It is important that you are comfortable with your representation and that you have confidence in our ability to provide you with realistic, solutions driven advice, tailored to your circumstances.
However complex your situation, you can trust in our reputation and track record of providing bespoke family law advice. You can draw on our long experience acting for high profile and wealthy individuals.
“Harbottle & Lewis LLP has an excellent track record of advising its prestigious media client base on ancillary relief and other family matters”
The Legal 500, 2011
As many of our clients are entrepreneurial and internationally based, we have expertise in divorce matters involving multiple legal jurisdictions, complex corporate or remuneration structures and cases featuring offshore assets and/or offshore trust structures.
We can also advise you on matters relating to the care of children on relationship breakdown, or issues where the parents of a child cannot agree what is in the child’s best interests.
We combine our expertise with a personable approach. Whether you prefer mediation, a collaborative approach or decide to apply to Court, our lawyers will use their skills to reduce the tension and hostility that can accompany family issues and will ultimately get matters resolved as quickly and as cost effectively as possible.
You can be assured that we handle all our cases with care and sensitivity, but will fight your corner when we feel that your best interests are at risk.
We can offer you advice on:
Marriage or Civil Partnership breakdown:
- Financial arrangements on divorce
- Jurisdictional issues on divorce
- Foreign assets on divorce
- Trust assets on divorce
- Dissolution of marriage or civil partnerships
- Care arrangements for Children
- Applications to freeze assets or avoid assets being hidden
Children- dealing with children’s issues when their parents or guardians cannot agree, including:
- Where and with whom a child should live
- Taking children to live abroad
- Artificial insemination / legal rights of sperm donors
- Surrogacy
- Financial provision for children of unmarried parents
Asset Protection from relationship breakdown:
- Pre-nuptial agreements
- Post-nuptial agreements
- Pre-registration agreements for same sex couples
Protection from Harm / Emergency Procedures
- Injunctions
- Occupation of homes/property at exclusion of spouse or partner
We have family mediators within our family law team who can provide a mediation service. The family law team is supported by experts in Tax, Wealth and Estate Planning, Corporate, Employment and Property. We comply with the Resolution Code of Practice and the Family Law Protocol.
RECENT WORK
Groundbreaking Outcome for Harbottle & Lewis Family Clients
In a groundbreaking decision, High Court judge Mr Justice Hedley established the concept of secondary parenting to describe the significant role played by two gay men, successfully represented by Harbottle & Lewis, who had entered into an artificial insemination arrangement with a lesbian couple. Rejecting the argument that the future relationship between the children and the men should be identity only, Mr Justice Hedley proceeded to make an order for regular staying contact for the men.
JKN v JCN
In this case in the family division of the High Court, the Harbottle & Lewis family team were successful in acting for the husband in his application for a discretionary stay of proceedings brought by the wife in London. After a five day hearing the husband’s application was granted, despite being vigorously opposed by the wife’s legal team both on the facts of the case and on the applicable law. The case now stands as authority that the English Court still has the power to grant discretionary stays despite many commentators and several other authorities suggesting that this was no longer possible in the light of applicable European law.
For those interested in this area, the case is reported at BAILII.
