Family – 9 Park Place

9 Park Place is the ‘go-to’ set in Wales for family law, offering extensive experience across the spectrum of family law, at all levels of representation.

Our strong performance, unrivalled reputation on circuit and outstanding client care ensures we are the first choice for matrimonial, financial remedy and public or private children law in Wales.

“‘9 Park Place Chambers is the go-to chambers for matrimonial finance work, offering many high-quality barristers and providing magnificent depth and quality from the younger and more junior barristers up to the most experienced. There is quality at every level.

“9 Park Place is first choice for family law work. They have strength in depth and are able to assist in all areas that are needed. Counsel are always responsive and will go the extra mile to assist wherever they can.’

(Legal 500)

Our family team boasts a wide variety of specialist expertise – with a market-leading number of Band 1 family law specialists in Wales who offer a balanced split between children work and matrimonial finance. Our Silks include Head of the Family Law team in Chambers, Owen Thomas KC and Kate Hughes KC.

“The top flight chambers in Wales, with a strong financial remedy team at all levels of call.”

(Legal 500)

Our ‘Band 1’ ranked family team has expertise in all areas of matrimonial, cohabitee and civil partnership litigation. We handle every aspect of public law children work, representing parents, local authorities and guardians, as well as all private law children disputes. In addition, our team includes specialists in ancillary relief work, where members are frequently instructed in high-value cases and have particular interests in the forensic examination of family and related business interests.

“9 Park Place provides a wealth of professional, talented, knowledgeable, approachable and hardworking barristers. My experience of instructing counsel from this chambers is that they always strive to achieve the best possible outcome for the client and they will actively communicate with the instructing solicitor before, during and following the outcome of the case.”

(Legal 500)

Members of our family team are frequently instructed on public children matters of the utmost severity, including sexual abuse, incest, placements and care proceedings.

They have extensive experience in cases involving the instruction of experts from a range of specialist fields.

Member of our family team are frequently instructed on private children matters of the utmost severity, including sexual abuse, incest, placements and care proceedings.

Barristers routinely deal with complex and/or acrimonious private law children applications, including cases involving allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence, as well as relocation and the removal of children from the jurisdiction (including abduction).

Our members act on financial remedy proceedings that involve share dissipation, property portfolios, corporate structures and agricultural assets.

The reputation of our members enables us to robustly and expertly support high net worth cases, including those with companies, taxation and trusts issues, including assets or trusts situated outside of the jurisdiction.

Our members also offer advice to clients requiring pre-nuptial agreements, as well as to Deputies managing funds of protected parties in order to mitigate the effects of divorce.

The team is also regularly instructed in TOLATA / cohabitee claims. Their forensic skills, tailored approach and outstanding representation, are widely valued by family lawyers and lay clients alike.

Mediation is one type of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR). It is entirely voluntary, despite NCDR generally being firmly encouraged by the courts. Mediation is very different from the court process in many ways.

The process is confidential and without prejudice, enabling participants to communicate freely. The mediator’s role is to facilitate that conversation between the participants when communication can be difficult.

Each mediation process begins with an initial meeting (or Mediation and Information Meeting – MIAM), whereby the mediator explores the issues with each participant individually; signposts appropriate support services or resources where appropriate; and assesses for risk: be that domestic abuse, risk to children, or issues involving mental health or substances amongst others.

If safe and appropriate for both participants in their circumstances, joint sessions can proceed after an Agreement to Mediate is signed by participants and the mediator. The confidentiality then extends to include the participants, the mediator and their respective lawyers- should the participants consent to the inclusion of the latter. There are very definite caveats to confidentiality, both in individual and joint sessions: those being any issues of risk to an adult or child which might need to be referred to an appropriate authority and possible criminal activity.

The mediator is independent and assists the participants in a dialogue to consider their own, and one another’s positions, and importantly, the real needs that may lie behind those positions. The process can be creative and the outcome is very much determined by the participants and not led nor moulded by the mediator. The mediator does not give legal advice, but should give legal information and specifically will say if a proposal made which is acceptable, is outside the bracket which is likely to be approved by a court.

Importantly, mediation can develop ways of communicating and understanding which can ease problems in the future. In circumstances where a decision of the court is ultimately required however, it can serve to refine the issues and distil what points really do require the court’s assistance.

A culture of collaboration

We are proud of the collegiate, supportive environment within the Family Law team at 9 Park Place which ensures our rising stars are mentored by the most senior family law experts in chambers. The culture and sense of pride across the team has helped to embed a consistently high standard of client care and attention to detail across the board. Our reputation for this highly supportive community – as well as an enviable list of clients and attractive new members – ensures the team’s continued reputation as the home for family law barristers in Wales.

“The clerks offer the highest level of service. In particular, the counsel that is offered to conduct a hearing will inevitably be the counsel that actually does conduct the hearing, rather than alternative counsel being sprung upon the client. Communication from the clerks is always effective and prompt.”

“They have always had the highest calibre counsel and excellent administrative support in the family clerks and admin teams.”

(Legal 500)

Our counsels’ reputation is supported by the outstanding and professional family clerking team at 9 Park Place who ‘go above and beyond’ in liaising with instructing solicitors – and act quickly to resolve any challenges. Their down-to-earth approach to clerking, knowledge of the family law market and experience of county courts in Wales is unprecedented and prized by family lawyers.

“The clerking team are extremely responsive and approachable. They have my confidence that they will go above and beyond to assist even at very short notice. Both the barristers and clerks are extremely approachable, personable, efficient and reliable.”

(Solicitor)

“The clerking team is friendly, approachable and flexible. James Watson impresses with his response times and willingness to go the extra mile to match a client with the right counsel.”

(Legal 500)

Exceeding expectations

As a leading family law set in Wales, we are acutely aware of the pressures upon family solicitors and legal teams to quickly determine and instruct the most suitable counsel for their case – with a number of factors at play. Our reputation for exceeding expectations for instructing solicitors is thanks to our proactive, attentive clerking team and transparency on fees and availability of counsel.

Thanks to our Family team’s size, strength and depth of expertise, 9 Park Place can ensure our family members are able cover hearings from the start of proceedings until the conclusion of the case, with consistent representation and clarity on fees from the outset.

“9 Park Place are great communicators and are always transparent with their fee structure. 9 Park Place is the best chambers I have and continue to deal with.”

(Family Law Solicitor)

The broad range of family law specialists on offer at ensures greater access to justice for lay clients and peace of mind for instructing solicitors, as our broad and diverse community of family specialists ensure we can support any case, strategic approach and client budget.

“Their family law clerks are excellent. They respond very quickly to any requests and are helpful and efficient in accommodating any last minute changes to hearings/meetings.”

(Legal 500)

“Both James Watson and Lee Fifield, clerks, work well with instructing solicitors and are extremely helpful and approachable when difficulties arise.”

“The clerks go above and beyond in liaising with instructing solicitors.”

(Legal 500)

A number of our members are fluent welsh-speakers who can conduct hearings through the medium of Welsh.