36 Family
Gwynfor Evans is a member of both the Chancery Bar Association and the Family Law Bar Association. He specialises in financial remedies (MCA 1973 and CA 1989 Sch 1), trusts of land, proprietary estoppel, probate / inheritance disputes, and presumption of death claims.
He is praised by clients and peers for his strong client-care skills and his expertise across a broad range of property and private client matters, including trusts of land (TLATA), inheritance disputes, contentious probate, financial remedies (on divorce), and presumption of death claims. The first decade of his career has been heavily court-based; Gwynfor is confident and relaxed at trial, and very experienced at cross-examination.
Gwynfor acts for claimants as well as personal representatives / trustees in his contentious chancery work. He also acts for interveners in matrimonial finance disputes.
Gwynfor’s background in IT (particularly database design and programming) enables him to present complex financial matters in a simple way using modern technology. He has a pedantic eye for detail, and an ability to present complicated arguments about e.g. pension sharing or the structuring of Schedule 1 / TLATA claims, in an orderly simple fashion.
Gwynfor is down-to-earth and approachable with clients, whilst being precise, thorough and tenacious with opponents. Gwynfor has a knack for achieving excellent results whilst maintaining a good humour at trial, and finding creative solutions, where appropriate, in negotiated outcomes.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Gwynfor juggled a career as a professional actor / singer with database design and coding. Gwyn's legal training was at City University and BPP in London. He graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge with a first class degree in Social and Political Sciences in 1996, and then from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School with a distinction in acting in 2000.
Gwynfor has many years of experience in the complexities of child maintenance (CMS) disputes, and has litigated these issues in the First Tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber).
Gwynfor is Direct Public Access qualified.
Gwynfor has been published on many occasions in the hard-copy journals Solicitors Journal / Family Law, Family Affairs as well as online for Family Law Week, and Gwynfor won the LexisNexis (Jordan Publishing) Family Law Commentator of the Year award in November 2016 for his writing. Gwyn has also contributed articles and book reviews to Graya and Graya News at Gray's Inn.
Work undertaken:
Family financial
Financial remedies (matrimonial finance / financial orders / ancillary relief) including cases involving inherited / ‘non-matrimonial’ property, trusts, non-disclosure and delay
Same-sex relationship (LGBT) disputes (civil partnership and cohabitee disputes)
Schedule 1 claims (financial provision for children)
Financial disputes over child maintenance (CMS / CSA) (Gwynfor has litigated these in the First-Tier Tribunal)
Intervener (third party) disputes in financial remedy cases.
Property
Contentious Probate (capacity, undue influence, want of knowledge and approval)
Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
Trusts of land (ToLATA claims)
Orders for sale
Presumption of Death Act 2013 claims (Gwynfor successfully acted in the first such claim, which was before Pauffley J)
Powers of attorney – Property and Financial Affairs / Personal Welfare, and other Mental Capacity Act 2005 matters
Protection from Harassment Act 1997 claims
Call: 2007.
Gwyn attained merit in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Will-writing exam in 2020. Gwyn chaired the Gray's Inn Barristers' Committee in 2021 before being elected Bencher of Gray's Inn at the end of 2021 and has organised several LGBT+ events at Gray's Inn.
Areas of experience:
Cohabitee Disputes (TOLATA) Court of Protection Family Finance Inheritance Disputes Private Law Children Schedule 1 Children Act Disputes Trusts Public Access
English
Chancery Bar Association; Family Law Bar Association; Master of the Bench (Gray's Inn), STEP (Associate Member).
As well as litigating, Gwynfor enjoys hiking, cycling, song-writing, singing (esp at Gray’s Inn Miscellany), synthesizers, plumbing, Greenbelt festival and fixing domestic appliances.