Harcourt Chambers > London, England > Set Profile

Harcourt Chambers
2 HARCOURT BUILDINGS, TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 9DB
England

Email firm Visit website 0207 353 6961

Midland Circuit > Family: children and domestic abuse Tier 1

Harcourt Chambers is widely regarded as ‘a brilliant chambers with an extraordinary variety of talented barristers’ based in London and Oxford and operating on the Midlands circuit in the field of family and children law. Head of chambers Nick Goodwin KC is ‘an exceptional barrister’ whose children work involves both public and private law proceedings, including adoption and placement decisions. He has recently handled several medically complex cases concerning the death of or serious injuries sustained by children. ‘Tenacious advocate’ Aidan Vine KC is regularly instructed in relation to child abduction and care cases, including those involving brain injuries and fatalities. Lucy Fairclough is widely praised for her advocacy style which is ‘both effective and disarming’ as well as for building ‘rapport with the most vulnerable clients incredibly quickly’. Natasha Miller has appeared at all levels of the family courts, up to and including the Court of Appeal, while Paige Campbell is a notable name at junior-junior level.

Rising stars

Paige Campbell – Harcourt Chambers ‘Paige is an exceptional barrister. She is professional and diligent. Her position statements are a work of art and her preparation is superb. There are only a few barristers at the Bar like Paige, she is at the top of the game. She is already a leading specialist in the field at such young age.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Natasha Miller – Harcourt Chambers ‘Natasha is an exceptional advocate; she is compelling and persuasive with laser-like focus on the key issues.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Aidan Vine KC – Harcourt Chambers ‘Aidan is a tenacious advocate; his written documents are always detailed and well-researched and in oral advocacy he will pursue his argument as far as he can.'

Ranked: Tier 1

John Vater KC –Harcourt Chambers ‘John is a strong and skillful barrister and a master tactician. He is someone that you want on your side. He has excellent client care skills but, equally, is a strong and forceful advocate. His cross-examination skills are second to none, particularly with expert witness in complicated medical legal cases. A first-choice counsel.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Nick Goodwin KC – Harcourt Chambers ‘Nick is exceptionally clever and a quick thinker. He understands what judges need and judges look to him to distill complex issues during a hearing. Nick is highly knowledgeable and is often the best lawyer in the room. He is also really personable and approachable and clients really like working with him.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Matthew Brookes-Baker – Harcourt Chambers 'Matthew is one of the most effective and committed advocates around. He is clear and focused with every line he takes - a real force to be reckoned with.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Alex Forbes –Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Hannah Mettam –Harcourt Chambers ‘Hannah is a fantastically skilled and knowledgeable advocate. Her advocacy is first class and she puts forward arguments clearly, effectively and politely. Hannah is always polite, courteous, available to have conferences, proactive, and efficient.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Margaret Styles – Harcourt Chambers ‘Margaret has great attention to detail, is a great negotiator, goes the extra mile, is brilliant at drafting and great on her feet. She is also a strong and brilliant advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Daniel Sheridan – Harcourt Chambers ‘Daniel is fantastic at analysing vast amounts of evidence and focusing on the overarching issues without losing the importance of the finer details. He has great client care and is sensitive and thoughtful of the client's situation.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Lucy Fairclough – Harcourt Chambers ‘Lucy is an incredible advocate. It is a skill that seems to come so naturally to her and her style is both effective and disarming. She is meticulous with her preparation and she fights fiercely for her clients and is able to build rapport with the most vulnerable clients incredibly quickly as she is both down to earth and sincere.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Oliver Powell – Harcourt Chambers ‘Oliver is laser focused and takes a meticulous approach. He is always well prepared and often explains complex facts and legal principles clearly and effectively. He is calm which is always well received and is truly a safe pair of hands.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Martha Gray – Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Matt Molloy is helpful and quick to respond to requests.’

‘The clerks are extremely helpful and are always available to assist. They are always willing to assist and be flexible when required. Matt Molloy in particular is extremely helpful. ‘

‘Harcourt Chambers’ clerks are always available and extremely helpful. They are a go-to set of chambers as the standard of counsel is extremely high.’

‘This set of chambers has very good strength in depth especially in the public law area . Counsel are consistently of a high quality and interchangeable when required with no loss of expertise and competence.’

‘This chambers has a great strength in terms of quality in the area of family law and there is always a suitable and appropriate advocate to cover a case if your preferred advocate is not available. They have a specialism in family law and high quality from juniors to KCs.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a brilliant chambers with an extraordinary variety of talented barristers who specialise in a variety of different areas of law.’

‘Harcourt is, without doubt, one of the best sets in the country. At every level of seniority its barristers bring true expertise and commitment to their cases.’

