Evelyn Collins

Evelyn has a particular focus on private children law, advising parents in private children proceedings often regarding child arrangements including lives with and contact arrangements. Evelyn has experience advising parents in respect of the safeguarding of children within schools and advising parents in cases where alienating behaviours are alleged.

Evelyn is a member of the Modern Family Team, advising on matters including surrogacy and adoption. Evelyn also advises on the implications of donor conception and assisted fertility from a family law perspective. Evelyn successfully acted on behalf of the adopters in the contested adoption case of Prospective Adopters v London Borough of Ealing and Ors [2023] EWFC 294 (B). This was a case with particularly complicating and sensitive features. Please read the case here.

Evelyn also advises on family law issues arising in contemplation of marriage, for example Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial agreements, and on divorce or dissolution. This includes financial remedy proceedings including following the breakdown of a marriage. Evelyn also has experience in Schedule I proceedings (where unmarried partners seek a financial award for their child(ren) following separation from their former partner) and Notice to Show Cause applications where a party seeks that an agreement made between the parties is upheld.

Evelyn has acted on behalf of clients in proceedings arising under the Family Law Act 1996 (applications for non-molestation and occupation orders) where a client has experienced domestic abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour, by their former partner. Evelyn also has experience with vulnerable clients.

Evelyn read Classical Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Oxford before qualifying as a solicitor.

Evelyn completed her training contract with Payne Hicks Beach qualifying in 2021. She joined Payne Hicks Beach in 2019.

To learn more about divorce and separation visit our dedicated webpage and download our guide.

To learn more about Modern Family Law, visit our dedicated webpage and download our guide.