About
Provided by Payne Hicks Beach LLP
Payne Hicks Beach is one of the country's leading family law firms and includes some of the most pre-eminent individuals in this area of the law.
We offer advice from partners who are known as leaders in family law and who act successfully for clients in the most high profile of cases that regularly appear in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
With a large team of experts whose experience is unsurpassed in working for ultra-high net worth individuals and public figures, we often act in relation to the most noteworthy cases where pre/post-nuptial agreements are involved.
We have unmatched expertise in all areas of family and matrimonial law, including Part III claims (where divorces take place abroad and financial matters are resolved in the UK), pre- and post-nuptial agreements, the treatment of pre-acquired and inherited wealth, and the complex issues involved when children are removed from the home jurisdiction. We are specialists in surrogacy, adoption, fertility and modern family.
We offer experienced and intelligent analysis of complex financial circumstances - often international, together with a sensitive and authoritative approach to guide our clients and obtain the best possible outcomes through this difficult time.
Given the nature of our clients, we understand the importance of preserving their confidentiality and exercising discretion at all times. We provide the utmost levels of discretion for our clients for whom confidentiality is the most valued asset.
Chambers Review
Payne Hicks Beach has a highly esteemed family law department which regularly handles high-value and sophisticated matters.
"They're as good as you'll find; they're a class act," says a source, explaining: "They have a lot of depth to their practice. They all have great experience and are very good to deal with." Another comments: "They are a fantastic group of lawyers. They provide excellent advice to clients, and they have strong expertise in a range of areas. They really invest in their clients; it's a real pleasure dealing with them."
Notable Practitioners
Ben Parry-Smith advises on high-value divorce proceedings, children arrangements and nuptial agreements. "He is a really excellent lawyer. He's very clever, very pragmatic and very good with clients. He can synthesise complex advice into easy-to-understand language," notes a source. An interviewee remarks: "He's very effective, has an easy manner about him and he applies ideas beautifully. He is very thoughtful, creative and efficient." Another comments: "He fights his client's corner but is very fair and pragmatic in his approach."
Fiona Shackleton is lauded as a leading practitioner for sophisticated family matters. A source enthuses: "Fiona is the leading divorce solicitor in town. Her client care skills are second to none and there are few pieces of major litigation where she isn't involved. She is calm under pressure and superb with clients." Another comments: "There aren't enough superlatives to describe Fiona. She is an exemplary lawyer. She is a very tactical and strategic litigator with a very holistic approach."
Philip McGuirk deals with sophisticated high net worth cases in the family world. "He is very strategic, tactical and always gets the job done," says a market source, and another comments: "He knows the law inside and out and really rolls up his sleeves."
Rebecca Cockcroft represents affluent clients on a wide range of family law cases, in both a domestic and international context. An interviewee says: "I think she's a fantastic lawyer. She is incredibly hard-working, really clever and a delight to deal with." Another enthuses: "She's a real fighter; she's very tenacious and fights her client's corner."
Camellia Buckmaster "is so impressive," says a family law barrister, who explains that Buckmaster "runs a case exceptionally well. She is an absolute workhorse. She is very bright, very tactical and dedicated to clients." Another source reports that "her client management skills are fantastic, especially when dealing with difficult clients. I would recommend her absolutely." A third source describes her as "genuinely one of the best lawyers I've ever worked with. She is brilliant with clients, fantastically clever and her cases are always well thought through."
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Payne Hicks Beach LLP
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Provided by Payne Hicks Beach LLP
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