David Hansford

David is a dedicated family law solicitor with extensive experience in guiding clients through all aspects of family law.

His experience encompasses:

• High net worth financial remedy matters: Handling matters involving substantial and complex financial portfolios, including those with assets located overseas, complex pension assets, non-matrimonial resources and business assets.
• Complex children matters: Navigating nuanced child-related matters, including those involving allegations of alcohol/substance misuse, sexual abuse and parental alienation.
• Pre and post-nuptial agreements: Drafting agreements and advising clients that seek to address and protect assets in the UK and overseas in the event of a future breakdown.
• Family Law Act applications: Managing applications under the Family Law Act, including non-molestation orders and occupation orders.

David is known for building strong connections with his clients through a calm and considered approach. His primary focus is on resolving matters constructively and amicably. Where this is not possible, David has achieved positive outcomes for his clients through a litigated process.

Some of his recent successes in litigated proceedings include:

• Complex children proceedings: Representing a father in highly contested proceedings spanning two-and-a-half-years involving serious allegations of child abuse. Ultimately securing an order for the children to live with the father with mother’s contact being restored upon her completion and full engagement with a comprehensive rehabilitation programme. In the same matter, successful in father’s application for an occupation order so the father and the children could re-occupy the family home and prevent the mother from occupation.
• Notice to show cause application: Successfully acting for a wife in her notice to show cause application, compelling the husband to comply with the terms of the previously agreed order and cooperate with the family home sales process. Wife was awarded her costs.
• Child relocation: Successfully resisting a mother’s attempt to relocate the child and change the child’s school, resulting in the child remaining in the local area with the father. The father became the primary carer for the child.
• High value financial remedy proceedings: Representing a wife in financial remedy proceedings with assets exceeding £10 million, with the husband arguing that a proportion of the assets were inherited from his family. The wife successfully argued that an unequal division of the assets would not meet her needs and she secured a favourable settlement where she received 50% of the overall assets.

David trained in a small city firm, qualifying in 2018. He joined boutique family law firm Crisp & Co in Central London on qualification. For the last three years, David has worked at the Legal 500 Tier 1 firm, Charles Russell Speechlys LLP.

In January 2024, David joined Expatriate Law. David is an active member of Resolution. Prior to his training contract, David worked at BPP University and received a company award for creating a family law pro bono clinic which is still operating today.