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Overview
Ben Parry-Smith is a London-based Partner in the Family team and one of the UK’s leading advisers on complex, high-value and international family law matters. He advises high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on divorce, financial remedy proceedings, children disputes, cohabitation issues and nuptial agreements. Ben is particularly recognised for his expertise in cases involving trusts, jurisdictional disputes, mental capacity issues and significant international elements.
Oxford-educated, trained at Mishcon de Reya and having spent his entire qualified career at Payne Hicks Beach, Ben combines first-rate technical expertise with a pragmatic, client-focused approach. Known for his strategic thinking, creativity and ability to guide clients through highly sensitive disputes, he regularly acts in some of the most complex and high-profile family cases before the courts. Languages: English.
Expertise
Ben specialises in:
- High-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth divorce
- Complex financial remedy proceedings
- International family law disputes
- Cross-border jurisdiction challenges
- Private children law matters
- International child relocation disputes
- Child abduction proceedings
- Domestic abuse and protective injunctions
- Cohabitation and civil partnership disputes
- Pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements
- Family disputes involving trusts and inherited wealth
- Capacity and vulnerability issues in family proceedings
- Sharia law and Islamic family law issues
- Family litigation involving complex business valuations
- High-profile and reputation-sensitive family disputes
- Advocacy and High Court proceedings
- BS v CL [2025] EWFC 215
- Silberschmidt v Richards [2025] EWHC 2841 (Fam)
- KV v KV [2024] EWFC 165
- KV v KV (No 2) [2024] EWFC 359
- YE v ZY [2024] EWFC 293 (B)
- Y v Z [2024] EWFC 4 (16 January 2024)
- AS v RS [2024] EWFC 32 (B)
- AS v RS [2023] EWFC 284 (B)
- AS v RS (Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act: Part III Application) [2023] EWFC 283 (B)
- HO v TL [2023] EWFC 215 (01 December 2023)
- AS v CS (Private FDR) [2021] EWFC 34
- Al M:
- The Legal Services Order [2021] EWHC 303;
- Court of Appeal Foreign Act of State Judgment [2021] EWCA Civ 129;
- Re Al M – Approved judgment [2021] EWHC 915;
- The Immunities Judgment [2021] EWHC 660;
- The Fact Finding Judgment – Hacking [2021] EWHC 1162;
- The Court of Appeal Immunities (permission to appeal) Judgment [2021] EWCA Civ 890;
- The Lives With judgment [2021] EWHC 1577;
- The Court of Appeal Fact Finding (permission to appeal) Judgment [2021] EWCA Civ 900;
- The Court of Appeal Fact Finding Judgment [2021] EWCA Civ 1216;
- The Non-Molestation Judgment [2021] EWHC 3305;
- The Foreign Act of State Judgment [2020] EWHC 2883;
- Publication judgment [2020] EWHC 122;
- Assurances and Waiver judgment [2020] EWHC 67;
- Publication – Appeal [2020] EWCA Civ 283;
- Fact finding judgment [2019] EWHC 3415.
- TP v PRBP [2018] EWHC 2433 (Fam) (High Court): the Court was concerned with whether the husband (acting in person) lacked mental capacity to conduct litigation
- Work v Gray (Court of Appeal) [2017] EWCA Civ 270
- X v X [2016] EWHC 3512 (Fam): considering whether a previous judgment should remain anonymised
- X v X (application for a financial remedies order) [2016] EWHC 1995 (Fam)
- Work v Gray (Phase II: Computation and Distribution) [2016] EWHC 562
- Work v Gray [2015] EWHC 834 (Fam)
- Chai v Khoo (aka Peng) [2014] EWHC 1519 (Fam)
Major Matters
- Member of the team representing HRH Princess Haya in her highly publicised proceedings involving Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
- Acted in leading cases concerning special contribution, jurisdiction disputes and financial remedies.
- Successfully advanced the law on set aside applications, obtaining a judgment confirming that a fraudulent spouse could not rely on delay caused by their own dishonesty.
- Obtained a High Court transparency/reporting restriction order through his own advocacy.
- Regularly acts in billion-pound asset cases involving trusts, international wealth structures and complex valuation evidence.
Qualifications & Accreditations
Ben read Law at Merton College, Oxford. He trained at Mishcon de Reya and joined Payne Hicks Beach upon qualification in 2008. He was promoted to Partner in 2018.
Between 2009 and 2013, Ben delivered legal aid and legal skills training at the National University of Rwanda. He has also led multidisciplinary initiatives focused on supporting vulnerable clients and contributed significantly to The Vulnerable Clients Guide for Legal Professionals.
Awards & Accolades
- Chambers High Net Worth 2026 – Ranked for Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth.
- Chambers UK 2026 – Ranked for Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth.
- Legal 500 UK 2026 – Ranked as a Leading Partner for Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy.
- Spear’s 500 2026 – Ranked Top Recommended.
- Spear’s Family Lawyers Index 2026 – Ranked Top Recommended.
- Doyle’s Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers London 2026 – Leading Lawyer.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2025 – Ranked for Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth.
- Chambers UK 2025 – Ranked for Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth.
- Spear’s 500 2025 – Ranked Top Recommended.
- Spear’s Family Lawyers Index 2025 – Ranked Top Recommended.
- The Spear’s Awards 2025 – Finalist, Family Lawyer of the Year.
- Doyle’s Leading Family & Divorce Lawyers London 2025 – Leading Lawyer.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2024 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Chambers UK 2024 – Ranked for Family/Matrimonial Finance: Ultra High Net Worth.
- Legal 500 UK 2024 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Resolution Awards 2024 – Finalist, Wellbeing Champion Award.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2023 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Chambers UK 2023 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Legal 500 UK 2023 – Ranked as a Next Generation Partner.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2022 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Legal 500 UK 2022 – Ranked as a Next Generation Partner.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2021 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Chambers UK 2021 – Ranked as a Leading Individual.
- Legal 500 UK 2021 – Ranked as a Next Generation Partner.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2020 – Ranked as Up & Coming.
- Chambers High Net Worth 2019 – Ranked as Up & Coming.
- Chambers UK 2019 – Ranked as Up & Coming.
- Legal 500 UK 2019 – Recommended Lawyer.
- The Lawyer Hot 100 2019 – Listed.
- Legal 500 UK 2017 – Named Next Generation Lawyer.
- Spear’s Family Lawyers Index 2024-2026 – Top Recommended.
- Spear’s Family Lawyers Index 2018-2023 – Recommended / Rising Star.
- Spear’s 500 2019-2026 – Consistently recognised.