Work highlights

South Eastern Circuit > Family: children and domestic abuse Tier 1

With physical presences in Oxford and London, Harcourt Chambers is a ‘go-to set’ for family law matters on circuit and has an extensive roster of ‘intellectually strong barristers who go above and beyond to achieve client goals’. Nick Goodwin KC has long-standing experience of handling both public and private law proceedings, and successfully represented the local authority in N (Children: Revocation of Placement Orders), Re, a Court of Appeal case related to a placement order for two children. John Vater KC is a ‘powerhouse of energy and commitment in court’ who has a track record of representing parents facing the most serious allegations of child abuse. Aidan Vine KC specialises in complex child abduction and fatal injury cases, while the ‘extremely bright and hard-working’ Sara Granshaw represented the council in Wokingham Borough Council v Mother & Ors, a matter related to alleged sexual abuse. Alex Forbes has recently handled cases involving allegations of fabricated or induced injury. Jason Green MCIArb is highly regarded for his ‘thorough and extremely sharp analysis of legal issues’ and advised a father seeking the return of his daughter following the death of the mother in B v G, a Hague Convention case brought against the child’s grandmother, who took the child from Spain to the UK after the child’s mother’s death from cancer. Damian Garrido KC, as was, is now a High Court judge.

Rising stars

Fazeela Ishmael -Harcourt Chambers 'Fazeela is excellent with clients. She is hugely conscientious and always very well-prepared.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Adam Kayani -Harcourt Chambers 'Adam is knowledgeable and efficient and is a skilled advocate, presenting clients' positions confidently and accurately whilst demonstrating a thorough understanding of the law.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Natasha Miller –Harcourt Chambers 'Natasha is knowledgeable. She is always on hand to offer advice and support to instructing solicitors and clients before, during and after hearings. She is compassionate with the client and has the judge's ear. She is very calm, collected and a top-class advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Nick Goodwin KC –Harcourt Chambers 'Nick is an exceptional and skilful barrister who prepares thoroughly before hearings. He explains legal issues in an easy-to-understand manner to clients who highly respect and value his advice.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Jonathan Sampson KC –Harcourt Chambers 'Jonathan is an exceptional advocate. He is sharp-minded with an encyclopedic knowledge of the law and procedure. He has the ability to grasp the facts quickly and process them, enabling him to command respect from both judges and clients alike.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Aidan Vine KC –Harcourt Chambers 'Aidan is a tenacious advocate in written documents that are always detailed and well-researched and in oral advocacy, where he will pursue his argument as far as he can.'

Ranked: Tier 1

John Vater KC –Harcourt Chambers 'John has a highly focused mind and a breadth of experience, enabling him to get to the nub of cases he is involved in. He employs a range of techniques in cross-examination, from forensic excellence to street-smart guile. He is a very hard-working and conscientious barrister of high standing.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Alex Forbes –Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Sara Granshaw –Harcourt Chambers 'Sara is an effective communicator. She is courteous to her opponents and the court. Her calm approach is effective in obtaining a good outcome for her client.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Jason Green –Harcourt Chambers 'Jason is exceptionally bright and able to handle the most complex of cases. He is a standout advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Edward Kirkwood –Harcourt Chambers 'Edward is articulate and well-prepared. He is calm, approachable and knows this area of law extremely well.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Cecilia Barrett –Harcourt Chambers 'Cecilia is an outstanding barrister - a class act every time. She does exceptional paperwork and can navigate the most complex cases with ease.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Emily Rayner –Harcourt Chambers ‘Emily is always well-prepared, knowing the cases inside out. She goes above and beyond for her clients. She is able to grasp the main issues of cases instantly, and her advice is firm but fair. Her advocacy is methodical and well-thought-through.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Emma Gatland –Harcourt Chambers ‘Emma is a first-choice barrister for complex children matters. She is a barrister at the top of her game. She is fiercely intelligent, an exceptional advocate and always two steps ahead of everybody else. She has a thorough and tactical approach to the case from the outset.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Eleanor Howard –Harcourt Chambers 'Eleanor is outstanding. She has an excellent manner with clients and is willing to go above and beyond to try and get the best results. She is thorough in her preparation, and in court, she is robust and able to manage difficult opponents.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Martha Gray –Harcourt Chambers 'Martha is meticulous with her preparation of cases. She provides excellent skeleton arguments and builds up a rapport with clients very easily. She is very skilled in her advocacy and well-prepared in her submissions.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Matthew Brookes-Baker –Harcourt Chambers 'Matthew is a fearless advocate with an exceptional work ethic. His ability to digest voluminous medical evidence is impressive; his cross-examination of medical experts is extremely thorough and effective. His knowledge of case law is encyclopaedic, and he runs legal arguments with enthusiasm and great skill.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Matthew Stott –Harcourt Chambers 'Matthew is an incredible advocate. He is able to pick up extremely complex matters and run with it. He is very efficient and meticulous in all the work.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Alex Perry –Harcourt Chambers ‘Alex is an exceptional advocate. He is calm, measured, intelligent, well-prepared, professional and has an excellent manner. His written work is also outstanding, as his ability to get to grips with the key facts and issues.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Mavis Amonoo-Acquah –Harcourt Chambers 'Mavis is meticulous in her preparation for hearings and a strong advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Jane Campbell –Harcourt Chambers ‘Jane is extremely sensitive to clients’ needs and delivers difficult advice tactfully and supportively. Her advice is pragmatic and accurate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Alison Williams – Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 5

