Family
Family
‘A strong team both in terms of matrimonial finance and for children work.’ (Legal 500)
Broadway House Chambers family law team is known for its strength in depth and is highly regarded in the North of England and beyond. The family team is led by Robert Cole (Head of Team) and Emily Ward (Deputy Head of Team).
Broadway House Chambers is known for its specialism in financial remedy and is a tier 1 set recommended in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 within this area; a position it has held for many years. The team also have specialism in cross-over areas such as trust law, cases involving business, company and partnership disputes, and bankruptcy.
Our team comprises well respected and experienced counsel specialising in children matters too, covering all aspects of private and public law but also cases with an international element, such as abduction and temporary and permanent removal from the jurisdiction applications, as well as forced marriage applications. Both our public law and private law teams are well known for providing sensitive yet robust representation in complex cases. We have a strong relationship with solicitors in private practice as well as local authorities both locally and nationally.
The team appear at every level across the family court, including the high court and the court of appeal.
Some of our members have had the benefit of working as solicitors prior to coming to the bar, so have experience of working with lay clients outside of the court room setting. A growing number of the team also hold judicial appointments, including deputy district judges and recorders. The team also includes a full range of experienced specialists in ADR.
‘Broadway House Chambers handles a broad remit of cases within family law but is particularly well renowned for high net worth financial remedy matters. The barristers here are frequently instructed in complex cases involving issues of business structures, trusts, maintenance, pensions, and pre-marital and non-marital assets. The set also boasts a number of barristers who specialise in private and public children work and deal with serious abuse allegations and relocations. The set further handles contact arrangement orders and international child abductions, and deals with cases at the intersection between children law and human rights.’ (Chambers & Partners, 2025)
Care/Public Law
Broadway House Chambers public law team are skilled professionals who are able to act on behalf of solicitors, local authorities, health authorities and family members. Members of the team are experienced in the representation and cross examination of vulnerable witnesses and children, with many having undertaken the vulnerable witness training. Some members of the team have experience within other jurisdictions, such as crime and immigration, and are therefore able to offer their expertise should there be a cross over within a case. The team’s caseload comprises care and placement order proceedings, including cases involving physical and sexual abuse, inflicted injuries and baby/child deaths, as well as cases with an international element, as well as adoption proceedings.
“The set also boasts a number of barristers who specialise in private and public children work and deal with serious abuse allegations and relocations. The set further handles contact arrangement orders and international child abductions, and deals with cases at the intersection between children law and human rights” (Chambers & Partners)
Forced Marriage Protection Orders & Female Genital Mutilation Orders
Members of chambers have a depth of experience in relation to applications for FMPOs and FGMOs, including in relation to adults and children outside the jurisdiction. The team deal with these applications as part of associated care proceedings, as well as free standing applications.
Domestic Abuse
We have a team of specialist barristers dedicated to helping those involved in domestic violence proceedings. Members of the team are experienced in the representation of vulnerable clients and are alert to measures which are required to ensure that vulnerable clients’ needs care catered for before and during the court process. We offer services within the following areas:
Non-molestation orders and injunctions
Occupation orders
Committals
Financial Remedy
Broadway House Chambers is recognised as being home to the largest and most experienced financial remedy practitioners in the North of England. Our practitioners have strength in depth and are instructed in a wide range of cases from the straight forward of disputes to those involving complex issues. The Team’s caseload includes a full spectrum of work from those with the modest assets, to high value and high net worth cases, including:
Farming assets including valuation and liquidity
Company and business interests including valuations
Cases involving significant property portfolios
Non-matrimonial assets including inherited assets, companies (with pre and post-marital contributions) and family trusts
Significant pension assets including dealing with pension exceeding the lifetime allowance
Assets located outside of the jurisdiction
High income and disputed maintenance claims
Cases involving low to medium assets
Intervener cases and cases involving third party respondents
Children Act Schedule 1 claims
Members of Broadway House Chambers' 'strong family team' are recognised as established experts in matrimonial finance. (Legal 500)
Private Children
Our Members practise in all areas of private children work and are well known for providing sensitive yet robust advice and representation. Our caseload includes:
Private disputes as to child arrangements orders, including ‘live with’ and ‘spend time with’ orders
Specific Issue Order applications, including in relation to schooling and vaccinations
Temporary and permanent relocation of children, including to non-Hague convention countries
Fact-finding hearings involving allegations of domestic abuse
Cases involving parental alienation
Child Abduction
Children Act 1989 Schedule 1
“The set also boasts a number of barristers who specialise in private and public children work and deal with serious abuse allegations and relocations. The set further handles contact arrangement orders and international child abductions, and deals with cases at the intersection between children law and human rights” (Chambers & Partners)
