Alex O’Dwyer Curran

Alex is a Legal Director in the Family department at Payne Hicks Beach.

Alex is described by the legal directories as “an iron fist in a velvet glove” with an “intelligent, eloquent approach to cases [which] makes the unarguable appear arguable.” Alex is ranked in Chambers High Net Worth 2026, Chambers UK 2026, The Legal 500 UK 2026 and the Spear’s Family Lawyers Index 2026. He was named as one of the 2024 eprivateclient NextGen Leaders. Alex is recognised as “a star of the future” and for being “bright, clever, engaged, driven and having a really good feel for cases.”

Alex's expertise spans the spectrum of private family law matters, although he predominantly specialises in advising on the financial issues arising upon the breakdown of marriage for high and ultra-high net worth individuals and their spouses and partners. He has worked on cases that have been heard in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and his work regularly involves international individuals or assets, complex trust and business structures, nuptial agreements and applications to preserve assets. He has a wealth of experience in dealing with applications for emergency injunctive relief to preserve assets or to rectify wrongful interference with them. Alex is also accustomed to advising and representing clients in proceedings concerning financial provision for the children of unmarried parents.

Alex’s children law experience ranges from applications made by parents to relocate abroad with their children, to proceedings involving the falsification of abuse allegations, the coaching and manipulation of children and parental alienation. Alex is routinely involved in children matters with international elements, including securing safeguards to prevent international child abduction (e.g. Dubai, India, Monaco, Switzerland and France) and seeking emergency orders when children have been wrongfully removed from the country (Malaysia, Saudi Arabia).

Alex brings a wealth of experience to his clients to assist them in identifying their aims and objectives and devising a clear and strategic path by providing pragmatic and coherent advice. He is adept at working with conciliatory and constructive methods just as much as he is litigating proceedings when required.

Qualified 2015. Joined Payne Hicks Beach 2021, promoted to Legal Director 2026.

Industry and national publications.

BC v BC [2026] (No 2) (Matrimonialisation: Division of Shareholding: Provision for Debt) EWFC 37

Lara Zibners Lohr v Gernot Lohr [2026] EWHC 1448 (Fam)

BC v BC [2025] EWHC 2016

AS v RS [2024] EWFC 32 (B)

AS v RS [2023] EWFC 284 (B)

AS v RS (Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act: Part III Application) [2023] EWFC 283 (B)

LKM v NPM [2022] EWHC 140 (Fam)

AB v CD [2021] EWFC 38

AB v CD and C (no2) [2019] EWHC 2244 (Fam)

AB v CD and C [2019] EWHC 1695 (Fam)

Alex studied Law with French at university, and spent a year studying in Political Science and International Relations in Aix-en-Provence.