1 Hare Court

Head of Chambers: Nicholas Yates KC and Nichola Gray KC

Senior Clerk: Steve McCrone

The Chambers 1 Hare Court is proud to be the preeminent family law set with unrivalled expertise in relationship generated disputes. Chambers traces its history back more than 200 years. Its illustrious former members include three former Presidents of the High Court Family Division, three former members of the Court of Appeal, two current High Court Judges (Nicholas Cusworth and Stephen Trowell) and five former High Court Judges. Chambers now has 44 barristers (13 silks and 31 juniors) and three associate members, all with the highest academic and professional credentials; many of whom play a major role in the delivery of high-quality publications for the education of the profession. It is the birthplace of At a Glance and members make significant contributions to Rayden & Jackson on Relationship Breakdown, Finances and Children, to the journal Family Law and to the FLBA journal Family Affairs, along with editing the Family Law Reports. The 1 Hare Court annual seminar remains the ‘go-to’ fixture in the family law year for all family law solicitors, providing up to date analysis of current legal issues and a much-celebrated party afterwards. Chambers also runs smaller seminars for solicitors during the year and members regularly speak at conferences throughout the country and in other jurisdictions.

Work Undertaken

1 Hare Court is the leading set for Financial Remedies and also for private FDRs and arbitrations. We also undertake private Children work.

Members of Chambers have appeared in many of the landmark financial remedy cases. These have included White v White, Miller v Miller; McFarlane v McFarlane, Charman v Charman, Agbaje v Agbaje, Macleod v Macleod, Radmacher v Granatino, Petrodel v Prest, Sharland v Sharland, Cooper-Hohn v Hohn and Tan v Choy. More recent cases of significance in shaping the direction of family law include Chai v Peng (jurisdiction and forum conveniens), Work v Gray (special contribution ), Birch v Birch (modifying undertakings), Thum v Thum (priority in an international jurisdiction race), Owens v Owens (ground for divorce), Waggott v Waggott (earning capacity as a resource), Martin v Martin (valuation of company shares in a private company), XW v XH (special contributions, latent potential, separation of property agreements and marital/non-marital property), Potanin v Potanina (financial claim after overseas divorce), FRB v DCA [No 2] (family arrangements, clawbacks and conduct), Standish v Standish (matrimonialisation of assets), B v B (Golden thread argument), and Helliwell v Entwistle (validity of pre-nuptial agreement).

Reported cases in the higher courts attract publicity, but Chambers maintains a strong representation in litigation at all court levels and in alternative dispute resolution and private FDR. Chambers has a large and expert team of barristermediators. Chambers has been and continues at the forefront of family arbitration practice, with a strong team of family law arbitrators including Gavin Smith (who was the arbitrator in the two landmark cases of S v S and DB v DLJ) and now sits as a judge. Senior and associate members of chambers bring their particular expertise in financial remedy proceedings to private FDR hearings, an increasingly popular form of dispute resolution given the current strains on court services, both as advocates and as judges (including former members of the judiciary such as Sir Philip Moor). Chambers also provides direct access services at all levels of membership. It has an impressive international presence, with members providing representation or expert evidence in many overseas jurisdictions, geographically as far apart as the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong. Members of chambers are supported by a highly efficient and award winning clerks’ room run under the careful eye of Steve McCrone.