Financial Remedies; International Children Law; Private Children Law; Collaborative Law; Private FDR and Early Neutral Evaluation; Direct Access

Harry is a barrister focusing on high-value financial disputes and contentious private law children cases.

Combining technical expertise with emotional intelligence, Harry is noted for his calmness under fire, meticulous preparation and ability to build rapport with clients, opponents and judges alike and is recognised as a leader in his field in Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Spears and the Tatler High Net Worth Guide.

Away from the courtroom, Harry is a leader in the field of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR). Together with Samantha Woodham, a fellow member of chambers, Harry is co-founder of The Divorce Surgery, a unique service which allows couples to obtain joint, impartial expert legal advice at any stage of their separation, with a view to minimising conflict and costs: www.thedivorcesurgery.co.uk. The Divorce Surgery has won numerous industry awards. The former President of the Family Division, Sir James Munby, has said:

‘The Divorce Surgery is a striking example of what can be achieved by those with the vision to see outside traditional approaches. Samantha Woodham and Harry Gates are to be congratulated for their bold innovation, which we should all wish well and hope to see extended’.

Harry appears regularly in the print and broadcast media on matters to do with NCDR and in 2022 co-wrote a book about how couples can divorce well: The Divorce Surgery: The Art of Untying the Knot (Harper Collins, 2022).

Harry has a reputation as an even-handed and diligent private FDR evaluator in matrimonial finance cases.

Ranked as a leading junior in the major directories for many years, Harry advises and represents clients about the financial consequences of divorce.

Noted by the market for his comprehensive understanding of technically complex matters and meticulous case preparation, he is often instructed in cases with multi-jurisdictional issues, involving trusts and corporate assets, and also advises in relation to less commonplace financial matters such as child maintenance appeals, enforcement actions, foreign court orders, and costs cases.

Harry also has expertise in advising unmarried clients about the financial impact of separation and in connection with financial support for their children (‘Schedule 1 claims’).

Harry is regularly instructed as a private FDR evaluator.

Harry’s years of experience in practice have provided a good vantage point to see that, for the right cases, NCDR can bring a much more efficient, cost-effective and dignified outcome for families.

Harry is in demand as a private FDR evaluator.

In 2018 he, and fellow barrister Samantha Woodham, set up The Divorce Surgery, which was the first regulated law firm to enable separating couples to share a lawyer on divorce. The Divorce Surgery was then named as one of the FT50 most innovative law firms in Europe. Over the ensuing years, sharing a lawyer has become an established part of the legal landscape on divorce (the ‘one couple one lawyer’ concept is specifically referenced in the 2024 changes to the Pre-application Protocol).

Harry appears regularly in print and broadcast media and together with Samantha was commissioned by Harper Collins to write a book about how couples can divorce well: The Divorce Surgery: The Art of Untying the Knot.

Unusually, Harry has maintained his private children law practice alongside his financial work, which makes him a natural choice when the same counsel is sought to advise on both aspects.

Harry is often instructed at the earliest stages, where advice is sought on all issues pre-proceedings, or where the children aspects have a linked financial component.

Harry has extensive experience of advising upon and litigating cases where one party is seeking to relocate, within or outside the jurisdiction.

Year of Call: 2001 FLBA co-representative (appointed) on the Bar Council 2019 and 2020 Director and co-founder of The Divorce Surgery (2018-) Single Lawyer Working Group (2023-)

French, Spanish.

FLBA South Eastern Circuit Lincoln’s Inn

BA (Hons) Newcastle University LLB (Hons) City University Qualified Collaborative Lawyer Trained Mediator

Football.