ABOUT US SERVICES PEOPLE INSIGHTS CAREERS CONTACT CLIENT LOGIN SPECIALISMS DIVORCE AND SEPARATION CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS PRE AND POST-NUPTIAL AGREEMENTS COHABITATION CLAIMS AND AGREEMENTS CHILDREN ISSUES MEDIATION COLLABORATIVE FAMILY LAW ARBITRATION CROSS-BORDER FINANCE SHARIAH FAMILY LAW NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP Click here to join. FAMILY & DIVORCE We are a family department that are conscious of the financial restraints on families, regardless of your financial position, during the current pandemic and we facilitate settlement and mediation rather than conflict if the circumstances permit. Wedlake Bell’s Family Department boasts solicitors who are experienced and qualified mediators, collaborative solicitors, family law arbitrators (CIArb) and one of the only family solicitors in the UK and Wales to be listed as an e-Private Client 50 most influential solicitors 2018. We are also a top recommended family lawyers in the Spears 2021 Index. Our experienced Family team can advise you on all matters relating to family law, from the most simple of cases to the more complex and sensitive situations including international law. “They have good work and they are a very busy department with a lot of energy and a forward-thinking attitude.” Chambers UK, 2021 ‘The family law department at Wedlake Bell conducts some of the biggest and most complex of financial family law cases. It has a wealth of experience and is led by one of the family law’s greatest tacticians, Charmaine Hast’. Legal 500, 2021 ‘A top London firm with high-profile clients and strength in big money and international cases Supported by a strong team of business and commercial lawyers’. Legal 500, 2021 ‘A very commercial firm of solicitors with high-net-worth clients. Provides an excellent, bespoke service, feisty when necessary, smooth when appropriate’. Legal 500, 2021 We use our broad experience and detailed insight of family law to provide our clients with first class advice on a range of matrimonial matters. The department boasts solicitors who are leaders in their field including, mediation, collaborative law, arbitration and a specialist children law department who are able to deal with, leave to remove children abroad, abductions, surrogacy agreement and all aspects of children work. The department prides itself on acting for well known personalities in every sphere of life and despite many public figures being represented by the family department, confidentiality and ensuring that the media are excluded is the departments priority. The department is pleased to have acquired the result in the recent reported High Court case of: FW v FH [2019] EWHC 1338 (Fam) Our extensive knowledge in this area means we can advise people who may be married, living together, in civil partnerships or living as husband and wife in accordance with Shariah Law. Our Family team has the advantage of a dedicated data protection and information law specialist, which enables us to provide expert advice in this specialised and complex area. This specialist expertise sets our Family Law team apart and means that we can advise you on protecting your persona, confidential and sensitive information, protecting your dignity and emotional wellbeing and giving you peace of mind. Wherever possible, our Family team helps clients to resolve any disputes through negotiation and agreement but where this is not possible, we are ready to protect and promote our clients’ interests with robust action. Our Family team can provide advice on pre and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, civil partnerships, divorce and separation, issues involving children and can help with a number of alternatives to court-based process. Many of our clients require help on an international basis so we have developed an extensive network of expert lawyers who are ready to help protect and promote our clients’ interests in foreign jurisdictions. We also have Shariah law experts who work with respected professionals and Shariah Councils to achieve outcomes that are in accordance with Shariah law and compatible with civil legal proceedings. Whatever the situation, we ensure that matters are dealt with sensitively and with our clients’ best interests to the fore. Our Children team are reflected in the reported surrogacy case of Re AB (Surrogacy: Consent) [2016] EWHC 2643 (Fam). For a confidential, no-obligation call-back from one of our family lawyers, please email your contact details and a brief summary. PRINCIPAL CONTACTS CHARMAINE HAST ‐ Partner LEGAL PODCAST TALKING DIVORCE AND EXPAT LAW, THE UAE AND WHAT NOT TO DO! Trisha Siddique has collaborated with Tosh Brittan on the Divorce Goddess Podcast. Click here to listen to the episode. NEWS CHARMAINE HAST COMMENTS ON THE EMOTIONAL BURDEN COVID HAS