Bradley Williams

Bradley has a reputation as a highly skilled negotiator and litigator, with finely tuned judgment and wide ranging technical expertise. He is adept at evaluating cases at an early stage helping clients to make informed choices to achieve effective long term solutions.

Bradley’s cases regularly involve:

• international jurisdiction issues and conflicts
• trusts
• inherited wealth
• valuations of private companies

• financial provision following an overseas divorce

• enforcement of foreign judgments

• pre and post nuptial agreements across jurisdictions, including the application of foreign matrimonial property regimes; and
• international relocation of children.

Bradley has had particular experience of advising on cases involving the divorce or separation of footballers and their partners. His article “Footballers and tax issues on divorce and separation” appeared in Sports Law and Taxation, SL&T 2021, 12(3), 48-51.

Bradley has been ranked as a Leading Individual for family/matrimonial matters for many years by the highly regarded legal directories Legal 500, Chambers HNW and Chambers UK. Legal 500 UK 2024 notes: “Bradley Williams is a superb solicitor” whilst Chambers HNW 2023 comments: “Williams is a fantastic lawyer who provides a great client service.”

Earlier editions of Legal 500 UK note: “Bradley is a pleasure to deal with” and “Bradley Williams is smart, clever, hardworking and doesn’t miss a trick. He knows his cases inside out and offers his clients sound well informed and astute advice.” 

Earlier editions of Chambers HNW note: “I would send my relatives to him if they needed family law help,” says a market insider, adding: “He is very, very intelligent, always sees the bigger picture, fights cases that need to be fought but gets the best result for the client by settling them where they have to be. He just really knows what is in his client’s best interests and keeps them on board. He is a very skilled lawyer” ; “Bradley is an absolutely lovely lawyer. He’s straightforward, knowledgeable and very calm under pressure in the face of very stressful situations”; and ” He’s a really good tactician, he has excellent judgement on cases and can see the wood through the trees.” 

Bradley is named as a leading family law specialist in the Tatler Advisory Address Book for HNW and UHNW individuals. He has also been named as a Top Recommended Family Lawyer in The Spear’s 500 Guide for a number of years (most recently in 2023) with Spear’s noting: “There is no doubt that he has made a name for himself as a natural litigator in a firm with a strong reputation for mediation and the collaborative approach…. All his cases are high-end, ranging from HNWs in the £5-6million range to post nup work involving an asset pot of £2billion….Williams is unstinting in his commitment to clients”.

Bradley was named Family Lawyer of the Year in the inaugural Spear’s Young Turk Awards, awards which recognise the rising stars of the private client world.

A qualified mediator and collaborative lawyer, Bradley is also a Resolution collaborative specialist. He was one of the first group of lawyers to train as a family arbitrator and is able to adjudicate financial disputes.

Bradley has dual Swiss British nationality and is fluent in German.

In addition to those cases which have been reported, the following is a selection of other matters on which Bradley has been instructed:

• Regularly acting on cases where there is a conflict as to which jurisdiction should hear the divorce and financial proceedings. Bradley has been involved in several cases where his quick action has established jurisdiction in England. In one recent case he successfully obtained a stay of English proceedings on behalf of his client in favour of pre-existing proceedings in Italy.
• Acting on a high profile case involving an application for permission to seek financial relief following a foreign decree of divorce and financial settlement in Australia.
• Regularly advising on pre and post nuptial and civil partnership agreements which have an international dimension.
• Acting on numerous cases involving the international movement of children. Bradley acted for the successful party on a proposed change of residence for a child from the British Virgin Islands to New Zealand. Bradley also facilitated the financial settlement which involved obtaining legal advice across three jurisdictions.

Whilst Bradley strives to settle his cases out of Court, he recognises that this will not always be possible or in the best interests of every client. He has acted on several landmark cases which have developed legal precedent. His reported cases include:

• YM v NM [2020] EWFC 13 – the case provides the test for Maintenance Pending Suit applications made before the determination of a set aside application of a (clean break) consent order. The Judge held that the Court should be slow to grant interim relief where the ultimate entitlement to such relief remains in dispute. The Court must be satisfied that the applicant is likely to succeed in the set aside application. The case also reaffirmed the test for applying for a freezing injunction.
• A v A [2017] – litigation with issue about non-marriage and alleged assets in excess of £1bn.
• AB v FC [2016] EWHC 3285 – Bradley acted for the wife of a professional football player on a case concerning financial provision following a short marriage in circumstances where there was little capital but the husband had a substantial earning capacity.
• JL v SL (No 1) [2014] EWHC 3658 (Fam), JL v SL (no 2) [2015] EWCH 360 (fam) and JL v SL (no 3) [2015] EWCH 355 (fam) – a case concerning the treatment of inherited funds and post separation accruals on a divorce.
• Solovyev v Solovyeva [2014] EWFC 1546 – this case which was heard before the President of the Family Division involved a husband and wife from Russia and concerned the recognition of overseas divorces by the English courts.
• B v S (Financial Remedy: Marital Property Regime) [2012] (High Court) – Bradley acted for the wife on a case concerning the effect of a separate property regime and a post nuptial agreement.
• Grubb v Grubb [2011] (Court of Appeal) – Bradley acted for the husband in a case in which the Court of Appeal considered what constitutes the “reasonable needs” of a spouse in a case involving inherited wealth.
• H v H [2009] (High Court) – An important case which clarified the law in relation to pension sharing orders.
• McFarlane v McFarlane [2009] (no 2) – Bradley was part of the team acting for Julia McFarlane on her application to vary the now famous ground breaking order of District Judge Redgrave.
• Blades v Philips [2008] (Court of Appeal) – Bradley was a part of the team acting for Ms Blades on her application for permission to appeal.
• Bradley v Bradley [2008] (Court of Appeal) – The Court of Appeal overturned a stay of an order for the payment of a lump sum which had been made against Bradley’s client. The Court of Appeal found that there was no jurisdiction to make an order for security for costs “by the back door.”
• Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Boyle [2008] (Court of Appeal) – Bradley successfully acted for the father in overturning a flawed CSA assessment.
• Miller v Miller; McFarlane v McFarlane [2006] (House of Lords) – Bradley successfully acted for Julia McFarlane in the ground-breaking decision concerning spousal maintenance.
• McFarlane v McFarlane; Parlour v Parlour [2004] (Court of Appeal)