Zoë Saunders - Family & Divorce

Zoë is a specialist family law barrister with extensive experience of cohabitation disputes involving TOLATA and Applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act. She has expertise in financial remedy cases involving farms and farming businesses, multiple properties, trusts of land, complex pensions and insolvency. Zoë uses her expertise to advise and represent both claimants and defendants in professional negligence matters arising from financial remedy and ToLATA disputes.

Zoë also has extensive experience in private law children cases at all levels of the Family Court and in the High Court. She is one of the authors for the Dictionary of Private Children Law (2024). The book is a unique reference guide to the key concepts, cases and practice of private children law. Read more here.

Zoë was involved in the high-profile case of Hudson v Hathway [2022] EWCA Civ 1648 in which she was nominated for ‘Family Law Case of the Year’ by the Family Law Awards 2023.

Recent work includes:

• A case in which a multi-million pound property portfolio was involved and there were disputed issues as to contributions.
• A farming dispute as to family ownership of various assets on the farm estate.
• A case in which the parties ran a successful international business and partnership / company law issues required resolution.
• Non-disclosure of significant sums of money requiring enforcement by way of judgment summons.
• A binding agreement between the parties was alleged to have taken place years before proceedings were issued.
• Enforcement of a children act order in which serious allegations of sexual abuse had been made but were found not to be true. An enforcement order of 40 hours of community service was made
• A child psychologist to assist with issues of serious emotional harm being caused to a child.
• Removal of children to Australia in which there were disputes as to the court’s jurisdiction to make orders and the habitual residence of the children.
• A case in which the children were made wards of court as a result of risk of abduction to Syria.
• Change of residence as a result of difficulties with contact orders.
• A case relating to both constructive and resulting trusts involving multiple properties and complex issues of tracing of funds held on trust.
• A dispute over a farming estate involving contested probate and inheritance act claims as well as proprietary estoppel.
• A claim to set aside deeds of trust as a result of alleged duress.
• Conveyancing negligence as a result of which the property was not registered in the names of either party and the beneficial and legal ownership had to be determined.
• A case involving substantial payments by a parent to the purchase of a matrimonial home where the entitlement to beneficial interests were disputed.

Zoe is a IFLA qualified arbitrator in children cases and financial matters. For further information about our alternative dispute resolution services click here.