Olive is an experienced dual-qualified lawyer (England & Wales and Kenya) who advises on all aspects of family law and typically represents clients with mid-high net worth or those with an international element and has particular expertise in Kenyan family law. She is also fluent in Swahili.
In addition to general family matters, Olive frequently guides clients through complex financial matters post-separation, including family businesses and pensions. She also has experience drafting and reviewing pre- and post-nuptial agreements and advising non-married couples.
Another area of expertise for Olive is in acting for clients on a broad range of children matters including but not limited to abductions, relocations and high-conflict children cases.
Expertise
- Divorce (including international aspects)
- Financial settlement on divorce
- Children matters to include child arrangements and relocation (domestic and international)
- Cohabitation disputes, cohabitation and separation agreements
- Schedule 1 Children Act matters
- Pre- and post-nuptial agreements
- Domestic abuse
- Resolution of matters through ADR (early neutral evaluation, advice during mediation, arbitration and solicitor negotiation)
- Kenya-specific divorce, settlement of matrimonial property, arrangements for and relocation of children
Experience
Divorce and division of finances on divorce
- Acted for a businessman in complex financial proceedings with two sets of intervenors. The matter concluded in arbitration.
- Advised a client in a Kenya/UK jurisdiction race involving divorce proceedings.
- Acted for various clients with public sector pensions, specifically the police and NHS.
- Acted for a husband in successfully opposing a spousal maintenance variation application seeking to extend the term of the order and secured a costs order.
- Assisted in the first English jurisdiction case to be heard in the recently formed Abu-Dhabi court designated for family cases for non-Muslims.
Children
- Represented a mother in her relocation application to Cyprus with an autistic child and successfully argued that the change would be in the best interests of the child.
- Acted for a client whose child had been abducted from Kenya (a non-Hague country) to the UK and secured a return to the jurisdiction of her habitual residence.
- Represented a client in her special guardianship application for her niece following the mother’s sudden death.
- Acted for a client seeking his daughter’s relocation from Kenya to the UK.
Wealth protection agreements
- Acted for a client in a pre-nuptial matter involving family assets of just under £300 million, mainly held in family trusts.
Domestic abuse
- Acted for a victim of domestic abuse to secure safe return to his home to the exclusion of his abusive partner. Successfully obtained a child arrangements order for the children to live with him.
Africa (Kenya)
- Acted for a client seeking his daughter’s relocation from Kenya to the UK.
- Acted for a client whose child had been abducted from Kenya (a non-Hague country) to the UK and secured a return to the jurisdiction of her habitual residence.
- Advised a client in a Kenya/UK jurisdiction race involving divorce proceedings.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised as a key lawyer by The Legal 500 2024
“highly intelligent and has a professional maturity and sound judgement”
Recognised as a key lawyer by The Legal 500 2021
“Olive Gathoni has the respect of her clients and a good steer on how to get the right result for them.”
Member of Resolution
Frequent media commentator
Panel member on Global Strategies for Managing Wealth Post-Divorce, hosted by Thought Leaders 4
Career
Olive qualified as a solicitor in 2015. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2024, she worked at the following firms:
- Burgess Mee Family Law
- The International Family Law Group
- Slater & Gordon Lawyers