Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 2009
'Emily is a brilliant and fierce advocate. She is always well prepared and handles each situation as it comes effortlessly.'
Chambers UK Bar 2026
Emily is recognised as a leading family law junior, listed in The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. She specialises in all areas of family law, with an emphasis on family finance matters, and children and finance cases with an international element.
Emily read law at the University of Cambridge and University College London, she was called to the bar in 2009, undertook a successful pupillage at Harcourt Chambers and became a tenant in 2010.
In her early years of practice Emily was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship to New Zealand to undertake work in a public law litigation department and in a family law firm. She has also worked in the Law Officer’s Department of Jersey within the child protection team where she assisted with establishing a Children’s Panel for Jersey.
Emily’s busy practice now focuses on providing sound, practical advice in all aspects of domestic and international family law. She is known for her calm, persuasive advocacy which instils confidence in her clients and hits home with judges.
To instruct Emily or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Emily has a particular expertise in financial proceedings arising from relationship breakdown. She advises and represents clients with assets from the very small to the substantial in all aspects of financial remedy proceedings as well as proceedings pursuant to Schedule 1 CA 1989 and TOLATA 1996. She often advises and represents clients in CMS matters and regularly provides training on the ever changing landscape of child maintenance. She has wide ranging experience of complex matters including cases involving bankruptcy, third party intervention, family trusts, businesses and international elements. Emily has previously written on the topic of nuptial agreements for the Practical Law Company and on the law of pension sharing for Westlaw.
Emily has considerable experience of cases involving internal and international relocation providing practical and realistic advice from pre-issue enquiries all the way through to contested hearings. She regularly appears in the High Court in matters relating to the international movement of children, including international child abduction (both Hague and non-convention cases), stranded spouse cases, wardship and the inherent jurisdiction.
Emily writes the case law updates in The International Family Law Journal. She has a particular interest in human rights in the family law context and family law cases involving an international element. In addition to having worked in the legal systems in New Zealand and Jersey, prior to pupillage Emily undertook human rights internships with The Carter Centre/Justice and Peace Commission in Liberia, JUSTICE and The British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
Application by father for summary return of children to Germany.
Application by father for summary return of 13 year-old child to Lithuania.
Represented a mother in the High Court in an application for Forced Marriage Protection Orders and for her two children to be returned to the UK from Pakistan where they had been taken five years previously, initially with her consent.
Emily regularly represents parties in parental disputes about where children should live and how much time they should spend with the other parent. Her cases mainly involve serious allegations made by one parent (or the child) against the other parent, including allegations of parental alienation or where contact has become intractable.
Emily frequently represents parties in injunction proceedings under the Family Law Act 1996. She volunteers on the Rights of Women telephone advice line and sits as a legal member on their Advisory Board.
Emily acts for parents, local authorities, children’s guardians and children in care proceedings involving drug and alcohol abuse, neglect, emotional harm, allegations of sexual abuse, fabricated and induced illness and serious non-accidental injuries including child fatalities. She has experience of forced marriage protection orders, secure accommodation orders and deprivation of liberty orders. She is forensic and meticulous in her preparation and advocacy but combines this with a practical and compassionate approach required when dealing with and representing vulnerable clients.
Emily is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public under the Direct Access Scheme in appropriate circumstances.
'A clever, calm and effective advocate. She is brilliant with clients and other professionals.'
'Emily is a delight to instruct. She's brilliant with clients, highly responsive and someone whose written work is excellent.'
'Emily is robust but fair. She is always organised and fully prepared and brings calmness to matters.'
'Emily's advocacy style is measured and to the point; she is also great at dealing with her clients.'
'Emily is sharp-minded and effortlessly erudite, breezing through advice and advocacy with precision.'
Chambers UK Bar 2026
‘Emily is incredibly intelligent, meticulous, and approachable. An experienced and persuasive junior.'
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026
‘Emily inspires confidence in both clients and instructing solicitors. She has meticulous attention to detail, is tactically smart and knows which points to take, and her easy and empathetic style is appreciated by clients and she always keeps her eye on the big picture, meaning her settlement rate is excellent.’
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026
‘Emily has an excellent ability to build trust and rapport with clients. She makes the client feel supported and fights the case with vigour and tenacity.'
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026
'Her advocacy is always assured and respectfully delivered whilst balancing the client’s wishes and ensuring that the clients feel like they have been heard.’
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026
'Emily provides excellent advice, great client care and is a strong and impressive advocate.'
Chambers UK Bar 2025
Emily Rayner, instructed by Freemans Solicitors represented the second and third respondent children in The Father v The Mother & Ors [2024] EWHC 2425 (Fam); an application by Father for…
On Friday night, the Thames Valley Family Lawyers Society (TVFLS) held its much-anticipated Annual Dinner, bringing together esteemed professionals from the family law sector. Representing Harcourt Chambers, Ruth Cabeza, Jane…
Emily Rayner represented the Applicant father and Rob George led Henry Pritchard, of 1 Hare Court, representing the Respondent mother in A Father v A Mother [2024] EWHC 1149 (Fam); an application…