Oliver Powell –Harcourt Chambers 'Oliver shows empath and understanding to lay and professional clients. He is extremely thorough in his reading of the papers and forensic in his approach to each matter, identifying the issues and the applicable legal principles.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Julia Shillingford –Harcourt Chambers ‘Julia is excellent, always the first choice for complex children matters. She engages so thoroughly with the clients that no stone is left unturned.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Sian Cox –Harcourt Chambers ‘Sian has a relaxed style supported by preparedness and excellent legal knowledge. She is a strong advocate in court, direct and passionate about representing clients and children and protecting those at risk.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Anna Yarde –Harcourt Chambers ‘Anna is an excellent barrister who has an exceptional way of communicating with clients. Her legal advice is easy to understand and very helpful.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Matthew Molloy, Laurie Amron and Darcey Cunnew are all fantastic, helpful and quick to respond.’

‘The clerks are all extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Laurie Amron and Matthew Molloy have always been extremely helpful.’

‘Matthew Molloy is very efficient and always on hand to assist.’

‘Harcourt is well known for their strength in international family law.’

‘Harcourt is a very strong set both for children and financial matters. The barristers are of a very high caliber. They are one of the best sets.’

‘Harcourt is an excellent go-to set for children working domestically and internationally.’

‘Harcourt is a high-quality set that offers a wide range of expertise on family and childcare law matters. Their barristers and clerks are approachable and friendly.’

‘Harcourt is a quality set with several excellent barristers. They are well-prepared and deliver consistently high-quality advocacy.’

South Eastern Circuit > Family: divorce and financial remedy Tier 1

Harcourt Chambers is ‘an extremely experienced set of chambers with exceptional strength and quality of barristers’ that handles a variety of work within the financial remedy space. Jane Campbell is an ‘expert negotiator whose statements are always well drafted’ and frequently handles multi-jurisdiction financial remedy matters for high-net-worth individuals. Fiona Hay is known for her ‘ability to give clear advice and deal with difficult opposing parties in a calm fashion’, while Douglas Allen is an ‘adaptable advocate’ who specialises in sensitive settlement negotiations. Cecilia Barrett is an ‘outstanding and fearless barrister’ who has extensive experience of both public and private law financial remedy matters. Other key members of the team include the ‘very pragmatic and approachable’ Louise Potter and Emily Rayner, who is a ‘thoughtful and robust’ advocate expert at handling cross-border divorces.

Leading Juniors

Jane Campbell –Harcourt Chambers 'Jane has exceptional interpersonal skills to build a trusting, but also warm and compassionate relationship with clients. Her advocacy is concise.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Fiona Hay –Harcourt Chambers 'Fiona is knowledgeable in complex financial remedy cases. She has great attention to detail, coupled with an excellent strategic vision.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Cecilia Barrett –Harcourt Chambers 'Cecilia is an incredibly safe pair of hands, always well-prepared and fully committed to the case. She goes above and beyond to ensure the best outcome. With clients, she is excellent and manages the balance between being clear and robust in her advice whilst staying sympathetic to their circumstances.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Louise Potter –Harcourt Chambers 'Louise is a fantastic advocate. She is excellent to work alongside, very responsive and thorough in what she does. She can quickly get to the crux of a matter and provide pragmatic advice.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Douglas Allen –Harcourt Chambers ‘Douglas is a very clear and well-prepared advocate. His presentation style is firm and capable of putting the clients at ease. He gives sensible advice which is well-reasoned.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Emily Rayner –Harcourt Chambers ‘Emily is always well-prepared, knowing the cases inside out. She goes above and beyond for her clients. She can grasp the main issues of cases, and her advice is firm but fair.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Jason Green –Harcourt Chambers 'Jason is exceptionally bright and able to handle the most complex of cases. He is a stand-out advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 2

David Marusza –Harcourt Chambers 'David has an eagle eye for detail and always goes above and beyond in his client service. His advocacy is sharp and focused.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Julia Shillingford –Harcourt Chambers 'Julia is exceptional with clients, instils confidence and can settle the most anxious of clients. She is always well-prepared and efficient.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Hannah McSorley – Harcourt Chambers ‘Hannah is a very strong advocate. She always carefully reads and recalls the papers and has an eye for detail.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Suzanne Syme -Harcourt Chambers 'Suzanne cuts through paperwork and complex issues with ease. She is excellent with clients, reassuring and not afraid to point out weaknesses in their case.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘The clerks are a delight to speak to, especially Laurie Amron, who is always helpful and available.’

