Family Law & Private Wealth
When everything is personal, judgement matters.
Your children. Your wealth. Your future. Decisive family law advice for people with much at stake.
For high-net-worth individuals, business owners and international families facing separation, complex financial disputes or serious allegations.
The Bark & Co approach
The whole picture. A clear way forward.
A family dispute can reach into every part of your life. Your legal team should understand all of it.
We bring family law advice together with Bark & Co’s experience in criminal defence, financial investigations and contested litigation. That breadth matters when a separation involves business interests, disputed assets, coercive control or allegations that reach the police.
Under the leadership of Giles Bark-Jones, Director of Bark & Co, our dedicated lawyers build a strategy around your priorities. We prepare meticulously, negotiate from a position of strength and pursue your case with determination.
Our family practice
Advice for every turning point.
From the first confidential conversation to a contested final hearing, we focus on the decisions that will shape your life after the dispute.
01
Divorce & civil partnership dissolution
Clear advice from the first decision to the final order. We handle divorce, dissolution, judicial separation and the financial consequences of separation, including cases involving overseas connections, disputed jurisdiction and urgent protective steps.
02
High-value financial settlements
Financial remedy proceedings involving companies, partnerships, property portfolios, trusts, pensions, inherited wealth, overseas assets and digital assets. We scrutinise disclosure, test valuations and work with appropriate financial and tax specialists to pursue a settlement that is workable as well as fair.
03
International relocation & leave to remove
Applications for permission to relocate abroad with a child, and representation for parents opposing a proposed move. We also advise on temporary foreign travel, international child arrangements, jurisdiction and urgent steps where removal or retention is threatened.
04
Children & contested arrangements
Child arrangements, parental responsibility, schooling, specific issue and prohibited steps orders. We handle disputed allegations, fact-finding hearings, safeguarding concerns, enforcement and applications to vary existing arrangements, with careful attention to the child’s welfare.
05
Domestic abuse & protective orders
Advice on coercive control, economic abuse, harassment and post-separation abuse. We pursue or respond to non-molestation and occupation order applications, assess urgent without-notice relief and plan how evidence should be presented where allegations are disputed.
06
Family disputes & criminal investigations
Coordinated advice when separation leads to police contact, arrest, interview, bail conditions or criminal proceedings. We consider the effect on the family case, disclosure between proceedings and the practical consequences for contact with children and occupation of the home.
07
Prenuptial, postnuptial & cohabitation agreements
Careful planning for marriage, civil partnership or living together. We advise on nuptial agreements, cohabitation and separation agreements, family wealth and property ownership, with attention to disclosure, independent advice and the circumstances in which an agreement may be given weight.
08
Unmarried families & financial provision
Advice on property and beneficial ownership disputes between unmarried partners, including TOLATA claims, and financial provision for children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989. We identify the correct route for housing, capital, school fees and maintenance issues.
09
Enforcement, variation & appeals
Advice when orders are not being followed, circumstances have changed or a decision needs urgent review. We assess enforcement, maintenance variation, set-aside applications, appeal grounds and deadlines, including where non-disclosure or fraud is alleged.
10
Parentage, adoption & care proceedings
For questions of parentage, adoption, surrogacy or local-authority involvement, we assess the legal route, urgency and specialist representation required. We confirm at the outset which work our team can undertake and where additional specialist advice is needed.
11
Negotiation & private dispute resolution
Purposeful negotiation, solicitor-supported mediation, private financial dispute resolution and family arbitration where suitable. We prepare each case thoroughly, so that settlement discussions are informed and litigation remains a credible option when agreement cannot be reached.
High-net-worth divorce
Complex wealth. Precise strategy.
The financial picture is rarely confined to a bank statement.
When wealth sits within businesses, trusts, property or overseas structures, the detail matters. We examine ownership, control, liquidity and disclosure, and the evidence needed to test the other party’s position.
We work alongside forensic accountants, valuers, pension experts and tax advisers where required. The aim is a settlement that protects your future and can be put into effect.
- Business interests
- Family trusts
- Overseas property
- Pensions & investments
- Inherited wealth
- Cryptoassets
Establish the true position
Scrutinise disclosure, trace financial inconsistencies and challenge unsupported valuations through the proper legal process.
Protect what is at risk
Assess urgent preservation measures, freezing injunctions, interim support and funding applications where the legal tests are met.
Secure a workable resolution
Consider capital, income, housing, pensions and enforceability together, with commercial reality firmly in view.
International relocation · Leave to remove
A new country. A child’s future. A decision that deserves care.
Moving abroad with a child can be one of the most consequential decisions a parent makes. We act for parents seeking permission and for those opposing a move.
Our work includes applications for leave to remove a child from the jurisdiction, permanent international relocation, temporary travel disputes and urgent action where a child may be removed or retained without consent.
We build the case around the child’s welfare and the practical reality of each proposal: relationships, education, housing, healthcare, finances and meaningful time with each parent.
For a parent proposing a move
A properly evidenced plan, realistic arrangements and careful preparation for scrutiny.
For a parent opposing a move
A rigorous assessment of the proposal, its effect on the child and the available alternatives.
Take advice before making travel or relocation arrangements. The permissions required depend on parental responsibility, existing orders and the circumstances.
Coercive control & financial abuse
Control can survive a separation.
We take the behaviour seriously. We build the evidence carefully.
Financial control can exist behind an affluent lifestyle. Restricted access to money, enforced dependence, threats over housing, monitoring and the use of litigation to intimidate can leave a person with little practical freedom.
Clients may describe this as narcissistic abuse or financial narcissism. We focus on the conduct, its pattern and its impact, rather than relying on a label or making a clinical diagnosis.
