Cases
Child A and B [2024] EWFC 284 (B) (11 October 2024)
A first-rate family set.”
- Client Quotes
St John’s are very well respected in Bristol and the South West, used by our team across our offices. They have a range of specialisms and have assisted in cases involving children, complex finances and unmarried couples.”
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Voted ‘Regional Family Law Chambers of the Year’ at the Family Law Awards 2023 and nominated again in 2024
Our Family & Divorce team is one of the foremost sets practising family law on the Western Circuit, and we are well known for our expertise in high-value financial remedy work as well as public and private child law both nationally and internationally. Within the team that currently comprises two silks and 29 juniors, we have three Recorders (one a DHCJ-FD), one fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal and one Deputy District Judge, highlighting the quality of our legal services.
We are renowned for our excellence in the service we provide, dependability and longevity. Clients give praise to our barristers for their insight, excellent client management, exceptional advocacy skills and practical approach to the resolution of family law cases.
We are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings
The team are consistently ranked in Band 1 in Chambers UK, read more here.
We are continuously instructed in cases of crossover into Court of Protection (both health & welfare and property & affairs), Inheritance Act, ToLATA and education. We are the ‘go to’ Chambers when it comes to CMS appeals and advice.
The team provide all ADR services including private FDRs (chairing and representing), represented mediation (leading and representing), and Arbitration in both financial remedy and Children Act matters.
In financial claims we represent all parties including interveners and third parties as well as spouses and partners. For cases involving children, alongside the parents, our clients include local authorities, Guardians, CAFCASS Legal, the Official Solicitor, and wider family members.
The way in which we have adapted to the changes bestowed upon the team by Covid19, and how we’ve been able to help not only our clients but also the judiciary and court staff, has set us apart. We went 98% paperless immediately when the first lockdown was announced and had Teams/Zoom facilities throughout, which were used creatively to assist our clients and, equally, to assist the courts.
They set a Gold standard with their clerking, which is wonderfully creative and dynamic. They will frequently step up to resolve listing issues for all parties on a given case and make the job of the instructing solicitors that much easier. All chambers should aspire to work in the way that St John’s do.”
instructing solicitor
We also advise on civil partnership disputes as well as professional negligence claims arising from family cases.
Working regularly alongside experts such as valuers, pension specialists, accountants, social workers and medical professionals, each barrister strives to ensure that we find the right solution for each client.
Access to justice remains at the forefront and is integral to our business. Since the introduction of Graduated Fees in 2001, we are committed to providing a comprehensive service in publicly funded work so that the most vulnerable members of society still have proper legal representation.
Our barristers have worked on numerous projects supporting Litigants in Person and vulnerable witnesses. The team has also been involved in initiatives to help the local community.
Our barristers are often quoted in articles about family law, or indeed publish their own, both in the mainstream and legal press, along with specialist journals and via their own respected family law blogs. Barristers have also been featured in a variety of publications and BBC programmes.
Our clerking team are always accessible, and take care and time to understand the case or the individual personalities involved when recommending individual barristers. Read more.
Public Access
Some members of the team are also available to act, where appropriate, for members of the public, under the Public Access scheme. Read more.
Publications and training
Members regularly conduct seminars in Chambers, at solicitors’ offices, or at other chosen venues throughout the UK. We maintain close ties with academics and our members include several published authors, as well as writing for legal periodicals. If you would like to discuss any in-house training, please contact our family clerks on 0117 923 4720 or email [email protected].
Family & Divorce Team
Christopher Sharp KC
- Call: 1975
- Silk: 1999
Lucy Reed KC
- Call: 2002
- Silk: 2023
Susan Hunter
- Call: 1985
Nick Miller
- Call: 1994
Sarah Phillimore
- Call: 1994
Jacqueline Humphreys
- Call: 1994
Judi Evans
- Call: 1996
Abigail Bond
- Call: 1999
Delia Thornton
- Call: 1999
Zahid Hussain
- Call: 2001
Caroline Elford
- Call: 2002
Julia Belyavin
- Call: 2003
Zoë Saunders
- Call: 2003
Jody Atkinson
- Call: 2005
Olivia Pike
- Call: 2008
Richard Norman
- Call: 2009
Jack Harris
- Call: 2012
Oliver Riley
- Call: 2013
Asha Groves
- Call: 2013
Bethany Scarsbrook
- Call: 2014
Ryan Morgan
- Call: 2017
Sophie Smith-Holland
- Call: 2015
Harriet Dudbridge
- Call: 2015
Sarah Fincham
- Call: 2018
Dominik Morton
- Call: 2018
Zoey White
- Call: 2018
Georgina Swinglehurst
- Call: 2019
Vivien Croly
- Call: 2019
Kate Pearson
- Call: 2019
James Adams
- Call: 2021
Diana M. Panizzon-Pineda
- Call: 2021
Chelsea Bartlett
- Call: 2021
Jenny Wilson
- Call: 2021
Glen Pritchard
- Call: 2022
Directory Quotes
St John’s Chambers is a first-rate family set.”
A strong set with an extensive range of specialist and experienced matrimonial and financial remedy barristers, experienced at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high-net-worth individuals.”
A first-class set of chambers that offers suitable counsel for a variety of cases related to family law.”
St John’s Chambers is one of the leading sets on the Western Circuit for public and private child law work.”
St John’s Chambers is a strong set for divorce adn financial remedy work, with several barristers, including a KC, well-known across the Western Circuit for acting in high-value and technically complex cases.”
A lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Chambers has good quality and experienced counsel available to deal with all aspects of cases and all levels of complexity.”
All of the barristers at St John’s are extremely capable of dealing with all types of matters, from simple cases through to incredibly complicated and contentious ones.”
St John’s Chambers is a very strong family set, housing a team which covers all aspects of family law.”
St John’s Chambers has a lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Members are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings. ‘It is an excellent chambers with strength at all levels,’ one interviewee notes.”
Excellent set’ St John’s Chambers is ‘a go-to’ chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers across the board in the arena of family law.”
Resources
- Podcast
Instructing Counsel
Client Quotes
Solid set of family law barristers from most senior to most junior. Excellent support and collaboration provided to their up and coming juniors.”
“St Johns Chambers is one of the fore-front chambers offering counsel for Public Childcare. The clerks are particularly helpful and will go above and beyond to find cover for hearings at short notice.”
St John’s are very well respected in Bristol and the South West, used by our team across our offices. They have a range of specialisms and have assisted in cases involving children, complex finances and unmarried couples.”
Seminars & Events
- Past Event
Children public and private law conference
Venue: We the Curious, Bristol - Past Event
Family Finance Debate Series 2025
Venue: St John's Chambers, 101 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6PU
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