PLACED ON THE POPULATION Charmaine Hast comments on the emotional burden covid has placed on the population: “The MoJ Quarterly Family Court Statistics for the period October 2020 to December 2020 provides an extraordinary… Read more → NEWS SEPARATION TAX ANXIETY In this article for the STEP Journal, Helen Barnett, a senior associate in the Private Client team, and Trisha Siddique, a senior associate in the Family team, discuss how capital… Read more → NEWS CGT AND DIVORCE EXPLAINED Senior Associates in our Family and Private Client teams, Trisha Siddique and Helen Barnett, look at the capital gains tax consequences of separation and divorce in light of potential changes… Read more → NEWS GOOD DIVORCE WEEK This week is #Good Divorce Week. The family team at Wedlake Bell LLP are members of #Resolution – a community of family justice professionals committed to resolving family disputes in… Read more → NEWS ENTREPRENEURS: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS FROM DIVORCE This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week which is the world’s biggest celebration of entrepreneurship. Dream big Richard Branson is famously quoted to have said “there is no greater thing you… Read more → NEWS SECOND WAVE COVID 19- I CAN’T AFFORD TO PAY MAINTENANCE While the Government considers options for a wider support package as the Furlough scheme comes to an end in October, many employees fear redundancy is around the corner. Whether you… Read more → NEWS EU DIVORCES After the end of the year and Brexit it may become impossible for UK-based pensions to be counted as part of an overseas divorce settlement. UK-based pensions could be out… Read more → NEWS MATRIMONIAL AND DIVORCE ISSUES IN LIGHT OF COVID-19 Conrad Adam, partner in the family team and David Foster of Frank Hirth Accountants discuss matrimonial and divorce issues in light of Covid. Please follow this link here to view… Read more → NEWS BUSINESS VALUATIONS AND COVID-19 In the context of financial remedy proceedings, in the absence of agreement as to the value of the parties’ assets, they must be valued. The reason for this, is that it… Read more → NEWS CAFCASS AND CORONAVIRUS: ATTENDING FAMILY COURT PROTOCOL Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) represent children in family court cases in England and “put children’s needs, wishes and feelings first, making sure that children’s… Read more → NEWS PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS – A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT The notion of prenuptial agreements is commonly associated with the fabulously rich seeking to protect their holiday home in the French Riviera. Although nuptial agreements have traditionally been thought of… Read more → NEWS NO FAULT DIVORCE – JUNE 2020 The ‘No fault’ divorce bill has overwhelmingly passed the Commons vote in June 2020 and is likely to receive royal ascent at the end of the month. Please read the… Read more → NEWS NO FAULT DIVORCE: SECOND READING AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON 5 FEBRUARY 2020 The Law in England and Wales for a divorce only allows “no fault” to be attributed to either party after a minimum period of two years since separation (the two… Read more → NEWS CORONAVIRUS: CO-PARENTING STRUGGLES AT LOCKDOWN As daily life grinds to a halt, millions of separated parents have been worried that during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, they will not be able to see their child or… Read more → NEWS MIXED-SEX CIVIL PARTNERSHIP UNION BEGINS From Monday 2 December 2019, mixed-sex couples in England and Wales can choose to enter into a civil partnership rather than get married. The first ceremonies won’t take place until… Read more → BULLETINS CAFCASS (CHILDREN AND FAMILY COURT ADVISORY AND SUPPORT SERVICE) – SEPTEMBER 2019 FIGURES BLOG Cafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and they represent children in family court cases in England and “put children’s needs, wishes and feelings first, making… Read more → NEWS “WHY IS LONDON THE ‘DIVORCE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’?” – CHARMAINE HAST COMMENTS FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES Partner and Head of our Family & Divorce team, Charmaine Hast, has had her comments published in The Financial Times on whether London or Switzerland is the best jurisdiction to… Read more → NEWS HIGH COURT FAMILY JUDGE FINDS “RICH AND PRIVILEGED” 83 YEAR OLD HUSBAND IN CONTEMPT AND INCARCERATES HIM FOR 14 MONTHS On 15 March 2018, His Honour Judge Wildblood QC, sitting as a Judge of the High Court, sentenced husband, John Ralph Hart, to 14 months imprisonment as a result of… Read more → NEWS WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE DIVORCING Associate in our Family & Divorce team, Sarah Campbell, has written an article on the