We advise on protection, interim financial support, safe child arrangements and the preservation of evidence. Where allegations are contested, we test them with the same care: identifying inconsistencies, examining context and preparing a properly supported response.
Family law × Criminal defence
One allegation can change two cases.
Advice in the family court and at the police station must be considered together.
We coordinate representation where a family dispute also involves an investigation into coercive control, harassment, stalking, assault or other alleged offending. From the first police approach, we consider interviews, bail, protective orders, disclosure and the consequences for your family proceedings.
Family and criminal courts apply different procedures and standards of proof. We keep those distinctions clear, protect your position and plan the response across both matters.
Children & contested evidence
A Cafcass report must withstand scrutiny.
A child’s future deserves a careful examination of the evidence. We challenge reports where there is a proper basis to do so.
We review safeguarding letters and section 7 reports for material errors, unsupported assumptions, missing context and failures to address relevant evidence or the impact of domestic abuse.
Our approach is precise: identify what is wrong, explain why it matters to the child and put the issue before the court through the correct procedure. Where appropriate, we seek clarification, further evidence, an addendum or directions for questioning the author.
The court makes the decision
Cafcass provides an assessment and recommendations. Challenges to that assessment belong in the court proceedings. A complaint about service or professional conduct follows a separate route.
We also advise on disputed allegations of harmful behaviour affecting a child’s relationship with a parent. The focus remains on reliable evidence, safety and welfare.
Leadership & commitment
Led from the front.
Giles Bark-Jones leads Bark & Co with the judgement and resolve demanded by high-stakes litigation.
As Director, he brings extensive experience in serious financial crime and complex, high-profile defence work. Our family practice builds on that litigation discipline, bringing dedicated family lawyers together with the wider firm’s criminal and financial expertise.
Your case is handled by a dedicated team, with clear responsibility, direct communication and senior oversight. We bring in the right barristers and experts for the issues that need to be decided.
Serious preparation. Personal commitment.
Working with us
Know where you stand. Decide what comes next.
Understand the priorities
A confidential conversation about your circumstances, immediate risks and what you need to achieve.
Set the strategy
Clear advice on options, evidence, timing and costs. A team and a plan suited to the dispute.
Pursue the outcome
Focused negotiation, decisive applications where needed and thorough preparation for court.
Questions that matter
Clarity, from the outset.
Every case turns on its own facts. If your question isn’t answered here, speak to us in confidence.
Can I relocate abroad with my child after separation?
A permanent move usually requires the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility or the court’s permission. The position depends on the orders already in place and the circumstances. We prepare and oppose leave-to-remove applications, focusing on the child’s welfare and the practical arrangements in each country. Obtain advice before booking a permanent move or taking steps to relocate.
Can a Cafcass report be challenged?
Yes. A report is evidence for the court to assess. We identify material inaccuracies, unsupported conclusions and overlooked evidence, then advise on the appropriate court process for raising them. Purely factual errors can also be raised with the author or manager. A complaint about service or conduct is separate from a challenge to an assessment or recommendation.
What if my partner controls all the money?
Substantial family wealth does not mean both partners can access it. We assess financial disclosure, interim support, potential legal services payment orders and steps to preserve assets. Where money is used to control, isolate or intimidate, we also consider economic abuse and the need for protective measures. The available remedies depend on the evidence and legal tests.
Do you deal with narcissistic behaviour in divorce?
We advise on the conduct people often describe as narcissistic abuse or financial narcissism: manipulation, intimidation, persistent distortion of events and the use of money or proceedings to exert control. Our work focuses on provable behaviour, its impact and the available remedies. A label is not a clinical diagnosis or a substitute for evidence.
What if the same allegations arise in the family court and a criminal investigation?
The two proceedings have different purposes, procedures and standards of proof. A police decision to take no further action does not by itself determine the family court’s findings. Our lawyers coordinate advice on evidence, interviews, protective orders, bail and lawful disclosure, so that decisions in one case are considered in the context of the other.
Can you act urgently or outside office hours?
Our 24-hour telephone line is available for urgent legal assistance. Call 020 7353 1990 and explain any immediate risk, police attendance, threatened removal of a child or court deadline. We assess the urgency and the representation required. Acceptance of instructions is subject to conflict, identity and other necessary checks.
How do you approach costs and settlement?
We agree the scope of work, the lawyers involved and the charging arrangements with you at the outset. We discuss likely stages and costs, review them as the case develops and consider proportionate routes to resolution. The objective is a strong, sustainable outcome for you and your family.
Do you advise international families and clients outside London?
Yes. We advise on family proceedings in England and Wales, including matters involving international assets, relationships and proposed moves overseas. Where another country’s law is involved, we coordinate with appropriately qualified local advisers. Meetings can be arranged remotely or in person.
Take the first step
Let’s discuss your next move.
Speak to our team in confidence. We will listen, identify the immediate issues and explain how we can help.
24-hour urgent assistance
For an imminent hearing, police contact or threatened removal of a child, please call.
Use a safe device and tell us how and when we may contact you. You can begin with brief details; we will explain the checks and next steps before accepting instructions.
Legal information and useful resources
Family. Wealth. Reputation. London · England & Wales · International clients
Family and civil matters are undertaken by Bark & Co Solicitors Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, number 633939. Criminal defence services are provided by Bark & Co, SRA number 260885. Your engagement letter identifies the firm acting for you and the scope of its work.
This page provides general information about the law in England and Wales. Advice and available remedies depend on the circumstances. Contacting us does not itself create a solicitor–client relationship. Quick exit leaves this page but does not clear browsing history.
