Harcourt is a leading specialist family law chambers.

Our barristers have reached the highest levels in the profession; we are home to some of the leading silks in the country, and former members now occupy some of the highest levels of the judiciary. Our barristers have accumulated a wealth of experience appearing in all courts and have appeared in many of the leading and most important family law decisions of recent years in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Many of our team bring their experience of sitting as part-time judges (Deputy District Judges, Recorders and Deputy High Court Judges) to their advocacy.

We were highly commended as “Family Law Chambers of the Year – London” in 2021 at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards, this follows on from being recognised as “Family Law Chambers of the Year – London” at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2018 and “Family Set of the Year” at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2016. Harcourt has been ranked as a leading set in both Chambers UK Bar, which says “the set is full of talent, from top to bottom” and Legal 500 UK Bar which describes us as having “very intelligent, knowledgeable, articulate and eloquent barristers.”

Our reputation is built not only on our skills as advocates, but also on our ability to provide an efficient and approachable service to our professional and lay clients. Alongside legal expertise, Harcourt provides a highly responsive, friendly clerking service, ensuring that instructing solicitors and clients have early access to the most appropriate representation.

Our mission is to provide the highest quality, most cost efficient, and easily accessible legal advice, representation and service to individuals, organisations and our professional clients.

Awards

In recognition of our commitment to providing the highest standards of advocacy and service to our clients we have received a number of important industry awards in recent years:

Directories

Family: Children and Domestic Abuse – London Bar

Harcourt Chambers is ‘a strong family law set, having depth in all aspects of family law‘. Edward Devereux KC has ‘a phenomenal practice in international child law cases‘; he recently acted in a case involving jurisdictional issues pertaining to a child being abducted to Zambia. Nick Goodwin KC‘s recent caseload includes advising a local authority in relation to a case involving allegations of sexual abuse. Edward Bennett is ‘a highly skilled and intelligent advocate’ with extensive experience of appearing before the High Court and the Court of Appeal in a range of child law work. Damian Garrido KC, as was, is now a High Court judge.

Family: Children and Domestic Abuse – Midland Circuit

Harcourt Chambers is widely regarded as ‘a brilliant chambers with an extraordinary variety of talented barristers’ based in London and Oxford and operating on the Midlands circuit in the field of family and children law.’

Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy – South Easter Circuit

Harcourt Chambers is ‘an extremely experienced set of chambers with exceptional strength and quality of barristers’ that handles a variety of work within the financial remedy space. Jane Campbell is an ‘expert negotiator whose statements are always well drafted’ and frequently handles multi-jurisdiction financial remedy matters for high-net-worth individuals. Fiona Hay is known for her ‘ability to give clear advice and deal with difficult opposing parties in a calm fashion’, while Douglas Allen is an ‘adaptable advocate’ who specialises in sensitive settlement negotiations. Cecilia Barrett is an ‘outstanding and fearless barrister’ who has extensive experience of both public and private law financial remedy matters. Other key members of the team include the ‘very pragmatic and approachable’ Louise Potter and Emily Rayner, who is a ‘thoughtful and robust’ advocate expert at handling cross-border divorces.

Family / Matrimonial – South Eastern (Bar)

Harcourt Chambers is a standout set with operations in London and Oxford… A source comments that the set is “a truly wonderful set to deal with. They are always accommodating, helpful and very good at what they do.”

“The clerks and in particular Matt Molloy are amazingly efficient and good.”

Family: Children – London (Bar)

Members at Harcourt Chambers offer a full family law service, but are especially adroit in assisting a range of clients with all manner of children law proceedings. They garner particular praise for their expertise in international abduction, and routinely handle cross-border relocation cases. Solicitors note that Harcourt is “a highly skilled set of chambers that can always be trusted to handle complex matters well.”

“The clerks are amazing. They bend over backwards to secure the counsel you are seeking and are prepared to facilitate negotiations to agree a fee when needed.”

Family: Children and Domestic Violence – Regional Bar: Midland Circuit

Harcourt Chambers is a “really good set of quality barristers” with a strong track record of advising on the full range of children law matters.

“Harcourt Chambers offers a set of highly experienced childcare barristers who exhibit extreme competence and solid legal knowledge in this area of law.”

Family: Children and Domestic Abuse – London Bar

Harcourt Chambers is a “very reliable set with a wide range of excellent counsel”.

“Harcourt Chambers is a set which provides the full range of family counsel. It can provide representation in all areas and have a range of qualifications.”

“Excellent senior and junior counsel with experience in complex matters, both in relation to complex financial issues and children matters.”