‘Matthew Molloy and Laurie Amron are excellent to work with, though all clerks are impressive.’

‘Matthew Molloy is a stand-out clerk. He is down to earth and puts in the hours to offer their clients the best availability and choice of counsel.’

‘The clerks are helpful and do all they can to assist the clients. The clerking team is strong from Matthew Molloy, who has been a mainstay to Laurie Amron and Jessica Keen.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a go-to set with a variety of quality barristers.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a strong set. It is swift to adapt diaries to accommodate and can offer alternative counsel of a very high standard where needed.’

‘Harcourt Chambers has excellence in depth across the stable of senior and more junior counsel.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a go-to set for all matters. The depth and strength across the set are second to none.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Family: children and domestic abuse Tier 3

Harcourt Chambers is ‘a strong family law set, having depth in all aspects of family law‘. Edward Devereux KC has ‘a phenomenal practice in international child law cases‘; he recently acted in a case involving jurisdictional issues pertaining to a child being abducted to Zambia. Nick Goodwin KC‘s recent caseload includes advising a local authority in relation to a case involving allegations of sexual abuse. Edward Bennett is ‘a highly skilled and intelligent advocate’ with extensive experience of appearing before the High Court and the Court of Appeal in a range of child law work. Damian Garrido KC, as was, is now a High Court judge.

Rising stars

Natasha Miller – Harcourt Chambers ‘Natasha is a very well-rounded barrister. She can persuasively represent clients and comes across in a friendly and professional way.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Edward Devereux KC –Harcourt Chambers ‘Edward has a phenomenal practice in international children's law cases.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Nick Goodwin KC –Harcourt Chambers ‘Nick is erudite, forensically thorough, and tactically astute.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Jonathan Sampson KC –Harcourt Chambers ‘Jonathan is a fantastic advocate who provides great support to solicitors when dealing with difficult or unusual issues.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Aidan Vine KC – Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

John Vater KC – Harcourt Chambers ‘John is a fighter. He is dedicated and fearless in the court.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Mehvish Chaudhry –Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Ruth Cabeza –Harcourt Chambers ‘Ruth is a straightforward advocate. Her experience speaks volumes, and she is an expert in cross-border disputes.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Edward Bennett –Harcourt Chambers ‘Edward has an encyclopaedic knowledge of children law. He is a straightforward advocate who is clear and concise in his submissions.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Martha Gray – Harcourt Chambers ‘Martha is always on top of the facts. She is an exceptional advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Mavis Amonoo-Acquah – Harcourt Chambers ‘Mavis is a very thoughtful and solution-focused barrister.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jason Green – Harcourt Chambers ‘Jason is exceptionally bright, very persuasive and compelling on his feet. He is always a safe pair of hands.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Rob George –Harcourt Chambers ‘Rob is a true superstar, always engaged and a sharp advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Emily Rayner –Harcourt Chambers ‘Emily is a strong advocate, keenly intelligent, meticulous and has a wonderful manner with clients.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Matthew Stott – Harcourt Chambers ‘Matthew is a strong advocate who is always extremely well-prepared. He has a full grasp of the issues in a case, and his knowledge of case law and procedure is excellent.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Daniel Sheridan –Harcourt Chambers ‘Daniel is a consummate professional, and his preparation is second to none. He is very organised, thorough and considerate.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Jane Campbell –Harcourt Chambers 'Jane is a compassionate and prepared advocate. Her gentle manner belies a steely approach to cross-examination.'

Ranked: Tier 6

Sian Cox –Harcourt Chambers ‘Sian is a fantastic cross-examiner. She is brilliant with the details.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Eleanor Howard –Harcourt Chambers ‘Eleanor has a strong but poised advocacy style. She is a safe pair of hands.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Testimonials

‘The clerks are excellent and very responsive.’

‘The clerks are helpful and always willing to go the extra mile.’

‘All clerks are professional and client-focused.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a go-to chambers for any form of family law work.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a strong set with great barristers at all levels of call.’

‘Harcourt Chambers has exceptionally good counsel at all levels of call.’

‘Harcourt Chambers is a strong family law set, having depth in all aspects of family law.’

London Bar > Family: private FDR judges and arbitrators Tier 3

Leading Private FDR Judges and Arbitrators

Fiona Hay –Harcourt Chambers ‘Fiona is an exemplary evaluator. Her indications are clear and logical, she is on top of the law, and her judgement is excellent. She is a safe pair of hands for tricky and technical financial remedy cases.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Midland Circuit > Family: divorce and financial remedy

Leading Juniors

Douglas Allen – Harcourt Chambers ‘Douglas is articulate, sharp, discerning, intellectually at the top of his game but he also has such a good bed-side manner. He puts clients at ease entirely.'

