The Team

Catherine Costley

I am a family lawyer working with clients through divorce and separation, advising on the financial arrangements upon entering or leaving a relationship, and all aspects of private children’s law. Pre- or post-nuptial agreements are commonplace in my cases, partly reflecting the international nature of my client base. I advise regularly concerning financial provisions for unmarried parents under Schedule 1 of the Children Act and regarding child arrangement disputes, specific issues, and the permanent relocation of children.

Areas of Expertise

Family Law

Private Wealth Disputes

Contentious Trusts

Dispute Resolution

Call +447985289368 Email ccostley@fladgate.com Social LinkedIn

Our Service

Clients look to me for my pragmatic and effective handling of their case. They appreciate my sensitive approach, attention to detail, sound judgment and endless commitment to them.

My clients are high-net-worth families whose financial affairs involve complexities such as offshore structuring, trusts, and complex corporate structures. I am very familiar with the financial affairs of those working in banking, private equity, finance, or law, but also entrepreneurs, sportsmen and women, actors/writers, and creatives.

Alongside the financial complexities, my clients’ relationships often feature relationship dynamics (for example, personality disorders, control, abuse, and dependency), which I am skilled at navigating with them. After lawyers step away, I focus on my clients’ lives: their financial security, co-parenting, or independence.

I am listed in the Top 23 Divorce Lawyers on Midult.com’s directory, where I am described as “serenity itself, methodical, thoughtful and kind” but also “progressive” and “fierce”. In Tatler magazine, I am described as “pin sharp”. I am recommended in Spear’s Family Law Index 2024. In 2023, I appeared in Spear’s magazine’s feature on “Modern Family” as part of “a new generation of family lawyers whose stars are in the ascendant or at the apogee of their profession”.

Outside of law, I competed in endurance events (Ironman Vichy and Austria, Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Florida). However, in recent years, I have switched to the other well-known endurance sport of parenting two young boys.

Clients look to me for my pragmatic and effective handling of their case. They appreciate my sensitive approach, attention to detail, sound judgment and endless commitment to them.

Experience

Reported cases:

AT v BT [2023] EWHC 3531 Fam

JM v CZ [2014] EWHC 1125 – securing a costs order upon defence of an application under Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996.

DE v FE [2022] EWFC 71 - valuation of a business including whether or not an uplift to the trading value of the business should be made to allow for the possibility/probability of what might be described as a "super-receipt" as happened during the marriage.

CS & DS (Children) [2022] EWFC 146 – complex, high conflict, child arrangements

A v M (No. 2) [2024] EWFC 214

A v M (No. 3) [2024] EWFC 299

Catherine has been spot on in terms of what she's advised the client. She has a superb level of client care. The clients always seem very well looked after by her. She goes beyond the extra mile.

Catherine Costley is methodical, thorough, and clients love her.

Catherine Costley has some of the best client care skills around, empathetic, uncanny knack for teasing out a client's real objectives, easy to work with and very diligent. Clients trust her unconditionally.