“An excellent family set with a number of excellent practitioners.”

A respected family set which remains a popular choice for high-profile children matters. Individuals here have practices that encompass the full range of public and private law cases, and handle matters with both domestic and cross-border issues. Chambers has great strength in serious adoption and abuse cases, and its members are noted for assisting parents, children and local authorities with grave matters, many of which involve medical evidence. Harcourt Chambers also houses practitioners with experience in matrimonial finance cases, a number of which concern high-value assets.

A top set offering strong capabilities across the range of family and matrimonial matters operating out of both London and Oxford. Its barristers handle highly complex children cases that cover both public and private law, including those involving allegations of abuse. It also fields expertise in high-value matrimonial finance matters. “The set is full of talent, from top to bottom,” comments an interviewee.


The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020 / 2021 – Set Overview

Harcourt Chambers is ‘the number 1 set for children work, both domestic and international’, which offers ‘a wide choice of very high-calibre advocates providing clear and accurate advice and great advocacy’. When it comes to family law, the set has ‘a number of first-class barristers whose rates are more reasonable than some chambers which are better known for finance work’. Chambers has a ‘very organised and approachable’ Oxford office. In recent news, Francis Judd QC has been elevated to the Family Division of the High Court and Victoria Flowers has joined from Field Court Chambers. The clerks are seen as ‘friendly, hardworking, and go out of their way to assist instructing solicitors’. Simon Boutwood is the chambers director, Judith Partington the senior practice manager in Oxford, and Matthew Molloy the senior practice manager in London. Offices in: London and Oxford

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020 / 2021 – London

Harcourt Chambers is a ‘first-rate set of chambers with great strength in depth, a very good range of barristers at different levels of call, from hugely experienced QCs to extremely talented juniors, meaning that it will always have a barrister who fits the needs of the case.’ The set ‘has quickly risen to form a strong identity, commanding respect and oozing experience.’ Among the ‘huge pool of high calibre children barristers’ is Edward Devereux QC who in a recent highlight led the successful appeal against a first instance decision to return a child to a third state pursuant to the 1980 Hague Convention. Jonathan Sampson is a new silk appointment, further strengthening chambers at the senior end, while the future of the set looks bright with impressive rising stars Dr Rob George and Edward Bennett.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020 / 2021 – South East

‘A formidable set armed with fantastic advocates’, Harcourt Chambers is a specialist family set with barristers available at all levels of call. Members of chambers, which is based in both London and Oxford (where it has ‘a good strength of knowledge across its members and gets involved in the local community’), are instructed across the piece, including private law children issues with international elements, as well as complex family finance matters (‘a go-to chambers for money cases’ according to one solicitor) and public law child work for both parents and local authorities. Jonathan Sampson QC is a 2020 silk appointment, joining top end that includes the likes of Damian Garrido QC and John Vater QC, with the set featuring a strong junior bench including Jane Campbell, Simon Miller and Sara Granshaw for child law matters, and Fiona Hay, a notable senior junior for family finance.


Chambers UK Bar 2019 – London

A respected family set which remains a popular choice for high-profile children matters. Individuals here have practices that encompass the full range of public and private law cases, and handle matters with both domestic and cross-border issues. Chambers has great strength in serious adoption and abuse cases, and its members are noted for assisting parents, children and local authorities with grave matters, many of which involve medical evidence. Harcourt Chambers also houses practitioners with experience in matrimonial finance cases, a number of which concern high-value assets.

Client service: The clerks are “friendly and offer an excellent service.” They are “helpful and always able to assist.” Matthew Molloy is the senior practice manager.

Chambers UK Bar 2019 – South Eastern Circuit

A top set offering strong capabilities across the range of family and matrimonial matters operating out of both London and Oxford. Its barristers handle highly complex children cases that cover both public and private law, including those involving allegations of abuse. It also fields expertise in high-value matrimonial finance matters. “The set is full of talent, from top to bottom,” comments an interviewee.

Client service: “The clerks are really helpful and really approachable, and they’ll always try to help. They go out of their way to find someone for me.” “Simon Boutwood is the head clerk, and he’s brilliant and client-focused.”


