Elizabeth Hicks
Director
“Liz Hicks is a standout practitioner. She is the whole package, technically good, has warmth in abundance and is completely committed to her clients” Legal 500 UK 2021
Elizabeth specialises in all areas of family law with a particular focus in advising HNW and UHNW clients on complex cross jurisdictional issues of family, matrimonial and trusts law. Her work includes divorce, contested financial remedy cases, children cases and preparing Pre and Post Marital Agreements. Elizabeth’s cases frequently have an international dimension and many of her clients have substantial assets.
“I am passionate about making separation and divorce better for the people involved, particularly the children. How a couple deal with their divorce can have long standing implications for their children. My preference is always to try and negotiate a financial settlement as soon as financial disclosure has been made. This can allow the couple to move forward with their lives in a more positive way”
Expertise →
Elizabeth is a director at Family Law in Partnership. She specialises in all areas of family law and has a particular focus in advising HNW and UHNW individuals on complex cross jurisdictional issues of family, matrimonial and trusts law.
Elizabeth’s work includes divorce, contested financial remedy cases and asset protection, often involving international aspects. Elizabeth also advises on complicated private Children Act cases and Pre and Post Marital Agreements with both domestic and international aspects. Elizabeth’s clients include husbands and wives, cohabitants and sometimes children. They come from a range of backgrounds and include entrepreneurs, City professionals and various high profile individuals and their spouses and partners.
As a trained collaborative lawyer, Elizabeth is experienced in using the collaborative process to resolve family law matters. She often prepares Pre and Post Marital Agreements using the collaborative process including those agreements which have an international aspect.
Elizabeth is ranked as a leading expert in family/matrimonial law by all the leading legal directories with Legal 500 UK 2024 remarking that Elizabeth is “at the top of her game” and Chambers HNW 2023 noting: “Hicks is one of the great family lawyers of her generation”.
The Legal 500 UK has ranked Elizabeth in its Hall of Fame of Leading Individuals in family law for many years with recent comments including: “Elizabeth Hicks is at the top of her game. Fiercely loyal to, and protective of, her clients, they feel supported and extremely well represented as a result. She is not afraid to stand her ground and delivers results time after time”. Earlier editions note: “Elizabeth Hicks is a true star of her generation….a standout practitioner. She is the whole package, technically good, has warmth in abundance and is completely committed to her clients.”
Ranking Elizabeth in Band 1 for Family/Matrimonial work Chambers HNW 2023 comments: “Hicks is one of the great family lawyers of her generation.” and “Elizabeth has always been and continues to be a brilliant litigator. She will not miss a trick.” Earlier editions note: “Her awareness of clients’ needs and determination to follow them set her apart from other lawyers in the market.”
Elizabeth has been named as a Top Recommended Family Lawyer in The Spear’s 500 Guide for many years. The 2023 edition of UK Best Lawyers has also named Elizabeth as ‘Lawyer of the Year 2023′.
Elizabeth is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and has been actively involved in arranging a number of their Education programmes. She is a member of Resolution, the Creative Divorces Collaborative Pod and the London Welsh Lawyers Association.
Elizabeth has spoken at numerous conferences and is often interviewed by the press on key family issues. She has featured in Tatler, the International Family Offices Journal, Citywealth and the Law Society Gazette amongst others.
Elizabeth was shortlisted and received the Silver award in the CityWealth PowerWomen Mentor of the Year 2020. As the only member from her family to go to University she is keen to demonstrate that success in life is about what you know and not who you know. She currently chairs LEDLET, a charitable association whose President is Lord Justice Lloyd Jones, which provides opportunities for 17 year old underprivileged children from Wales to spend time with lawyers in Cardiff and London.
Elizabeth is a native English and Welsh speaker, and is proficient in French. She is a trained Mental Health First Aider.
Representative Matters →
Elizabeth’s recent cases include:
- Acting for a multi millionaire on an international pre nuptial agreement using the collaborative process. Elizabeth instructed lawyers in 4 other countries in order to prepare a pre nuptial agreement with which both parties were happy and which, if ever challenged, would be upheld in numerous different European countries.
