Georgina Emerson

My Approach

I adopt a compassionate, down-to-earth and proactive approach when working with my clients. My aim is to ensure that with clear advice, guidance and support, my clients feel empowered to cope with, understand and manage any situation they find themselves in whether it be dealing with a divorce, finances or matters concerning their children.

I am committed to working with my clients to resolve their issues in a constructive and cost-effective manner, avoiding Court unless it’s absolutely necessary and at all times upholding the Resolution Code of Practice. I sit as a General Member on the Dorset Resolution’s Committee which has enabled me to build a good working relationship with other local family lawyers.

I practice all areas of family law to include divorce, financial settlement, child-related disputes and protection of victims of domestic abuse. I specialise in International Children Law to include Child Abduction and International Relocation of Children. I am the publishing officer of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association Committee (https://www.childabductionlawyers.org.uk/cala-officers) and panel member of the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU).

Area of Expertise

• All aspects of divorce and civil partnership dissolution
• Financial disputes arising from relationship breakdown
• Disputes involving children including access, contact, schooling, relocation and holidays
• Emergency Applications to protect children e.g. preventing them from being taken abroad
• Emergency Applications relating to Domestic Violence (non-molestation orders and occupation orders)
• Relocation of Children inside and outside of England and Wales
• International Child Abduction

Recent Work

- Representing applicants (Mothers and Fathers) in Child Abduction proceedings in the High Court (Royal Court of Justice) and Court of Appeal. The children were successfully returned back to the applicant and their home country. See reported cases :-

a) https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2023/2162.html
b) GTJ v LS - Find case law (nationalarchives.gov.uk)

- Representing respondents (Mothers and Fathers) in Child Abduction proceedings in the High Court (Royal Court of Justice) and successfully defending applications for my clients’ children to be removed from the jurisdiction of England and Wales. Pursuing difficult and challenging arguments before the High Court to obtain the client’s desired outcome. See reported case as an example - https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2022/1965.html

- Acting for a father and issuing urgent proceedings to secure his children’s return to the South and reinstating regular and meaningful contact. Successfully defending malicious and fabricated allegations made against him by the Mother of rape, physical abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour and physical chastisement of the children which resulted in him having equal shared care of the children. See reported case - https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWFC/OJ/2022/B5.html

- Representing parents in complex private children act proceedings involving the appointment of a children’s guardian and third-party experts (child and adult psychologists). At all times ensuring that the Children are safeguarded, and their needs and interests protected.

- Experienced in dealing with child arrangements where one parent is drinking in excess or abusing drugs. Successful in pursuing expert alcohol and drug testing and putting in place protective measures to ensure contact can take place in a safe environment. Regularly in contact with local children contact centres and familiar with the protocol for arranging supervised/supported contact, where necessary.

- Conducting a forensic examination of a family company and SIPP (pension) to ensure my client’s income needs were met on retirement.

- Representing a wife in complex financial remedy proceedings with assets over £4m. Undertaking a detailed analysis of husband’s financial disclosure which resulted in additional assets and investments being disclosed and a cost order being made against him.

- Successfully achieving a fair and reasonable settlement to ensure that my client could re-house herself and her children in a case where the parties had very limited assets and resources. Engaging in swift and sensible negotiations in order to keep costs down and avoid Court proceedings.

- Representing various clients who have been subjected to domestic abuse and successfully securing a non-molestation order and/or occupation order to protect them from further harm. I have also successfully defended injunction proceedings being brought against a client as a result of false and unfounded allegations being made.

- Representing a mother to secure a Child Arrangement Order in the terms that she sought and Specific Issue Order in relation to the Child’s school, wider education, and school fees.

- Regularly acting for victims who have suffered from physical, emotional, psychological, financial, and verbal abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour in Financial Remedy proceedings, Children Act proceedings and Injunction proceedings. Adapting my approach to the case accordingly to afford my client maximum protection and ensure they achieve their desired outcome.

Professional Associations & Qualifications

• Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 UK 2024 for Family Law.
• Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 UK 2023 for Family Law.
• General Member of the Dorset Resolution Committee (2023)
• Publishing Officer of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association Committee (2024)
• Admitted as a Solicitor in March 2021
• Member of the Resolution and YRes (2020)
• Member of Bournemouth & District JLD and Law Society (2019)
• LLM in Professional Legal Practice (Distinction) – University of Law (2019)
• Legal Practice Course (Distinction) – University of Law (2019)
• LLB (Hons) Law Degree (2:1) – Bournemouth University (2018)