The Legal 500 UK Bar 2019 – Set Overview

Harcourt is ‘the number 1 set for children work, both domestic and international’, which offers ‘a wide choice of very high-calibre advocates providing clear and accurate advice and great advocacy’. When it comes to family law, the set has ‘a number of first-class barristers whose rates are more reasonable than some chambers which are better known for finance work’. Chambers has a ‘very organised and approachable’ Oxford office. In recent news, Francis Judd QC has been elevated to the Family Division of the High Court and Victoria Flowers has joined from Field Court Chambers. The clerks are seen as ‘friendly, hardworking, and go out of their way to assist instructing solicitors’. Simon Boutwood is the chambers director, Judith Partington the senior practice manager in Oxford, and Matthew Molloy the senior practice manager in London. Offices in: London and Oxford

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2019 – London

Harcourt Chambers has a ‘very solid and dependable range of barristers’ who are all considered by clients to be ‘talented and hardworking.’ Chambers is recognised for its work on severe cases of physical as well as sexual abuse and child abduction/Hague Convention cases thanks to having a ‘number of excellent cross-border children specialists’. Frances Judd QC has recently been assigned to the Family Division of the High Court.

The Legal 500 UK Bar 2019 – South East

Specialist family set Harcourt Chambers is well-known for its wide range of ‘formidable advocates’ at all levels of call. The set covers every aspect of family work, but is particularly formidable in high-value matrimonial finance and complex public law children work. Members have recently appeared in high-profile cases concerning fabricated/induced injury, sexual abuse, international abduction and undisclosed assets, among many others. Previously the head of chambers, Francis Judd QC has been elevated to the Family Division of the High Court.

  • “Respected family law chambers that offers real depth in public law children matters, but also has strength in private law proceedings. Its members are frequently involved in cross-border proceedings and are additionally committed to handling matrimonial finance work on behalf of high net worth individuals.”
  • “Harcourt Chambers is home to an impressive group of family law barristers…”
  • “…strong reputation for children matters and is regularly sought out for its expertise relating to child abductions and cases of physical and sexual abuse.”
  • “…recommended for its handling of complex financial matters. These encompass trusts, business assets and pension arrangements, and often have an international dimension.”
  • “The clerks are very friendly and helpful. They do their best to try and find suitable counsel and advise on who is best.”

  • “Family and civil chambers notably handling the most complex public law care and international children work.”
  • “The Harcourt clerks are helpful, great at what they do and are organised. They go above and beyond.”
  • “The set also boasts a team of financial specialists who regularly tackle high-value cross-border cases involving highly complicating factors such as trusts, company arrangements and convoluted pensions provision.”

  • “Harcourt Chambers has ‘great strength in depth’, and clerks who are ‘without exception responsive, pragmatic and available’.”
  • “Members have strengths in cases involving shaken baby syndrome, relocations and abductions.”
  • “A ‘top-drawer’ set for family work…”
  • “…Harcourt Chambers is particularly well known for children cases, including physical and sexual abuse and international matters.”
  • “…Financial remedy work is another key area of instruction.”
  • “Harcourt Chambers is well known in London and across the South of England as ‘a great specialist family set’”
  • “A great mix of knowledgeable silks and bright and ambitious juniors”
  • “Members have expertise in children law work, including serious physical and sexual abuse, shaken baby syndrome and child relocation/abduction matters. International family law work is another key area.”
  • “Simon Boutwood is an ‘exceptionally effective’ chambers director, ably assisted in Oxford by senior practice manager Judith Partington, who is described as chambers’ ‘secret weapon’ and ‘a brilliant clerk’. London practice manager Matthew Molloy ‘would never let you down’.”

  • “A tight-knit team with some extremely smart people.”
  • “A set going from strength to strength that has highly talented silks and highly regarded juniors.”
  • “A rival to the top five in London, with some extremely smart people forming a tight-knit team.”
  • “The clerking is excellent and chambers director Simon Boutwood is particularly fantastic. They are proactive about finding the right counsel and very receptive to clients’ needs.”

  • “Harcourt Chambers houses heavy-hitting counsel as well as ‘a highly skilled team of clerks.”
  • “Harcourt Chambers is an ‘excellent family set with depth and gravitas’. It is particularly strong in complex and sensitive children law disputes, including abuse cases. However, other areas of expertise include high-value finance matters and cases with an international element.”

  • “Highly regarded for family and children law work, this ‘delightful set’ is also adept at handling family-related property cases.”
  • “The barristers have an excellent combination of powerful intellect and the ability to approach a case in a pragmatic and humane way.”
  • “Many very intelligent, knowledgeable, articulate and eloquent barristers’ who are ‘willing and able to work at short notice.”
  • “Efficient and supportive, going the extra mile when needed”
  • “This delightful set is adept at handling family-related property cases”
  • “Senior practice manager Judith Partington and immensely helpful practice manager Matthew Molloy are the key contacts in Oxford and London respectively”

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