About
James advises on all areas of family law, including separation agreements, divorce, financial issues following separation and divorce, child contact and residence (or 'custody') issues and pre and post nuptial agreements. He also advises couples who are not married or in a Civil Partnership on issues arising on relationship breakdown, such as disputes over property, child contact and residence and financial claims for the maintenance of children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act. His children law practice includes extensive experience in child abduction cases. In the above areas, James has experience of cases which have also touched upon related issues of confidentiality and privacy law. He has also dealt in particular with complex cross-border jurisdiction disputes and claims against offshore trusts.
James is co-author with David Lingham of the UK chapter of a tax and legal guide for internationally mobile individuals which has been published in association with STEP under the title: Global Mobility of Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals. Click here for an extract. James is ranked in Chambers HNW and is also noted as a “key lawyer” within the Legal 500 2022 for family law.
James is a fluent speaker of Italian and has a busy UK-Italian caseload, and has worked with many well-known Italian family law firms in Milan and Rome and elsewhere in Italy.
James is also a trained Collaborative Lawyer and a trained Mediator.
James is admitted to practise in England and Wales.
Experience
- James v Seymour (child maintenance) [2023] EWHC 844 (Fam), in which James acted successfully for his client in this leading child maintenance variation case.
- Re O (Children) (Privilege against Self-Incrimination) [2023] EWFC 14
- A Wife v A Husband [2022] EWFC 154, in which James acted successfully for the former husband in a maintenance variation and enforcement matter.
- In an important case in the unfolding impact of the EU's new cross-border 'Maintenance Regulation', James successfully obtained a stop to financial proceedings in England which allowed proceedings begun by his client in Spain to continue, whilst at the same time negotiating a child custody and visiting agreement which assisted both parties.
- Navigating the complicated interactions of family, property and contract law facing unmarried couples, James succeeded in negotiating a settlement of proceedings which allowed his client to keep her home and allowed the parties and their collaborators to keep their tech business intact and thriving. James also helped the parties to reach a comprehensive child arrangements consent order for their 4 children.
- M v W (Financial relief – Divorce – Trust assets) [2010]
- Kremen v Agrest and Fishman (Financial relief; Avoidance of disposition orders; Financial provision; Sham transactions) [2010]
- G v G (Financial Remedies: Strike out) [2012]