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > Family: divorce and financial remedy

Leading Juniors

Suzanne Syme –Harcourt Chambers ‘Suzanne is a real fighter, robust and technically excellent, and delivers advice in a digestible format for clients.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Fiona Hay –Harcourt Chambers ‘Fiona is incredibly knowledgeable, calm and firm. A gentle assassin in court.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Jane Campbell –Harcourt Chambers ‘Jane is incredibly hard-working, and is compassionate and deeply understanding towards clients.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Louise Potter –Harcourt Chambers

Ranked: Tier 4

Emily Rayner –Harcourt Chambers ‘Emily is an excellent advocate who can delve into the details and present her arguments robustly.'

Ranked: Tier 4

The set: Harcourt Chambers is one of the leading specialist family law sets in the country. It is recommended for its expertise in both children law and family finance.

Based in the Temple and in Oxford, it is home to eight well-known family silks: Nick Goodwin KC, John Vater KC, Karl Rowley KC (door tenant), Julia Cheetham KC (door tenant), Aidan Vine KC, Edward Devereux KC, Jonathan Sampson KC and Rob George KC and 66 junior barristers, many of whom are acknowledged as leading practitioners in their fields.

Over the past decade, Harcourt Chambers has established itself as one of the very top “across the range” family law sets and won “Family Set of the Year” at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2016 and “Family Law Chambers of the year – London” at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2018.

It has grown significantly in size and prominence and its members are regularly to be found in high profile and leading cases at first instance, appellate level and in the Supreme Court. Harcourt Chambers is particularly known for the high quality of its advocacy, advice and client care and for its modern and approachable style.

Harcourt Chambers’ highly regarded family finance practitioners undertake the full range of matrimonial, cohabitee and partnership litigation and have extensive expertise in cases of high value including those where complex issues involving pensions, private companies, farms and overseas assets exist.

Its reputation in the field of children law is well-established and widely recognised in both private and public law. In private law, Harcourt Chambers has renowned expertise in all forms of parental dispute including international relocation and child abduction. Public law work encompasses care, placement and adoption proceedings, often involving the most complex and severe cases of physical and sexual abuse.

Other offices: Oxford

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Chambers' Director	Simon Boutwood	sboutwood@harcourtchambers.co.uk	0207 353 6961
Practice Manager	Matt Molloy	mmolloy@harcourtchambers.co.uk	0207 353 6961
Head of Chambers	GOODWIN KC, Nick (1995)
Members of Chambers	VATER KC, John (1995)
Door Tenant	ROWLEY KC, Karl (1994)
Door Tenant	CHEETHAM KC, Julia (1990)
Members of Chambers	VINE KC, Aidan (1995)
Members of Chambers	DEVEREUX KC, Edward (2001)
Members of Chambers	SAMPSON KC, Jonathan (1997)
Members of Chambers	GEORGE KC, Dr Rob (2013)
Members of Chambers	EVANS, Roger (1970)
Members of Chambers	COLLINSON, Alicia (1982)
Members of Chambers	BRETT, Matthew (1987)
Members of Chambers	HAY, Fiona (1989)
Members of Chambers	CAMPBELL, Jane (1990)
Members of Chambers	GRANSHAW, Sara (1991)
Members of Chambers	POTTER, Louise (1993)
Members of Chambers	ALLEN, Douglas (1995)
Members of Chambers	BROOKES-BAKER, Matthew (1998)
Members of Chambers	CABEZA, Ruth (1998)
Members of Chambers	BARRETT, Cecilia (1998)
Members of Chambers	WRAIGHT, Oliver (1998)
Members of Chambers	LEONG, Andrew (1998)
Members of Chambers	KIRKWOOD, Edward (1999)
Members of Chambers	LITTLE, Helen (1999)
Members of Chambers	STYLES, Margaret (2000)
Members of Chambers	JEAKINGS, Craig (2000)
Members of Chambers	TURNER, James (2001)
Members of Chambers	GREEN, Jason (2001)
Members of Chambers	SHILLINGFORD, Julia (2002)
Members of Chambers	FORBES, Alex (2003)
Members of Chambers	SYME, Suzanne (2004)
Members of Chambers	WILLIAMS, Alison (2004)
Members of Chambers	HARRIS, Frances (2005)
Members of Chambers	FIRBANK, Kit (2005)
Members of Chambers	STOTT, Matthew (2005)
Members of Chambers	WILKINS, Chloe (2006)
Members of Chambers	DOVE, James (2006)
Members of Chambers	METTAM, Hannah (2006)
Members of Chambers	PERRY, Alex (2007)
Members of Chambers	COX, Sian (2008)
Members of Chambers	CRISPIN, Stephen (2008)
Members of Chambers	CHAUDHRY, Mehvish (2008)
Members of Chambers	REYNOLDS, Vicky (2008)
Members of Chambers	MCILROY, Sara (2008)
Members of Chambers	RAYNER, Emily (2009)
Members of Chambers	MARUSZA, David (2009)
Members of Chambers	FLOWERS, Victoria (2009)
Members of Chambers	SAYERS, Annie (2009)
Members of Chambers	RAMSDEN, Justine (2010)
Members of Chambers	MCSORLEY, Hannah (2010)
Members of Chambers	HOWARD, Eleanor (2012)
Members of Chambers	WICKHAM, Elizabeth (2012)
Members of Chambers	GRAY, Martha (2012)
Members of Chambers	YARDE, Anna (2012)
Members of Chambers	GATLAND, Dr Emma (2013)
Members of Chambers	POWELL, Oliver (2013)
Members of Chambers	AMONOO-ACQUAH, Mavis (2013)
Members of Chambers	BENNETT, Edward (2013)
Members of Chambers	BALL, Curtis (2015)
Members of Chambers	WINDMILL, Hannah (2016)
Members of Chambers	FERGUSON, Kate (2016)
Members of Chambers	MILLER, Natasha (2017)
Members of Chambers	CAMPBELL, Paige (2018)
Members of Chambers	ISHMAEL, Fazeela (2018)
Members of Chambers	KAYANI, Adam (2019)
Members of Chambers	HUGHES, Alana (2019)
Members of Chambers	WOOLSTENCROFT, Ben (2022)
Members of Chambers	HOLLEY, Ferdinand (2022)

