Emma Williams advises on all aspects of private family law including divorce, financial claims on relationship breakdown, nuptial agreements, as well as domestic and international private law children matters and surrogacy arrangements.
She has experience advising clients throughout the court process as well as in alternative methods of dispute resolution conducted in private, such as arbitration and mediation.
She has particular experience advising on matters with an international element, including where assets or parties are located abroad, there is a jurisdiction dispute, and where one parent wishes to move abroad with the children or there has been an application by one parent to have the children returned to another country.
- Divorce
- Financial claims arising on relationship breakdown
- Financial claims in relation to children
- Pre-nuptial agreements
- Children Act disputes, including:
- Child arrangements
- Specific Issue Orders (including internal and international relocations, in relation to schooling and holidays)
- Prohibited Steps Orders
- Proceedings under The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980
- Surrogacy arrangements
- Assisting on cases where a financial settlement agreement was reached outside of the court process
- Advising a number of clients in successful international relocation proceedings (both applicants and respondents)
- Advising an ultra-high net worth client on the jurisdiction dispute in relation to their divorce and subsequent financial proceedings, as well as successfully defending an application brought under The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980
- Advising high profile clients on obtaining a Parental Order as part of the surrogacy process
Emma trained at Vardags before qualifying into their Family team in April 2019. She joined the Family team at Harbottle & Lewis in January 2022.