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Holly Symonds

Year of Call

2017

“With regards to Holly, wow!! That's what comes to mind first. She addressed all the topics, pointed to all the contradictions in X's statement and was relentless debunking all the misinformation and fabricated facts. I'm extremely grateful.”

Client testimonial

Biography

Holly is a finance specialist, known for being determined, persuasive and hard working.

Holly is regularly instructed in complex financial disputes and has significant experience of applications under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984 and TOLATA 1996. She is also experienced in private proceedings relating to children and is able to deal with cases under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 if necessary. Holly provides very robust advice and representation and is fearless in putting her clients case forward. A recent client wrote that "I was so impressed by your skills and professionalism and I wouldn't have got through that day without you."

It is important to Holly to maintain a practice that helps some of the most vulnerable clients in the family justice system. Holly has vast experience representing clients in applications for non-molestation orders, occupation orders and transfers of tenancy. She is committed to pro bono work, and has previously completed the Advocate "25 for 25" challenge providing over 25 hours of pro bono advice in the last year. She will always go the extra mile to make herself approachable and to be a true champion for her clients.

Holly is a contributor to the LexisNexis Q&A expert panel, and provides training to solicitors in her areas of expertise. She has recently written an article for Family Law on "Domestic abuse in financial remedy proceedings: not just conduct" [2023] Fam Law 708. She is also a blogger for the Financial Remedies Journal covering a range of issues, for example the case of Hudson v Hathaway.

From June 2020 - March 2021, Holly was on secondment as a Judicial Assistant in the Family Division of the High Court. During her time there, her cases covered the breadth of the work undertaken by the High Court from financial remedies, child abduction, care proceedings, appeals to exercising the Inherent Jurisdiction for children and vulnerable adults as well as seeing the work of the Court of Protection. She was involved in some of the most important decisions made by the court gaining unrivalled experience of the workings of the court. In September 2021, she spoke at the At A Glance Conference about the work of a Judicial Assistant.

Family finances and TOLATA

Holly has a busy finance practice. She has successfully acted at all stages from initial advice to multi-day final hearings and enforcement in applications under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996.

Holly is experienced in dealing with the complex issues which can arise in the course of financial disputes, such as the treatment of pensions, business assets and assets based abroad. She is also regularly instructed in parallel Children Act 1989 proceedings.

In respect of cohabitee disputes, Holly is experienced at dealing with cases relating to the ownership of property under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996. She is able to advise on the best strategy for litigation where there are financial disputes as well as potential TOLATA claims, and works closely with her clients to resolve matters in the most advantageous but cost-effective way possible. 

Children law (private)

Holly has significant experience in applications under the Children Act 1989. She is regularly instructed in multi-day Fact-Finding hearings involving allegations of serious physical abuse, sexual violence and other forms of abuse. When such risks aren’t present, Holly will endeavour to reach settlement at an early stage where possible. She will not shy away from putting her client’s case fearlessly to the court when required.

Holly is able to give robust advice to clients when it is in their best interests but is also sensitive the vulnerabilities of her clients. Whatever the client’s situation, Holly prides herself on having an excellent manner and a calming presence at a time which is frequently extremely stressful for the parties involved.

International family law

Holly has experience dealing with cases with an international element including where matrimonial assets are held outside the jurisdiction but need to be taken into account in financial proceedings, and where children have been wrongfully removed from the jurisdiction.

As a Judicial Assistant, Holly has been involved in a number of international child abduction cases (both Hague and non-Hague).

Instruct

To instruct Holly please contact Jay Dorton or Stephen Bush

Education

  • LL.B.(Hons) University College London
  • LL.M. University College London (distinction)

Memberships

  • Family Law Bar Association

Prizes

  • BPTC Advocacy Scholarship
  • Leonard Sainer Scholarship for the BPTC
  • Winner, Featherstone Moot 2017

Languages

  • Italian

Notable Cases

N v N [2021] advised in a multi million-pound matrimonial finance dispute involving issues of matrimonial vs non-matrimonial assets, contributions and the valuation of company shares.

K v K [2020] represented a wife in a complex matrimonial finance dispute involving allegations of fraud.

M v J [2020] represented a mother at both the fact-finding and final hearings. A serious allegation of rape against the father was proved and Holly successfully obtained the sought by the mother.

D v D [2019] successfully represented the wife following a foreign divorce to obtain an order for capital where there were issues of dissipation of assets. Holly was subsequently instructed in the enforcement proceedings.

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