Name	Position	Profile
Douglas Allen	A highly accomplished senior junior, well known for his straightforward, discreet and…	View Profile
Ms Mavis Amonoo-Acquah	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Mavis’ practice encompasses all areas of Family…	View Profile
Curtis Ball	Curtis accepts instructions in all areas of family law, including children law,…	View Profile
Cecilia Barrett	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Barrister specialising in all aspects of family…	View Profile
Edward Bennett	Edward Bennett was the 2015 Young Family Law Barrister of the Year…	View Profile
Thomas Braithwaite	Thomas joined Harcourt as a pupil in October 2022 and is developing…	View Profile
Matthew Brett	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Deals with family (ancillary relief, cohabitation, private…	View Profile
Damian Broadbent	Damian Broadbent regularly represents clients in both children and financial remedy cases.…	View Profile
Matthew Brookes-Baker	Specialises in complex medical and factual evidence arising from allegations of non-accidental…	View Profile
Ruth Cabeza	Ruth is a specialist family law practitioner who has been at forefront…	View Profile
Jane Campbell	Jane’s practice is principally financial remedy, although she undertakes schedule 1 cases…	View Profile
Ms Paige Campbell	Paige is an award-winning barrister having received the ‘highly commended’ award in…	View Profile
Mehvish Chaudhry	Mehvish specialises in children law and regularly represents all parties in both…	View Profile
Ms Julia Cheetham	Julia’s practice involves complex proceedings relating to children including care proceedings, adoption,…	View Profile
Alicia Collinson	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). General practice in family law over the…	View Profile
Sian Cox	Also Oxford. Practice covers all areas of family law, including ancillary relief,…	View Profile
Stephen Crispin	Also Oxford. Practice covers all areas of family law, including ancillary relief,…	View Profile
Edward Devereux KC	Edward was called to the Bar in 2001 and was appointed a…	View Profile
James Dove	James is a specialist children and Court of Protection practitioner. He has…	View Profile
Roger Evans	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Deals with property law (including mining and…	View Profile
Lucy Fairclough	Lucy is an experienced advocate specialising in child law. Prior to specialising…	View Profile
Kate Ferguson	Kate read History at the University of Edinburgh where she obtained a…	View Profile
Kit Firbank	Kit is a children’s specialist in private law with over ten tears…	View Profile
Victoria Flowers	Victoria is a specialist family law barrister called in 2009 with a…	View Profile
Alex Forbes	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). All aspects of family law, both children…	View Profile
Dr Emma Gatland	Called to the Bar in 2013. Before studying law in 2011, Emma…	View Profile
Dr Rob George	Dr Rob George is a leading expert on international family law, particularly…	View Profile
Nick Goodwin KC	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in family law, including care proceedings…	View Profile
Sara Granshaw	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in public law children cases, representing…	View Profile
Martha Gray	Martha specialises in proceedings concerning children. She is instructed in complex private…	View Profile
Jason Green	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in family law, predominantly matrimonial finance…	View Profile
Frances Harris	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in family law (ancillary relief, private…	View Profile
Fiona Hay	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in ancillary relief, especially cases involving…	View Profile
Sarah Hayward	Sarah’s practice includes all aspects of children law with a specific emphasis…	View Profile
Ferdinand Holley	Ferdinand Holley joined Harcourt Chambers as a pupil in October 2023. His…	View Profile
Eleanor Howard	Eleanor accepts instructions in all aspects of family law. She has experience…	View Profile
Ms Alana Hughes	Alana worked as a paralegal at a London firm where she managed…	View Profile
Ms Fazeela Ishmael	Fazeela accepts instructions in all areas of family law. During her first…	View Profile
Craig Jeakings	All aspects of children law, both private and public. Particular expertise in…	View Profile
Mr Adam Kayani	Adam completed his law degree at the University of Nottingham, where he…	View Profile
Edward Kirkwood	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Deals with all areas of family law,…	View Profile
Andrew Leong	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). All areas of family law: acts for…	View Profile
Helen Little	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialist family practitioner. Public law: represents local…	View Profile
Sara McIlroy	Sara’s practice focuses on the financial consequences of divorce, financial disputes relating…	View Profile
Hannah McSorley	Hannah is a leading junior family law specialist with a strong commercial…	View Profile
Hannah Mettam	Hannah has been consistently ranked in the Legal 500 as a Tier…	View Profile
Natasha Miller	Natasha accepts instructions in all areas of family law, including children law,…	View Profile
Alex Perry	Covers all areas of family law including financial relief, private and public…	View Profile
Louise Potter	A family law specialist throughout her career, having maintained a focus on…	View Profile
Oliver Powell	London and Oxford. Practice covers all areas of children law, including private…	View Profile
Justine Ramsden	Justine’s practice covers all aspects of family law including public and private…	View Profile
Emily Rayner	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in all aspects of family law…	View Profile
Vicky Reynolds	Vicky practises in all areas of family law. She has particular experience…	View Profile
Mr Karl Rowley KC	Karl is a specialist in the law relating to children. He represents…	View Profile
Jonathan Sampson KC	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialist family law barrister, with particular expertise…	View Profile
Julia Shillingford	Family Julia is a family law specialist accepting instructions in all areas…	View Profile
Matthew Stott	Matthew Stott is a family law specialist. Matthew is regularly involved in…	View Profile
Margaret Styles	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Deals with matrimonial finance, the law relating…	View Profile
Suzanne Syme	Suzanne has specialised in matrimonial finance since her pupillage. Her practice now…	View Profile
James Turner	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). All areas relating to children’s law. James…	View Profile
John Vater KC	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). John specialises in children’s law, both public…	View Profile
Aidan Vine KC	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Deals with family, human rights and professional…	View Profile
Elisabeth Wickham	Elisabeth has experience of representing clients at both County Court and High…	View Profile
Chloe Wilkins	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Practice encompasses the full range of family…	View Profile
Helen Wilkinson	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in family law. Practice includes public…	View Profile
Alison Williams MCIArb	Also Oxford (0844 561 7135). Specialises in all areas relating to children’s law…	View Profile
Hannah Windmill	Hannah’s practice covers all areas of children law and Family Law Act…	View Profile
Ben Woolstencroft	Ben Woolstencroft joined Harcourt as a pupil in October 2023 and is…	View Profile
Oliver Wraight	Oliver practises exclusively in family law, with a particular interest in care…	View Profile

