Claire Filer

I am the Regional Lead Partner for the Thames Valley and practise as both a solicitor and Resolution-trained mediator within the family law team at Irwin Mitchell. Based between our London and Reading offices, I advise clients throughout England and Wales.

I qualified as a solicitor in 2004, beginning my career in both private client and family law before moving exclusively into family law in 2009. This dual background has given me a strong foundation for dealing with complex financial and personal issues sensitively and effectively.

I have broad experience across all areas of family law, including:

Divorce and civil partnership dissolution

Disputes between cohabiting couples

Financial arrangements following a relationship breakdown

Private child law matters.

Leading independent legal guide, Chambers and Partners, stated that I am “… very calm and very effective in achieving what her clients need her to achieve” and “you want someone on the other side who is going to be sensible and fight their client’s corner, and that is what you get with Claire.” The Legal 500, another of the UK’s largest independent guides, refers to me as “… a standout individual who consistently demonstrates her ability to apply her extensive legal and technical knowledge to the facts of a particular case. Claire is creative in her thinking and always displays superb judgment.”

I have a thriving Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR) practice, with Chambers and Partners noting that I’m “settlement-focused and … building up a strong reputation as a mediator.” I actively encourage such options including arbitration and private Financial Dispute Resolution Hearings as alternatives to court proceedings.

I’m particularly experienced in advising on matters involving complex business structures and trust assets. Many of my cases involve significant emotional and financial pressure. I offer my clients a calm and understanding space for them to resolve disputes with as little conflict as possible.

To support this work, I completed the STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) Diploma early in my career, enabling me to offer clients a high level of technical insight where family law and wealth structures intersect. I am also often instructed in cases which have an international or cross-border element, where there are assets in multiple countries, a family lives internationally or in cases where there are competing jurisdictions.

I’m also frequently instructed to advise on and prepare pre‑nuptial and post‑nuptial agreements. I frequently act for individuals seeking to protect family businesses, gifted or inherited wealth for future generations, and act for several members of the same family referred through their family offices. I understand how important it is for clients to feel confident that any wealth passed down to them is as secure as possible, as well as helping them to navigate potentially challenging conversations.

At what is often a stressful and uncertain time, my approach is focused on helping clients reach a constructive and lasting resolution wherever possible. While I will, when necessary, issue proceedings and robustly protect my clients’ positions, I always aim to strike a careful balance: fighting my clients’ corner in a principled and intelligent way, while remaining focused on outcomes. This ethos sits at the heart of my work as a mediator, where, in suitable cases, I support both parties to resolve their disputes together.