things to consider before divorcing for YourMoney.com. Sarah writes “It isn’t unusual for individuals to… Read more → NEWS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE STATISTICS – 14 DECEMBER 2017 The Ministry of Justice published its Family Court Statistics Quarterly, England and Wales, July to September 2017, on 14 December 2017. The statistics demonstrated that when compared to July to… Read more → NEWS AVIVA’S SURVEY IN RELATION TO DIVORCE Recently Aviva have announced the findings from their research in connection with individuals’ experiences of divorce. Back in 2014, at the time of their previous survey, they had found that… Read more → NEWS PRIVATE LAW CASES THAT RETURN TO COURT: A CAFCASS STUDY A CAFCASS study regarding private law cases that returned to Court was published. The authors explain that “it was undertaken within the context of a 20% rise in private law… Read more → Handles issues for individuals with highly complex wealth structures, both domestic and offshore. Also maintains complementary strength in its private client team. — CHAMBERS UK, 2022 Charmaine Hast maintains strength in assisting high net worth individuals with international matrimonial disputes, and has additional expertise in offshore trust structures and tax issues. — CHAMBERS UK, 2022 Wedlake Bell LLP is known for its skill at handling complex prenuptial agreements where the assets are worth hundreds of millions (sometimes billions) and where there are significant international issues to be considered. Head of department Charmaine Hast is an 'inspirational leader and clients love her' - she is a dual-qualified South African lawyer. Trisha Siddique specialises in Sharia law and high-net-worth divorce cases. Conrad Adam is now at Adler Family Law Solicitors LLP. — LEGAL 500, 2022 Wedlake Bell has a solid reputation for high end family law cases. — LEGAL 500, 2022 People, all about the people. Truly fantastic team relationship breakdown. — LEGAL 500, 2022 The team at Wedlake Bell has fantastic knowledge of the law and can provide clear advice to clients about any issues in respect of relationship breakdown. — LEGAL 500, 2022 Great mix of commercial and family. Charmaine Hast is a veteran and seasoned warrior. Loved by all she works with — LEGAL 500, 2021 Good, solid team of family lawyers. Charmaine Hast has been the totemic figure for this firm for years and she has garnered an impressive reputation for managing difficult, high-profile clients. — LEGAL 500, 2021 The team at Wedlake Bell has fantastic knowledge of the law and can provide clear advice to clients about any issues in respect of relationship breakdown. Trish Siddique is a sensible, intelligent and diligent solicitor who fights firmly for her clients interests. She is a pragmatic practitioner who will always try to settle a case if at all possible. — LEGAL 500, 2021 I dealt predominantly with Charmaine and Natasha and soon referred to them as the Dream Team. Someone once described Charmaine to me as a street fighter with a heart of gold. She truly cares and whilst she doesn’t mind adopting a very direct approach at times the final result was far better than I could ever have hoped for. Both my daughter and I will be eternally grateful. — LEGAL 500, 2021 Wedlake Bell has a solid reputation for high end family law cases. Charmaine Hast is an exceptionally highly-regarded family lawyer with a strong reputation for high end family law work. — LEGAL 500, 2021 "They're a quality set of solicitors providing first-class services with a friendly, approachable demeanour" — CHAMBERS UK, 2020 Charmaine Hast – is one of the best family law solicitors'. — LEGAL 500, 2020 'Excellent family team with strong support from its commercial and private client colleagues'. — LEGAL 500, 2020 'Has a formidable team of family lawyers. It has fantastic resources and is able to do the very biggest cases very effectively and offers good value for money. — LEGAL 500, 2020 "Wedlake Bell LLP has a ‘strong team of fee earners possessed of the highest calibre of legal knowledge'." — LEGAL 500, 2018 "I think Wedlake Bell offers excellent value for money compared with others." — CHAMBERS UK, 2018 "Conrad Adam is particularly good on ‘tricky technical points’." — LEGAL 500, 2017 Wedlake Bell LLP is a limited liability partnership incorporated in England and Wales with registered number OC351980. Wedlake Bell LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Its registered ofﬁce and principal place of business is at 71 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4AY. © 2020 Wedlake Bell LLP | Disclaimer and legal notices | Regulatory Pricing Information | Site by: Overture London OUR OFFICE Wedlake Bell LLP 71 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4AY T: +44 (0)20 7395 3000 F: +44 (0)20 7395 3100 DX 307441 Cheapside CONNECT WITH US