- Acting for the wife of an entrepreneur who was struggling to accept the marriage was over and who failed to provide the financial information needed to enable a settlement to be reached. Forensic accountants were instructed to value the husband’s business and various court orders made against him to provide disclosure. Elizabeth was able to negotiate a financial settlement which provided her client with financial security for life.
- Acting for a mother who wanted to relocate her child temporarily to another European country. The father applied for an urgent injunction preventing her from doing so. Elizabeth successfully negotiated terms on most matters and the Judge found in the mother’s favour on the few remaining issues. The mother and son were able to relocate temporarily 2 days after the court hearing.
Reported Cases →
Elizabeth’s reported cases include:
- Acting for an international multi-millionaire at first instance and in the Court of Appeal on the confidentiality and privacy of family law proceedings – Clibbery-v- Allan-[2001] 2 FLR 819; Clibbery-v- Allen [no 2] EWCA Civ45.
- Acting at first instance and in the Court of Appeal on the issue of joinder of third parties to financial remedy proceedings and whether the applicable rules were the Family Proceedings Rules or the Civil Procedure Rules – Goldstone –v- Goldstone [2011] EWCA Civ 39.
- Acting for the beneficiary wife of 11 discretionary trusts in a short marriage case with one child where the husband argued unsuccessfully that they were a resource such that they should have an impact on the level of financial provision she received – G –v-G [2012] EWHC 167 (Fam).
- Acting for the appellate wife in the Court of Appeal in Ahmed –v- Mustafa [2014] EWCA Civ 277 concerning the validity of an Order made in England and Wales preventing the wife from being able to pursue her divorce in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Career →
Having qualified as a solicitor in 1995, Elizabeth joined Kingsley Napley where she became a partner in 2001, before joining Irwin Mitchell where she spent over ten years as Head of Family in London. Elizabeth joined FLiP from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner where she was Head of Family Asset Protection.
Elizabeth’s Clients Say…
“You really put me at ease when we met in what was a pretty mad and confusing period in my life. The work your team have done for me since, with your support I know in the background, has been absolutely first class. Thank you for helping to make what could have been a pretty awful year for me as smooth as possible”
Former client
“The “very personable” Elizabeth Hicks is an experienced family practitioner who is well versed in advising affluent clients. A market commentator says she is “doing some incredibly impressive cases of very high value”
Chambers HNW 2020
“Liz Hicks is a force of nature, very bright and keen to motivate her team”
Legal 500
“I would particularly like to highlight Elizabeth’s ability to make a client feel listened to and heard”
Former client
“Working with her is excellent. She is calm and considered, personal yet professional. She has the knowledge but the ability to talk in lay terms.”
Chambers UK 2021
“She is doing some incredibly impressive cases of very high value”
Chambers UK 2021
“Liz Hicks is a standout practitioner. She is the whole package, technically good, has warmth in abundance and is completely committed to her clients”
Legal 500 UK 2021
“Elizabeth Hicks is a true star of her generation. She has the intelligence, talent and charm to attract clients”
Legal 500 UK 2021
“What I liked about FLiP is they didn’t sit on the fence, they were pro-active and sensible on what were difficult and emotional issues. I would have no hesitation in recommending Elizabeth and the FLiP team”
Former Client
“Liz Hicks is one of the doyennes of family law. She is highly respected and a safe pair of hands”
Legal 500 UK 2021
“She looks holistically at cases. She has the ability to fight hard for clients but also finds creative solutions for them.”
Chambers UK 2022
“She builds strong relationships with her clients.”
Chambers UK 2022
“Elizabeth Hicks – very experienced, excellent rapport with clients”
Legal 500 UK 2023
“Elizabeth Hicks is well regarded for her strong advocacy skills in divorce proceedings….I would particularly like to highlight her ability to make a client feel listened to and heard.”
Chambers UK 2021
“She is calm and considered, personal yet professional. She has the knowledge but the ability to talk in lay terms.”
Chambers UK 2021
“She is doing some incredibly impressive cases of very high value…she has the ability to fight hard for her clients but she also sees creative solutions for them. She looks at cases holistically”.
Chambers UK 2021

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