Laura advises on all aspects of family law with particular expertise in divorce, financial remedy including cross-jurisdictional and substantial complex asset cases, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation and unmarried parents and children cases involving complex matters such as parental alienation, relocation and domestic abuse. She also has experience of acting for trustees (often in relation to offshore trusts) and settlors in matrimonial proceedings and advising lawyers in other jurisdictions in respect of English legal principles.
As a trained collaborative lawyer and qualified Resolution mediator, Laura is well placed to help clients work towards a solution without the need to go to court and often works with couples in mediation to find common ground with the aim of reaching a settlement acceptable to both parties which can then be formalised by a court order.
Highly tactically astute, legally savvy, personally intuitive and very experienced.
Anthony Carpenter
Expertise
- Divorce (including international aspects)
- Financial provision on divorce including substantial asset and international cases involving offshore trusts
- Emergency applications and protective orders: coercive control and domestic violence
- Jurisdictional disputes
- Disputes around arrangements for children
- Removal of a child from the jurisdiction
- Cohabitation claims and agreements and connected property matters
- Separation agreements
- Pre- and post-nuptial agreements involving multiple jurisdictions
- Instruction of foreign lawyers
Experience
General
- Assisted a father to achieve a shared care child arrangements order in circumstances where the mother was minimising contact and making allegations against the father.
- Assisted a client who had moved to New Zealand (while the children remained here with their father) to care for her brother after an accident to agree the relocation of the two children to live permanently with her.
- Advised a wife and achieved a clean break financial settlement as she requested and in circumstances where it would not have been awarded by the court and a relocation for her and the child from London to Somerset.
- Advised an unmarried mother in a schedule 1 claim against the father of her child, a high-profile individual in the Middle East, to achieve a significant monthly maintenance payment and housing provision for her and the child despite his attempts to deny parentage.
- Advised a member of the English aristocracy in financial proceedings to ensure the protection of his trust and family inheritance.
- Advised a number of high-net-worth individuals in financial settlements to protect family trust assets and company structures and interests and to achieve tax-efficient settlements.
- Advised the fiance of a famous pop star in achieving generous and protective provisions in the pre-nuptial agreement for her and the children.
- Advised a number of parents in complex and difficult children matters with police involvement, allegations of serious abuse, parental alienation and coercive and controlling behaviour.
- Advised a high-profile client on her prenuptial agreement. She and her fiance lived in Dubai but had numerous international connections and following taking advice from lawyers in Dubai, England, Argentina and Finland both on family law and tax aspects it was determined that the best option was a pre-nuptial agreement drafted by Finnish lawyers that would be given weight on an English divorce.
- Acted for mother in children and financial matters following serious domestic abuse within the relationship. Urgent advice was required due to the mental health impact upon the children.
- Advised client on financial and children proceedings including advice on various beneficial trusts. This followed severe domestic abuse suffered by the client in front of the children
- Advising Father on children matters following domestic abuse by the mother, police involvement and threats by mother to unlawfully retain the child in Bulgaria where both parties originate from after a family holiday.
- Assisted with the arrangements for children following the breakdown of the relationship. Difficulties arose through repeated court delays and barriers put in place by the other party
- Advised client on her divorce and matters relating to her two children. This was a case that also involved beneficial interests in investment accounts and a family trust and inheritance. Case is very sensitive as it involves aspects of domestic abuse and child protection and police involvement.
- Advised on a Schedule 1 and TLATA property dispute between unmarried partners. Parties have been separated for a year and have also been in children proceedings with respect to their daughter
- Instructed by a wife in divorce and finance proceedings against her husband in a case covering three jurisdictions. Interim financial disclosure from the husband and an agreement to meet the wife’s interim maintenance for her and the children and also to meet the wife’s legal costs was obtained
Reported Cases
- Whaley v Whaley [2011] EWCA Civ 617
- Thiry v Thiry [2014] EWHC 4046 (Fam)
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 for Family (2023-2025)
“A great breadth of experience and knowledge within the team. Laura Brown is top class. She combines excellent technical skill with sensitive client handling and proactive advice.” The Legal 500 2024
“hugely committed to her clients. Goes the extra mile, really has their back.”
The Legal 500 2022
“a hardworking partner who immerses herself completely in the details of a case, cares hugely about the outcome and brings a lot of experience from her career working for top-end City firms dealing with high net worth clients.”
The Legal 500 2021
“an extremely astute tactical litigator” with a growing reputation across a broad range of private law family and matrimonial issues.”
Chambers and Partners 2016
“Laura is a winning combination of firm: fair, approachable and thorough. Always an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Citywealth 2015
“Laura is very approachable and personable, and would get on with all sorts of clients.”
Chambers and Partners 2015
Laura has authored articles published in New Law Journal, Private Client Business, Butterworths Law Leader, Trusts and Estates Law and Tax Journal.
Career
Laura Brown qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law, she worked at the following firms:
- KMJ
- Forsters
- Hughes Fowler Carruthers