Mairi Woodward

Mairi is a specialist in high-value and complex financial settlements, advising clients on pre- and post-nuptial agreements, asset tracing, business and trust valuations, and international financial disputes in family law.

• Advised a former equity partner at a Silver Circle law firm in relation to a prejudicial post-nuptial agreement, navigating issues of fairness, financial needs, and property ownership including a contested barn property registered in a third party’s name for SDLT planning purposes.
• Acted for clients in complex financial settlements involving business assets, family trusts, farmland, and overseas elements, often requiring consideration of pre- and post-separation accrual and specialist valuation evidence.
• Advised high-net-worth individuals and professionals in divorce proceedings involving substantial asset portfolios, pensions, and spousal maintenance claims.
• Acted for clients in negotiating and drafting pre- and post-nuptial agreements, particularly in matters where wealth protection and international considerations were key.
• Advised clients in cohabitation matters and separation disputes involving TOLATA claims, beneficial ownership, and trust arrangements.
• Acted for clients on financial remedy proceedings, managing disclosure disputes, settlement negotiations, and complex asset tracing exercises.
• Advised clients on commercial considerations arising from family breakdown, drawing on experience in dispute resolution including debt recovery, statutory demands, and winding-up procedures.

Mairi advises on children disputes, including contact, residence, and parental responsibility matters, helping families navigate cohabitation disputes, relocation, and cross-border challenges while safeguarding children’s welfare in complex separation scenarios.

• Acted for a mother in highly contested child arrangements proceedings involving allegations of abuse, harassment, and false reporting by the father, ultimately securing staggered contact at a contact centre and a successful application for a s91(14) barring order.
• Advised clients in private law children matters, including contact, residence, and parental responsibility disputes, often involving significant hostility between parties.
• Acted for parents in enforcement proceedings and defended against unjustified allegations of contact obstruction, securing favourable outcomes including the dismissal of enforcement applications.
• Advised on relocation and jurisdictional issues relating to children, ensuring safeguarding concerns and the child’s welfare were prioritised.
• Acted for clients in drafting and negotiating child-focused provisions within broader separation or divorce settlements.
• Assisted in a range of child arrangement matters, including those with international elements and those involving high-profile individuals under intense public scrutiny.