Family law

Particularly well known for its expertise in complex financial cases, those involving children and international cases.

Chambers UK

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Our family law department offers the highest quality of support to our clients, stemming from the experience and talent of outstanding family lawyers who are nationally and internationally acknowledged as leaders in their field. We provide a comprehensive service which is both solution-based and bespoke.

We act in some of the leading cases in England and Wales representing clients including professionals, entrepreneurs, wealthy individuals, landowners, those in the public eye, and their partners.

Our team is committed to providing clients with an unparalleled level of service in a compassionate, timely and cost effective manner from our offices in London, Oxford, Reading and Guildford. Our solicitors' skills include constructive negotiation, a full range of family dispute resolution services, including mediation and collaborative law, and robust and rigorous litigation where required.

We have significant experience in handling relationship breakdown, including divorce, the dissolution of civil partnerships and disputes between unmarried couples; the ground breaking issues surrounding surrogacy; 'alternative families'; and complex parenting arrangements. Our solicitors also work closely with the firm's highly regarded private client team on complex onshore and offshore tax and trust issues, as well as lifetime, inheritance and succession planning.

Penningtons Manches Cooper has long been recognised as a thought leader on family issues in England and Wales. Five partners from our family department have previously chaired Resolution, the leading specialist family law solicitors’ organisation in the country.

Six members of our team are fellows of the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and we hold leadership positions in both the family section of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Private Clients’ Commission of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA). This positions us at the very forefront of those who advise on international family law issues including 'forum shopping' or jurisdiction disputes as well as international marital agreements and cases involving cross-border disputes about children.

Recent work highlights

Leading case on jurisdiction and enforcement of judgements

Acting for the husband in the reported case of T v T, which is the leading case on interpretation of the EU Regulation on jurisdiction and enforcement of judgements in matrimonial matters and the matter of parental responsibility.


England-Russia judicial cooperation

Advising the mother in the reported case of F v Y to resist allegations by the father of abducting their daughter from Russia. The case illustrates judicial cooperation between England and Russia.


Valuation for entrepreneur

Acting for a highly successful entrepreneur in a sector where valuations are notoriously difficult and where there are other significant and complex issues, including inherited wealth and the intervention of a third party.

Related expertise

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC311575 and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 419867.

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP