Ben Parry-Smith

Family

Described in The Lawyer Hot 100 2019 as a "protégé of Fiona Shackleton", Ben is a partner in the Family department and advises on all aspects of family law: children, divorce/civil partnership, co-habitation, pre/post nuptial agreements, complex financial disputes and jurisdictional issues. Much of his work has an international element. He has dealt with cases involving the relocation of children and on matters involving same-sex parents. Ben has experience of dealing with matters where decision-making capacity is an issue and often acts in cases involving trusts.

Ben has worked on the leading case involving “special contribution”, as part of the team representing HRH Princess Haya and recently on a case where a wife’s behaviour was so bad that the judge awarded her less than half the matrimonial pot. He has a broad practice and gives as much care and attention to a case in the Central Family Court where every penny spent on lawyers really matters, as he does to a Supreme Court case. He is one of a handful of lawyers doing heavy weight financial and complex children work. Ben read law at Merton College, Oxford and trained at Mishcon. Clients say Ben always remains cheerful under pressure and tries to find humour when things get grim.

MA (Oxon): Jurisprudence (Merton College)