Practice Areas

Ancillary Relief

Our Family Practice Group has a full range of skills and knowledge in every aspect of public and private law relating to families and children, both nationally and internationally, from the Magistrates Courts to the House of Lords.

The members of the Ancillary Relief team are acutely aware of the unique crisis that parties to financial provision cases are going through, and the role that mishandled litigation can have in exacerbating further strife and generating unnecessary costs.

We have extensive experience of all types of Ancillary Relief cases from 'big money cases' to more modest asset cases. We are experienced in cases involving a foreign element, pensions, and dissipation of assets, financial provision for children and all aspects of financial provision following the breakdown of a marriage. What we are good at:

In circumstances involving the welfare of the child:·       

• Residence and contact disputes
• Applications by children for orders under the Children Act 
• Representation in care proceedings for parents, local authorities and Children's Guardians 
• Issues concerning permanent removal of children from the jurisdiction Child abduction cases under the Hague Convention Adoption
• Financial orders for children outside the ambit of a marriage in circumstances involving a couple's financial division (Ancillary Relief):
• Transfer of tenancies
• Straightforward ancillary relief cases 
• Cases involving companies, partnerships, or with other financial complexities
• Large money cases 
• Pension cases 
• Applications under the Married Women's Property Act 1882 
• Applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Property rights of unmarried couples Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act Applications
• Family property rights on insolvency Advice and calculations under the Child Support and on State Benefits and welfare provisions
• We represent local authorities, guardians and private clients, and we act for CAFCASS. 

Our work includes divorce, care proceedings, residence and contact disputes, child abduction, the division of assets and ancillary relief.

We also undertake and act for clients in cohabitee disputes. Versatility is one of our Practice Group's great strengths, because we have a sufficient number of practitioners and can therefore offer an appropriate substitute if necessary and draw on our collective experience to provide the best service.

Our large Family Practice Group is committed to providing a personal, friendly and approachable service, whether during a lengthy conference or a five-minute phone call. We regularly work side by side with experts such as valuers, pension specialists, accountants, social workers or medical professionals to ensure that we find the right solution for each client.

Since the introduction of Graduated Fees in 2001, we have been committed to providing a comprehensive service in publicly funded work, in particular so that the most vulnerable members of society still have proper legal representation.The size of the practice group is such to attract high calibre practitioners, but sufficiently small to maintain personal contact with our clients. 

Members of the Ancillary Relief group have extensive experience of work at all levels up to the "big money" cases and can provide expert help to solicitors appropriate to the degree of difficulty and complexity of the case. The team's work includes:

• Ancillary relief
• Children (private and public law)
• All forms of injunction work
• Cohabitee disputes
• Professional Negligence claims arising from family cases

Written work can be transmitted via email or by disk and we have access to video conference facilities for meetings with solicitors, lay clients and experts.  Our clerks will recommend the most appropriate barristers for each individual case and advise on costs. 
4 Brick Court Chambers has Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority and Bar Standards Board External Continuing Professional Development Accreditation and members regularly conduct seminars and run in-house training sessions.

If you want any further information or help in producing a training programme, please call our clerks. Members have appeared in many cases which have been reported and we can provide details on request.

You should see the details contained in the Administration section.