Claire Heppenstall

Practice Areas

Claire practises exclusively in private family and family related work. Her practice is largely split between Private Children Law and Financial Remedies work. She also has particular expertise in dealing with Schedule 1 claims.

Dealing with both children and money work allows her to assist the private client across most areas of dispute that arise during difficult family breakdowns in a highly effective and pragmatic but also robust way. She is frequently instructed to appear against Leading Counsel.

In the area of Private Children Law, she has a particular interest and a huge amount of expertise in cases involving relocation, both external and internal. She is also has extensive experience of being instructed in highly acrimonious and long-running intractable child arrangement disputes, and is often instructed in cases involving allegations of parental alienation and where expert psychiatric assessment has been required.

In Financial Remedies work, she is often instructed in difficult cases involving issues of non-disclosure or where careful analysis of family businesses and trust interests is required.

She has considerable experience of dealing with Schedule 1 applications and is regularly instructed in this type of claim.

Claire is also dual qualified as an Arbitrator to deal with disputes under both the IFLA finance and children schemes.

Career

LLB (Hons) University College, University of London

LLM University College, University of London

Called to the Bar 1990 – Inner Temple

Dual Qualified Arbitrator for Finance and Children

Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit to sit in Family matters (2022)

Professional Memberships

FLBA, ALC