Family Law issues are profoundly personal and often emotionally charged. It is important, at this critical and fraught time, to have the very best legal advisors by your side to make the process as smooth as possible. The outcome of a divorce will impact the rest of your life, and having a team you can trust is essential.
We created a small boutique for a reason. We wanted to provide city level family law advice to the local community in and around Richmond upon Thames, where we live, whilst having easy reach to confidential meeting rooms in central London and nationally to serve our widespread client base. We are not confined by location and will happily travel to where you are based or where you case is being heard. Flexibility provides lower overheads and those cost savings are reflected in your fees, without compromising service.
Being deliberately small also means stripping away the traditional structures and enhanced costs associated with larger firms, including layers of internal approvals, duplication of costs with multiple fee earners, and work bouncing between various hierarchies before it is finally approved. What you get from Clarence Family Law at the outset is a dedicated and partner-led approach. When we are instructed, the people you meet are the people doing the work. Those individuals will know your case and your narrative inside and out. Cases are not just processed, the detail is intimately known and recorded, ensuring strategic decisions are made promptly and for the right reasons.
Clarence Family Law founder, Helen Wilby, has over 20 years’ experience working predominantly for high-net-worth individuals and dealing with complex and high-profile matters. Helen has been ranked in Chambers, Chambers High Net Worth and listed as a Next Generation Partner in Legal 500.
Fellow Partner Adam Paterson joined the firm from leading firm Penningtons Manches Cooper. He specialises in all aspects of family law with a particular emphasis on high-value financial disputes and cases with an international element. He has been recommended in the Legal 500 and in the Spears Family Law Lawyers Index.
The firm regularly faces top-tier opponents including Withers, Mishcon de Reya LLP, Charles Russell Speechlys, Kingsley Napley, Forsters and Osbornes.
In the past 2 years the firm has handled five reported cases, testament to the high-quality work it attracts: –
- De La Sala & Anor v De La Sala & Ors [2026] EWCA Civ 282
- James Morgan Copinger-Symes v Maria-Christina Copinger-Symes & Anor [2024] EWFC 415
- Re B Adoption ZC168/23: High Court (Family Division) involving the adoption of a child from the Ukraine.
- RKV and JWC [2005] EWFC 430 (B)
- RKV and JWC (No 2) [2005] EWFC 429 (B)
We offer a free consultation* to all qualifying individuals, to establish whether Clarence Family Law is the right firm to help you with your family law issues.
*Please note all initial free consultations will be limited to 30 minutes.
Why Choose Us?
- A leading boutique family law firm situated in Richmond upon Thames: We act for a wide variety of clients, many of whom are based in the local area and Surrey, throughout London as well as nationally and internationally.
- We are happy to travel/ arrange meetings close to where you live or work: We have access to meeting rooms across London and nationally. By lowering our overheads in this way, we can provide direct savings to our clients without compromising our high level of service and efficiency.
- We provide city expertise at very competitive rates: Helen and Adam acquired their knowledge and experience in some of the most highly regarded family law departments in London, including Sears Tooth, Mishcon de Reya LLP and Penningtons Manches Cooper. They each maintain a wealth of connections in the family law arena, including leading family law practices and barristers’ chambers, meaning they will tailor the right team and expertise to your particular circumstances.
- We start with a no-charge exploratory meeting to discuss your case: We will only accept instructions if we can add value to you.
Meet The Team
There is often a fear that litigation and mounting costs will follow the instruction of a lawyer. This doesn’t have to be the case. There are several routes to resolving matters and each will be explored carefully alongside the likely fees and benefits of each.
Helen has reduced her overheads, enabling her to provide city level advice at very favourable rates compared to her competitors. She offers family law advice to clients nationwide – facilitating face-to-face meetings in South West London (where she is based) and Central London where she has access to convenient office space.
