Payne Hicks Beach LLP

Family Department

Harriet is a Partner in the Family team. She is an accomplished family law partner, experienced litigator and skilled negotiator. She has been advising clients for over a decade, steering them sensitively and assuredly through complex personal matters.

Harriet’s practice covers all aspects of family law, including divorce and the financial consequences of relationship breakdown, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, children disputes and financial claims made in England following an overseas divorce (under Part III of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984).

Harriet has extensive expertise in international cases, specialising in complicated financial disputes involving high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals with assets and interests across multiple jurisdictions. Harriet has acted for some of the wealthiest and high profile families in the Middle East and Europe. Harriet is experienced in Sharia law and legal issues concerning the recognition in England of foreign and / or religious marriages and divorces overseas.

Harriet also specialises in complex international private children law matters including international leave to remove and child abduction cases. These cases can be highly emotional, but Harriet guides her clients through them sensitively and assuredly.

Complementing her vast experience of litigation and dispute resolution, Harriet is also an adept settlement negotiator when it is in her client’s interests to achieve an amicable resolution. She routinely assists clients in obtaining a range of out-of-court settlements, including the negotiation and agreement of financial settlements and resolving children disputes in a positive manner. Harriet also specialises in drafting and negotiating the terms of pre- and post-nuptial agreements, often with an international/cross-border element.

Harriet is a member of Resolution.