Dutch
French
Urdu

CLIENT: Anne Marie Hutchinson OBE
COMPANY/FIRM: Dawson Cornwell Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: Harcourt Chambers has become the go-to set for family law, with particular and recognised expertise in matters of international family and children law and inter-jurisdictional disputes. The team includes a number of brilliant leaders in those fields, including John Vater QC and Edward Devereux. A raft of similarly impressive juniors work alongside those leaders, with many having admirable experience in the highest courts in the country and in the most complex of cases. Complementing their peerless range in counsel is their clerking team, which is second to none. Overall, the set is a force to be reckoned with.

CLIENT: Janet Broadley
COMPANY/FIRM: Goodman Ray Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: Harcourt Chambers is a hidden gem among the larger sets of family chambers and I feel very fortunate as a solicitor to have such a reliable source of family law specialists to instruct. Edward Devereux is by far the best senior junior in the field of international family law and is now supported by an expanding team including Mehvish Chaudhry, Rob George and Edward Bennett. Each of them are extraordinarily bright and committed in each case I instruct them on. They combine their intelligence with pragmatism to achieve the right outcome. Frances Judd QC who heads chambers, is calm, poised and commands a huge amount of respect amongst Judges, peers and clients and I have no doubt will lead the set to the next level with the support, confidence and resilience of Simon Boutwood.

CLIENT: Claire Colbert
COMPANY/FIRM: Henmans Freeth Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: The service I have received from the clerks at Harcourt Chambers has always been first class and often going far beyond what I would expect. The barristers I brief, and their clerks, put client care as a top priority. They have a very professional manner and firm, yet sensitive approach when needed. Their knowledge is expert level, and in some niche areas of family law that are hard to find elsewhere. The relationship I have with my clients is very important to me, and the experience I have had in using Harcourt Chambers over the last 15 years means that I have no concerns in entrusting my clients to the safe hands of those at Harcourt Chambers.

