Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 2002
‘Julia is excellent, always the first choice for complex children matters. She engages so thoroughly with the clients that no stone is left unturned.’
Legal 500 UK Bar 2025
Julia studied law at Oxford University. She is a specialist in all areas of private family law.
Julia accepts instructions in all areas of private family law work, including matrimonial and civil partnership finance, cohabitee disputes, applications under Schedule 1 to the Children Act, and all aspects of child arrangements, including specific issues such as education.
In each case, Julia is focused on giving practical and realistic advice to parties and striving to achieve settlement where possible. Where matters cannot be resolved by negotiation and consent, Julia is a fearless and tenacious advocate.
Julia is a native French speaker and has basic knowledge of both Russian and Italian. In her spare time, Julia enjoys travelling, running, walking, climbing, skiing, and wild swimming in the great outdoors.
To instruct Julia or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
In finance cases, Julia has extensive experience in acting for parties at each stage of proceedings from first appointment, through dispute resolution – including both private and court FDR, and up to final hearing or arbitration. She also represents parties in applications for maintenance and enforcement.
Julia regularly acts in high net worth and complex cases involving business assets, shareholdings and investments, multiple real properties, development property, overseas assets and family trusts, and in cases where income is comprised of bonuses or dividends, and where assets are asserted to be non-matrimonial, whether premarital, inherited or otherwise, and intervener cases.
Julia also acts in difficult ‘needs’ cases or where financial and/or litigation misconduct is alleged.
Julia acted at all tiers up to the Supreme Court in a case concerning variation of an undertaking in a matrimonial finance case, see Birch v Birch [2017] UKSC 53.
Julia acted at all tiers up to the Supreme Court in this case concerning variation of an undertaking in a matrimonial finance case, where the wife sought to extend time for the sale of the matrimonial home.
Julia has extensive experience in all areas of private children law, including disputes about:
Julia has a particular interest in cases concerning specific issues such as the religious education of children, see Re C (Child: Involvement in Jehovah’s Witness Religion) [2017] EWFC B29, in which Julia acted for the mother throughout.
Julia is exceptionally experienced in handling fact finding cases – with multiple allegations, and cross allegations, of domestic abuse or of significant harm to a child. She has a wealth of experience in dealing with cases involving alleged abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, and parental alienation. Julia also represents parties in Family Law Act proceedings.
Julia’s extensive experience of dealing with vulnerable clients has been invaluable in allowing her to support them through the court process, and the rigours of giving evidence. Such parties require a high level of client care and Julia is highly focussed on enabling them to give their best evidence.
Julia appeared at first instance in this case concerning allegations of physical abuse to a four-year-old child, and subsequently prepared the skeleton argument and grounds for permission to appeal, which was duly granted.
In this case concerning a child’s religious education, Julia acted for the mother throughout proceedings to their conclusion in 2020 – achieving an excellent result for her client.
'Julia is exceptional with clients, instils confidence and can settle the most anxious of clients. She is always well-prepared and efficient.'
Legal 500 UK Bar 2025
‘Julia is excellent with clients – really empathetic and engaging but also entirely straight with them, allowing the clients to fully understand their position and make the right decisions.’
Legal 500 UK Bar 2024
'Julia is always well prepared. She is an effective cross-examiner and has secured some excellent and unexpected results, particularly in the Children Act proceedings.’
Legal 500 UK Bar 2023
"An excellent advocate, and a leader in her approach to cases involving coercive control and abuse."
Legal 500 UK Bar 2022
‘Julia is a tenacious, focused, and wise advocate. She is a constructive, but firm, opponent: she takes neither bad points nor prisoners.’
Legal 500 UK Bar 2021
We cannot wait to hear Julia talk all things pensions at the Corbett Le Quesne Jersey International Family Law Conference tomorrow.
Julia will be cross examining pensions expert George…
It was a pleasure to have representation from Harcourt Chambers at the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Resolution Family Law Day.
Held annually, this is an enriching experience filled with…
Julia Shillingford successfully applies for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal on a Barder event concerning post separation inheritance in A-A -v- A (2020).