Ranking tables

Family/Children Law | UK

London (Firms)

This table ranks firms and lawyers in London handling private family matters where the primary concern is the placement, maintenance and welfare of child dependants. Representative work includes disputes over contact and residence arrangements, leave to remove cases and applications for emergency injunctions such as non-molestation and prohibited steps orders. It also encompasses private law work relating to fertility treatments, surrogacy arrangements and adoption. There is a sub-table entitled Cross-Border Disputes which primarily covers international child abduction cases, along with issues surrounding international surrogacy and adoption. Lawyers who specialise in public law work concerning children are ranked separately elsewhere. Matrimonial finance work in London is also covered separately and forms part of our High Net Worth research.

Rankings overview for Departments

All Departments profiles

1

Band 1

  1. Burgess Mee Family Law
    1
    Burgess Mee Family Law
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Burgess Mee Family Law demonstrates strength in a range of private children cases, including international relocations and parental disputes involving allegations of severe abuse. The firm also offers expert knowledge of modern families and in particular the law surrounding fertility treatment and surrogacy.
  2. 1
    Kingsley Napley LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    The family law group at Kingsley Napley can offer a broad range of expertise in work relating to child arrangements and welfare. The team advises on Schedule 1 applications, contact disputes, emergency injunctions and international child relocations. It also has experience in handling parental orders for couples who have had children via surrogacy.
  3. Mills & Reeve LLP
    1
    Mills & Reeve LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Mills & Reeve offers the full range of family law services with notable expertise in child-related disputes. The team advises on contested Children Act proceedings, including cases that involve allegations of abuse or coercive control, as well as on international relocations. It has further expertise in issues relating to surrogacy and fertility.
  4. Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
    1
    Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    The family team at Penningtons Manches Cooper fields a wide range of expertise in private children law, including both domestic and cross-border cases. Lawyers in the group represent clients in disputes regarding child relocation and leave to remove as well as high-conflict Children Act proceedings following divorce and separation. The firm is adept at managing sensitive cases that involve abuse allegations or children with behavioural and mental health difficulties.
  5. Russell-Cooke
    1
    Russell-Cooke
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1 | 2 Years Ranked
    Russell Cooke handles the full spectrum of children law work, acting for parents, children and guardians. The firm's work includes high-conflict cases involving injunctive orders and sensitive issues around mental health and abuse allegations. The team is experienced handling a wide range of international matters, including abduction cases and arrangements regarding adoption and surrogacy.
  6. Boodle Hatfield LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 1
2

Band 2

  1. Family Law in Partnership LTD
    2
    Family Law in Partnership LTD
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Family Law in Partnership is known for its strong commitment to ADR solutions, housing leading professionals in mediation, arbitration and collaborative law proceedings. The firm represents clients in highly contested Children Act proceedings concerning a range of issues, including leave to remove, variations to child arrangements orders and abuse allegations. The team has notable experience in representing high net worth individuals and foreign nationals.
  2. Freeths LLP
    2
    Freeths LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Freeths has a strong bench of family practitioners who frequently advise on private children law, including contentious Children Act proceedings and very sensitive disputes with allegations of abuse and coercive control within families. It also offers strength in matters pertaining to surrogacy.
  3. Hughes Fowler Carruthers
    2
    Hughes Fowler Carruthers
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Hughes Fowler Carruthers has an extensive family law practice that offers broad-ranging advice on private children law to its ultra high net worth client base. The firm has a strong focus on international work, including relocation disputes and abduction cases, and also has notable skill in handling sensitive cases involving complex mental health aspects and allegations of coercive control.
  4. Irwin Mitchell
    2
    Irwin Mitchell
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Irwin Mitchell advises clients on a range of private children matters, including applications for child arrangements orders and relocations. The team represents parents during and after divorce proceedings as well as in situations where serious allegations have been made regarding abusive or criminal behaviour. The firm has a strong track record protecting the rights of vulnerable clients.
  5. Simons Muirhead Burton
    2
    Simons Muirhead Burton
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    Simons Muirhead Burton's family practice is well equipped to handle all manner of disputes arising in relation to child arrangements and welfare issues. The team represents parents in proceedings relating to existing contact and residence arrangements as well as assisting them with applications for non-molestation and prohibited steps orders. The firm is able to advise clients both on domestic and cross-border matters.
  6. 2
    Stewarts
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    The Stewarts family law team offers expertise in private children law alongside its top-quality finance practice. Lawyers in the group advise on a range of disputes related to child arrangements orders, including highly contentious proceedings that concern allegations of abuse, coercive control and alienation. They also assist clients, including ultra high net worth individuals, on international matters related to child residency and relocation.
  7. TV Edwards LLP
    2
    TV Edwards LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 2 | 2 Years Ranked
    TV Edwards has an experienced team of lawyers advising on all aspects of children law. The firm frequently represents vulnerable parents as well as children in highly sensitive proceedings requiring assessment of abuse allegations and complex medical evidence. It also offers expertise in international adoption, surrogacy and abduction cases.
3