CLIENT: Clare Wiseman
COMPANY/FIRM: Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: I have recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Harcourt Chambers and have no hesitation in recommending them as serious competition for any other national set. I instructed Frances Judd QC in relation to a matter initially best suited for mediation. Her hands on and pragmatic advice (coupled with her experience as a judge) was invaluable in securing an extremely favourable outcome for an important client. The clerking team are excellent led by Simon Boutwood a hands-on, helpful and committed service goes way beyond the service experienced by many other specialist chambers. Access to both counsel and the clerking team was available outside office hours which was extremely helpful. I shall certainly be using Harcourt Chambers again.

CLIENT: Kim Lehal, Partner

COMPANY/FIRM: Brethertons LLP

TESTIMONIAL: I have been instructing Harcourt Chambers from the very beginning of my career spanning nearly 15 years, starting out as a trainee to now in my role as a Partner. I have worked closely with Matthew Molloy and Laurie Amron who have always been a pleasure to deal with and will always go above and beyond on all accounts for example when Counsel go part-heard, making Counsel available to accommodate a listing at short notice, listing matters where there are numerous counsel involved in a case and in relation to fees. During the pandemic, they were exceptional in continuing to provide a top-class service (with some fantastic juniors coming through) despite being faced with Counsel and Judge’s being taken unwell and hearings coming in and out at short notice. They are personable, approachable, always reachable and responsive. In all honesty, they are one of the best sets we work with. There is nothing more a Solicitor could ask for in a Clerking team.

CLIENT: Carolina Marin Pedreno, Head of the Children Department

COMPANY/FIRM: Dawson Cornwell

TESTIMONIAL: To my mind, the clerking team at Harcourt is one of the best in the country. Not only does it have great depth with many years of experience, but it has also adapted swiftly and brilliantly to remote and hybrid working. They are very professional when arranging meetings online providing different platforms to the client and when dealing with the Court listing. However, what I value most of their clerks is their interest in identifying their best member to represent our client; they don’t simply provide us with a list of available members. A personal and tailor-made service.

CLIENT: Katherine Res Pritchard, Senior Director – Head of Children

COMPANY/FIRM: Vardags

TESTIMONIAL: The clerking team are Harcourt are the very best in the business. Matt, Simon and Laurie are always a dream to work with. They are always available to assist and will bend over backwards to help. I can’t rate them highly enough. The vast majority of our children work goes to Harcourt as they will always be the first to respond to our enquiries and will come back with quotes that are both competitive and reasonable. They are always willing to take a client’s individual circumstances into account, and the service they provide is therefore far more personalised and human. They know who we like to instruct, but more than that, their knowledge stretches as far as who will be good for a particular client, which is not something that you get from other clerking teams. Matt Molloy deserves a special mention for being absolutely second to none. He is organised, efficient, and great fun to work with.

Harcourt Chambers is committed to all aspects of equality and diversity within the workplace. We provide an environment in which individuals from a wide range of backgrounds can fulfil their potential. Offers of pupillage and tenancy are made solely on the basis of merit, as are Chambers’ staff appointments and promotions.

Our aim is always to meet the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.

We are proud to support Reunite http://www.reunite.org the leading UK charity specialising in parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders. Over the years our members have contributed many hours of free advice and written and oral advocacy. We also drafted the submission for Reunite to Parliament which sought to change the criminal law of child abduction to make retaining children outside the UK a criminal offence. This submission was accepted and, when parliamentary time allows, the law will be changed in accordance with that submission.

We also support Family Rights Group https://www.frg.org.uk a UK charity which advises families about their rights and options when social workers or courts make decisions about their children’s welfare.

Our members have appeared pro bono for both of these charities before the Supreme Court, the most recent case being In re N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction) (AIRE Centre and others intervening) [2016] 2 WLR 1103.

For many years we have supported Advocate, formerly known as the The Bar Pro Bono Unit, a charity which helps to find free legal assistance from volunteer barristers.

Where the circumstances merit our members will act pro bono for private clients. A recent example of this is Birch v Birch [2017] UKSC 53

We are proud to have signed up as part of the Bar’s collective participation to the 10,000 Black Interns initiative. The scheme aims to help transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the United Kingdom.

Our members regularly give pro bono advice and appear pro bono on behalf of the following charities:

Advocate – We have, for many years, been staunch supporters of Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit) a charity which helps to find free legal assistance from volunteer barristers.

Reunite – We are proud to support Reunite http://www.reunite.org the leading UK charity specialising in parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders. Over the years our members have contributed many hours of free advice and written and oral advocacy. We also drafted the submission for Reunite to Parliament which sought to change the criminal law of child abduction to make retaining children outside the UK a criminal offence. This submission was accepted and, when parliamentary time allows, the law will be changed in accordance with that submission.

Family Rights Group – We also support Family Rights Group a UK charity which advises families about their rights and options when social workers or courts make decisions about their children’s welfare.

Where the circumstances merit our members will act pro bono for private clients.