Zoe Saunders > Chambers of Matthew White > Bristol, England > Barrister Profile
St John's Chambers Offices
St John's Chambers
101 VICTORIA STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 6PU
England
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Zoe Saunders
Work Department
Divorce & Financial Remedy, Children Private Law, ToLATA, Professional Negligence, Wills & Trusts, Inheritance Act 1975, Proprietary Estoppel, Trusts, Mediation
Career
Called 2003, Deputy District Judge 2021, Recorder 2023
Head of Family & Divorce
Zoë specialises in family finance work, representing clients in finance and divorce cases. Zoë regularly deals with high-net-worth clients involving company shareholdings, business valuations, family trusts, complex pensions and international assets. Zoe has a wealth of experience dealing with cohabitation disputes (involving ToLATA and Applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act) and private law children disputes (involving cross-border issues, intractable contact disputes and parental alienation).
Zoë is a highly skilled advocate and regularly appears in court at all levels.
She has a particular expertise in financial remedy cases involving farms and farming businesses, multiple properties, trusts of land and complex pensions. Zoe has experience in cases involving confiscation orders and proceeds of crime act issues and international enforcement of maintenance orders.
Zoë also specialises in cases involving international issues both in financial remedy work where cross-border marriage issues arise on divorce or international assets are involved and in children cases including disputes regarding international relocation and is frequently instructed to deal with cases at high court level.
She also has a fast-growing professional negligence practice dealing with claims involving solicitors arising primarily from cohabitant disputes including ToLATA, trusts and estates, divorce, financial remedies and general matrimonial work.
Zoe is one of the authors for the Dictionary of Private Children Law (2024). The book is a unique reference guide to the key concepts, cases and practice of private children law. Read more here.
She was involved in the high-profile case of Hudson v Hathway [2022] EWCA Civ 1648 in which she was nominated for ‘Family Law Case of the Year’ by the Family Law Awards 2023.
Zoe is a mediator as well as an IFLA qualified arbitrator in children cases and financial matters. For further information about our alternative dispute resolution services click here.
Zoë has recently joined 36 Family as an Associate Tenant.
Memberships
- Family Law Bar Association
- Resolution
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Western Circuit
- South Eastern Circuit
- Professional Negligence Lawyers Association, Gray’s Inn (Bencher)
- Society of Mediators
- IFLA qualified arbitrator in Children and Finance cases
Education
- BA Joint Hons (Bristol), PGDL (City)
- Scholarships David Karmel Award & Lord Justice Holker Scholarship (Gray’s Inn)
- Zoë has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training
Leisure
Freediving, scubadiving and skiing.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Family: divorce and financial remedy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Zoë Saunders – St John’s Chambers ‘Zoe is a powerhouse, in both her preparation and on her feet. Her swift grasp of case nuances and complexities is second to none, and is matched only by her robust but kind way with clients.’
St John’s Chambers is a strong set for divorce and financial remedy work, with several barristers, including a KC, well-known across the Western Circuit for acting in high-value and technically complex cases. Zoe Saunders, specialising in cases involving farms and farming businesses, multiple properties, trusts of land, complex pensions schemes, and insolvency, heads the team. Christopher Sharp KC has considerable experience in high-net-worth cases, while Bethany Scarsbrook’s practice includes cases involving allegations of non-disclosure as well as complex multi-jurisdictional asset structures. Andrew Commins has left the profession.