Claire Heppenstall, MCIArb

Claire Heppenstall, MCIArb

Private Children Law and Financial Remedies work

Claire practises exclusively in private family and family related work. Her practice is largely split between all aspects of Private Children Law and Financial Remedies work. She also has particular expertise in dealing with Schedule 1 claims (financial provision for children of unmarried couples) and also advising and representing clients in relation to child support issues.

Dealing with both children and money work allows her to assist the private client across most areas of dispute that arise during difficult family breakdowns in a highly effective and pragmatic way.

She acts in all levels of court and is frequently instructed in cases where Queen’s Counsel is instructed on the other side.
Claire also accepts direct public access cases, subject to suitability.

In the area of Private Children Law, she has a particular interest and a huge amount of expertise in cases involving relocation, both external and internal.

International leave to remove cases are a specialist area and Claire has recently been involved in contested removals to Brasil, USA, Germany, Italy and Australia.

She has particular expertise in representing clients involved in highly acrimonious and long-running intractable contact and residence disputes, and is often instructed in cases involving allegations of parental alienation and where expert psychiatric assessment has been required to assist the court.

She also has significant experience of being instructed on behalf of the child in rule 16 cases.

Claire has also represented a number of LGBT clients in private law children proceedings and is extremely sensitive to the issues that can arise in some modern family arrangements. She has also advised on strategy and approach in relation to the preparation of children and/or the other parent when issues of transgender parenthood arise.

In Financial Remedies work, Claire is often instructed in difficult cases involving issues of non-disclosure or where careful analysis of family businesses and trust interests is required.

She has considerable experience of dealing with Schedule 1 applications and is regularly instructed in this type of claim.
Claire acts for parents involved in Hague Convention applications, whether acting to seek return of the child or oppose return and can advise in relation to tactical actions needed to prevent a potential removal in circumstances where there are concerns that this might be a real risk.

In relation to financial issues, Claire has particular experience of advising in relation to financial issues connected with unmarried parents and ownership of property, as applicable to LGBT clients. She has also advised in relation to financial responsibility where issues of informal sperm donation have occurred and other child support issues.

Claire is also an arbitrator qualified to take on both private children and financial remedies work under the two separate IFLA schemes. This dual qualification allows her to provide clients with the opportunity for all aspects of their separation (children and financial issues) to be determined in one consolidated hearing - saving huge amounts of time, money and stress.

Claire is happy to offer parties early neutral evaluation of the merits of their case in either private children or financial remedy work, which may assist to resolve or narrow issues ahead of proceedings.

Claire accepts instructions to conduct private financial dispute resolution hearings which can be particularly effective in assisting the parties reach a concluded agreement.

Accreditations

LLB (Hons), University College London

LLM, University College London

She is part of:

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb)

Family Law Bar Association

Member of Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA)

Rankings