

• 3rd September 2014
  Peter Kent and Tanya Zabihi advised in the recent reported case of Re K (Children) [2014] EWCA Civ 1195

Career

Called 1978, Gray’s Inn. Solicitor 1982-92.

Memberships

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Education

LLB (Exon)