Helen Greenfield

Helen advises on all matters relating to family breakdown, divorce and cohabitation. She has a particular interest in helping those who have been affected by domestic abuse. Domestic abuse can include anything from isolating a person from their friends and family, monitoring their time or taking control over aspects of their everyday life (such as where they can go, who they can see, what to wear, their finances or when they can sleep. It can also include threats to hurt, to kill or even physical assault).

Helen recognises that the legal implications of domestic abuse are accompanied by a plethora of emotional and other issues, and she aims to ensure that clients are able to work through them with the right advice and support.

Helen’s aim is to ensure the situation people face, as a result of their relationship breakdown, is made as easy as it can be. She works with clients, both domestic and internationally, to deal with their problems in a constructive manner so the client, any children and everyone else involved can move forward positively. Helen is a qualified collaborative lawyer and a trained mediator.  She is also a qualified Mental Health First Aider.

Helen is recognised for her calm and compassionate approach, and her outstanding legal expertise. She has been named as a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500 UK over recent years with the 2024 edition commenting: “Helen Greenfield displays a calm attitude that belies her fiercely analytical mind and her wealth of experience. Helen is brilliant with lay clients and has an encyclopedic knowledge of family law and her cases. This combination of skills makes her an exceptional family law solicitor and an opponent to be reckoned with.”

Helen is also ranked by Chambers HNW as a leading lawyer for family/matrimonial issues with the 2024 edition commenting: “Greenfield is a brilliant, pragmatic lawyer who never loses sight of the human side of a case” and “Helen has excellent legal knowledge and is always charming to deal with.” Earlier editions note: “She is a superstar. She is really fantastic to work with, great with clients and very bright.”

Helen was named winner of the Lawyer Monthly Magazine, Women in Law Awards 2019 and she is named in the Citywealth Leaders List.

Helen is a member of Resolution. She volunteers for the Family Law Panel’s domestic abuse helpline (run by OnlyMums and OnlyDads). Helen is also a member of Amicable Divorce Network Directory (UK).

Helen is based in both Brighton & London and can see clients wherever is most convenient.

Helen’s recent cases include:

• Advising a client on financial remedy proceedings where the assets included cryptocurrencies. This was one of the first cases of its kind to secure a worldwide freezing order (including a US mirror order) over the crypto assets.
• A forum dispute between Singapore and the UK. Acting in financial proceedings for the father who had remained in Singapore after his children moved with their mother to England.
• Advising a father as a result of the breakdown of his cohabiting relationship. The mother left the family home and prevented contact.  There were issues of alleged domestic abuse and the division of various high value artworks further complicated matters.
• Working with a mother as part of a hybrid mediation following an allegedly abusive relationship to resolve the financial issues between the parties.

Helen’s reported cases have included:

• Divall v Divall [2014] EWHC 95 FAM a case concerning which European court should decide a couple’s divorce.
• Golubovich v Golubovich [2010] EWCA Civ 810, an important case regarding the recognition of foreign divorce decrees by the English Courts.