At Thomas More Chambers we have a strong and committed team of Family Law specialists, offering experience across all areas of family disputes and in all levels of family courts. All our family barristers are sensitive to the very particular needs of their clients and appreciate that often cases arise in very stressful or emergency situations. In such cases, please contact for a swift initial consultation.

Our approach is always centred on the best interests of our client or their children, and aims to achieve best-possible outcomes, whether in contested litigation or by resolving contentious disputes through negotiation and settlement.

We are expert in advising and drafting in complex cases, where a compassionate but determined strategy is required to ensure our clients can move forward and obtain access to justice.

Marital Property and Finances

We have experience in litigating all types of applications involving both married and unmarried parties, whether in in this jurisdiction or overseas. Members of the Family Team regularly conduct cases under MCA 1973, Schedule 1 Children Act 1989, TOLATA 1996 and Part III MFPA 1984. We deal with cases involving all levels of assets, including high-net worth, as well as complex issues involving valuation, pre-acquired assets or inheritance. We also have a real expertise, developed over recent years, in dealing with enforcement issues where one party does not comply with an order.

Private Law Children

The Family Team deals with all kinds of disputes about children, whether between parents or involving grandparents, siblings or other important adults. We have experience of obtaining and enforcing Child Arrangement Orders as well as intractable disputes about such orders. We represent clients on other aspects of parental rights: leave to remove cases, specific issue orders in relation to education and accommodation, change of names and parental abduction.

Public Law Children

The Family Team is regularly instructed to represented parents, family members, children and local authorities in care proceedings and other public children law proceedings. Our family lawyers have considerable experience in dealing with cases involving allegations of neglect, sexual abuse and non-accidental injuries as well as dealing with experts across a wide range of fields. As a common law chambers, many of our members have experience in other areas of law such as immigration and crime, allowing us to provide a comprehensive service to our clients.

Domestic Violence

Our team has experience conducting cases connected to allegations of domestic violence, whether on a stand-alone basis, in connection with Children Act proceedings or more unusually as pleaded conduct in relation to a s25 MCA application for financial remedy.

Many of the Family Team have experience conducting criminal litigation which brings a unique perspective to these family cases, as they are able to provide advice as to possible criminal proceedings and issues of privilege and disclosure between the family and the criminal courts.

International Family Law

Our Family team is genuinely international. Members are fluent in a variety of overseas languages including Spanish.

Members are regularly instructed to deal with financial disputes involving overseas assets including trusts and properties situated overseas as well as overseas tax issues including bilateral tax accords, matrimonial regimes and prenuptial agreements. We are also experienced in considering issues as to the validity of overseas marriages and divorce proceedings.

We regularly appear in the High Court in relation to child abduction matters whether under the Hague 1980 Convention, the Hague 1996 Convention or the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court. In addition we are frequently instructed on leave to remove cases and complex jurisdictional disputes in relation to both private and public law matters.

Family Alternative Dispute Resolution

We are proud to be able to offer in addition to litigation services, various options for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Family cases including:

• Arbitration - both for Financial claims and Children
• Mediation
• Collaborative law
• Early Neutral Evaluation
• Private FDRs