Department profile
Family/Matrimonial
Russell-Cooke
About
Provided by Russell-Cooke
Our family team has considerable expertise in advising a wide range of clients on all aspects of family law. In particular, the team is able to draw on its wealth of experience and knowledge to advise on:
- Divorce and separation including same- sex relationships and recognition and regulation of foreign marriages;
- Cross-border and high-value financial disputes involving large family trusts, corporate interests and off-shore assets;
- Complex pre and post-nuptial agreements including foreign agreements;
- Disputes between cohabiting couples or family members;
- Serious and complex children matters including child relocation and child abduction; and
- Alternative families including international and domestic surrogacy and adoption cases.
The team also benefits from working closely with colleagues who specialise in tax, trusts, succession planning (both nationally and cross-border), property issues and immigration as well as professionals across the family law field (both nationally and internationally).
All team members are members of Resolution and, where appropriate, engage in all forms of non-court dispute resolution. In fact, 11 members of the team work as mediators, nine as collaborative lawyers and one of the partners also sits as a deputy district judge and as an arbitrator.
The team is well-respected with a long standing reputation and prides itself on being at the forefront of new and emerging law, with a number of members being recognised across the directories.
Chambers Review
Russell-Cooke has substantial experience advising high net worth clients on a broad range of matrimonial matters. "If I have to send my clients to a divorce solicitor, Russell-Cooke are my go-to firm," states a source, explaining: "They are extremely easy to deal with, they provide very clear and effective advice and they have a wonderful team." Another source concurs: "I am comfortable referring matters to them because they have a very collaborative approach."
"You know when they're on the other side that they're going to be so reasonable and easy to work with," says an interviewee, before continuing: "They are a firm I can always pick up the phone to. They are robust and really practical. They're one of those firms that I breathe a sigh of relief for when I see them on the other side."
James Carroll is an experienced family lawyer with extensive expertise handling complex financial matters. A market commentator notes: "He's an exceptional practitioner; there’s no question that he will be a superstar. He has really, really remarkable skills with people, he's very bright and he’s exceptionally able." Another says: "He's extremely fun to work with. He has this great ability to think outside the box. He is very hard-working and extraordinarily good with clients." A third source comments: "He's experienced, has impeccable judgement and is very empathetic. He is one of the best mediators in town."
Kate Hamilton advises affluent clients on a wide range of matters including divorce, nuptial agreements and children matters. An interviewee comments: "She is rigorous, thoughtful and thorough. She is really incisive and gets the job done. She is such a delight. I would recommend her without hesitation." A market source says: "Kate is really down to earth and she's very good at sitting down with a problem and figuring out a creative way to fix it. She is very solution-oriented, very knowledgeable and easy to deal with." Another comments: "I think she's really good with clients, super bright and is down to earth. She's everything you want in a lawyer."
Hannah Minty is fast developing a strong reputation for complex financial and children matters. "If I could hire someone else into my team, I would choose Hannah," reveals a peer, explaining: "She's a lovely person to deal with. She's extremely bright, so hard-working and very approachable. She's exactly the sort of person you want on the other side." A source says: "Hannah is incredible, I am absolutely impressed. She's really good at identifying issues in a case and has a very solution-driven approach." Another adds: "Hannah Minty is someone I rate very highly. She has an amazing way with clients, she's very bright and very thoughtful."
Jemma Pollock handles divorce, nuptial agreements and children matters for high net worth clients. "Jemma Pollock is absolutely fantastic. She is very hard-working, organised and responsive," says a source, and another remarks: "I think Jemma is very easy to deal with, her correspondence is very clear and she is a delight to deal with."
Fiona Read handles a range of matrimonial law matters, including financial remedy proceedings for high net worth individuals. One source says: "I think she's really experienced, completely unflappable and really good with clients." Another says that "she is very experienced and knowledgeable."