Band 3

  1. Anthony Gold
    3
    Anthony Gold
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    The family law team at Anthony Gold advises on Children Act proceedings including disputes that involve abuse allegations and child welfare issues. The firm also has notable experience in international relocation and abduction cases concerning a broad array of jurisdictions globally.
  2. Edwards Family Law
    3
    Edwards Family Law
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Edwards Family Law is a boutique practice that specialises in representing high net worth clients. Its private children law expertise includes Schedule 1 applications and complex international disputes relating to relocation and enforcement of child arrangements orders. The team can also advise clients on matters involving abuse allegations and mental health concerns.
  3. Farrer & Co LLP
    3
    Farrer & Co LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 1 Years Ranked
    The family law team at Farrer & Co provides expertise across a broad spectrum of private children work. This includes highly contested child arrangement orders along with international surrogacy agreements and other cross-border matters. The firm is adept at advising on cases where domestic abuse, alienation and other welfare concerns play a part.
  4. Freemans Solicitors
    3
    Freemans Solicitors
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 1 Years Ranked
    The team at Freemans Solicitors has notable strength in handling international disputes concerning children. Areas of expertise for the firm include wardships, relocation, international abduction and cross-border enforcement of child arrangements orders. The firm also advises on domestic private children law including complex disputes regarding child arrangement orders.
  5. Hodge Jones & Allen
    3
    Hodge Jones & Allen
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Hodge Jones & Allen handles both private and public law matters relating to children. The team's experience covers a whole host of cases where very serious allegations have been made, including domestic abuse, parental alienation, substance misuse and criminal offences. The firm's expertise in this area is bolstered by its strong practices in crime, civil liberties and Court of Protection work.
  6. JMW Solicitors
    3
    JMW Solicitors
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    The team at JMW Solicitors is particularly adept at advising on private children disputes that have an international aspect, such as contested applications for child relocation and summary return. The firm also advises on other contentious child law proceedings and has notable expertise in matters alleging abuse and domestic violence.
  7. Laurus
    3
    Laurus
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Laurus has an experienced family team well able to advise on the most complex Children Act disputes and safeguarding issues. The team assists clients with applications for and variations to child arrangements orders as well as supporting parents who are refuting or bringing allegations of abuse, domestic violence and substance misuse.
  8. Payne Hicks Beach LLP
    3
    Payne Hicks Beach LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 1 Years Ranked
    The family team at Payne Hicks Beach advise clients on private children matters in addition to handling high-value financial disputes. The team garners recognition in particular for its cross-border work, including Hague Convention proceedings, as well as its focus on highly contentious Children Act cases.
  9. Rayden Solicitors
    3
    Rayden Solicitors
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 2 Years Ranked
    Rayden Solicitors advises clients in children law matters as part of its broad family law practice. The team offers expertise in the full range of work, from private Children Act proceedings to public law matters to adoption and surrogacy cases. The firm has notable experience in cases with significant international elements.
  10. Withers LLP
    3
    Withers LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 3 | 1 Years Ranked
    The team at Withers is recognised for its expertise in private law children work. The team advises clients on a wide range of matters including child arrangements, relocation and alleged parental alienation. The firm also offers expertise in cross-border issues.
4

Band 4

  1. Bindmans LLP
    4
    Bindmans LLP
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    The team at Bindmans advises on complexinternationalchildren law matters, including abduction to Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention jurisdictions. The firm has notable expertise in cases involving immigration issues and trafficking or abuse concerns. It also has strong knowledge of the law pertaining to international adoption and surrogacy.
  2. Charles Russell Speechlys
    4
    Charles Russell Speechlys
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    The team at Charles Russell Speechlys handles the full range of private children work, from child arrangement orders and associated disputes through to surrogacy, fertility law and adoption. Its lawyers can also advise on cross-border matters including those brought under the Hague Convention.
  3. Dawson Cornwell
    4
    Dawson Cornwell
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    Dawson Cornwell is a preeminent firm for international disputes concerning children, including leave to remove and international abduction cases relating to jurisdictions around the world. The team also has expertise in cross-border matters relating to surrogacy and adoption agreements. It can further advise on disputes concerning domestic child arrangements, often in cases where domestic abuse is alleged.
  4. Goodman Ray
    4
    Goodman Ray
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    The team at Goodman Ray advises on the full range of children law with notable focus on cross-border disputes. The firm has particular experience in advising on Hague Convention proceedings and also advises on public care matters that have an international element.
  5. Osbornes Law
    4
    Osbornes Law
    Family/Children Law
    2025 | Band 4 | 1 Years Ranked
    Osbornes Law has an established family team with a notable focus on Hague Convention proceedings. The team also offers a range of expertise in private law work, including international relocation, adoption, surrogacy and childcare arrangements.