Grace Lawrence

Grace advises on international and high-value family law cases, often involving complex business and trust interests and issues of pre and post-marital wealth. Grace combines an empathetic and diligent approach, with a strong technical ability. Grace seeks to resolve matters outside of court where possible – employing solicitor-led negotiation or alternative processes such as mediation or arbitration. Where court proceedings become necessary, Grace is a confident and strategic litigator and hugely protective of her clients’ interests.

Over recent years Grace has been named as a Rising Star and recommended for family law by the leading directory, The Legal 500 UK. The 2024 edition notes: “Grace Lawrence is fiercely intelligent, forthright, conscientious.” Earlier editions note that she is: “extremely competent, knowledgeable and empathetic. [She has] given excellent service to our mutual client” and she is “a delight to deal with and on the way up”. Grace has also been featured in Tatler as one of “London’s top family lawyers” speaking about the role of pre-nuptial agreements in protecting family wealth.

During her training, Grace spent a year working in one of London’s most highly regarded private client teams. She developed a particular interest and expertise in trusts, property and estate planning which she draws on to inform her advice to her family law clients. She is now a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. As such, she is comfortable advising trustees and beneficiaries on how best to safeguard trust interests from claims on divorce.

Grace has particular experience working on ‘big money’ litigation in the High Court of Justice. Such cases often garner press interest and Grace has made and responded to applications for reporting restriction orders. Grace’s article “Protecting Reputations” was published on the Tatler Address Book in April 2022.

Grace’s practice involves advising on a broad range of family matters including:

• financial issues arising from divorce or the separation of cohabiting couples, often involving foreign jurisdictions, dealing with valuations of businesses, pensions and investments, tax issues, and the treatment of trusts;
• pre and post nuptial agreements – listen to Grace’s podcast (Whistle-Stop tour of pre-nuptial agreements) here;
• variation of spousal and child maintenance orders;
• financial claims on behalf of children brought by an unmarried parent (so-called ‘Schedule 1 claims’);
• parenting issues and contact arrangements for children; and
• relocation of children both within England & Wales and abroad.

Grace’s recent matters include:

• Acting for the respondent husband on the wife’s application to set aside a final consent order. The case raised issues of duress and legal privilege and required expert evidence in multiple jurisdictions.
• Acting for the applicant wife on a financial claim following her divorce from a high-profile individual from the Middle East (so-called “Part III case”). The case raised a number of issues including “conduct”, “compensation”, the ambit of the Millionaire’s Defence and reporting restrictions. FLiP secured a very substantial financial settlement for the wife.
• Advising the owner of a tech start-up company through his divorce with issues surrounding the valuation of a business and his post-marital endeavour.
• Acting for the applicant mother on her application for a specific issue order regarding schooling and a child arrangements order in the context of an internal relocation.
• Acting for a high-profile applicant mother on her successful application to relocate with her children to the US.
• Advising the beneficiary of a family trust in relation to a pre-nuptial agreement, with a view to ring-fencing trust assets on divorce.
• Secured an applicant mother generous interim maintenance and legal fees provision to bring a financial claim against her children’s high-profile father.
• Secured a freezing injunction in respect of certain properties and cash thereby preventing the other party from frustrating our client’s claims.

Grace’s reported cases include:

• Tsvetkov v Khayrova [2023] EWFC 130 – Represented the wife in a long running case concerning financial provision following divorce. During the proceedings, the British/Russian couple found themselves the subject of significant press interest which required careful management. FLiP successfully defended against the Husband’s attempt  to argue for a departure from 50/50 in his favour.
• Re C (A Child) [2021] EWFC 32: Acted for the respondent father on a ‘big money’ Schedule 1 case involving a complex jurisdiction dispute (England /Monaco /France). This case raised novel arguments regarding the Maintenance Regulation and explored the test for “habitual residence”.
• YM v NM [2020] EWFC 13: Successfully defended the wife’s interim applications for maintenance and injunctive relief. 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 case also reaffirmed the test for applying for a freezing injunction.
• HRH Tessy Princess of Luxembourg v HRH Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume Prince of Luxembourg v L’Administration Des Biens De S.A.R. Le Grand Duc De Luxembourg (‘ADB’) [2018] EWFC 77: As a trainee solicitor, and prior to the reported proceedings, Grace assisted the team advising the ADB.

Grace’s article on the enforcement of arrears of spousal maintenance – “Stale Arrears – Era of Enlightenment” – was published in Family Law [2018] June, Fam Law 70.

She was also quoted extensively in the Tatler article “How the super-rich protect their wealth: The rise of the prenuptial agreement”, December 2020.

Grace’s article “Protecting Reputations” was published on the Tatler Address Book in April 2022.

Grace trained as a solicitor at Withers before moving to Family Law in Partnership in 2018. Grace studied law at the University of Exeter (Bachelor of Laws (LLB), First Class) and achieved a distinction in the Legal Practice Course.

Grace has been ranked consistently as a “Rising Star” by the Legal 500. She is also an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is working towards completion of the STEP diploma.

Grace has been involved in supporting guests of the Restored Lives project on a pro bono basis. She is also a member of the committee responsible for work experience applications to FLiP.