Lauren Harley

My Approach

Known for being personable and pragmatic, I am solution focused and work with clients to reach a fair outcome through negotiation where possible. As a member of Resolution, I am committed to dealing with matters in a non-confrontational manner insofar as circumstances allow. When required, I will not hesitate to use my skills as a litigator to lead clients through the court processes and work with them to achieve the best outcome.

My priority is to support and guide my clients through the legal processes by providing them with constructive and straightforward legal advice.

Area of Expertise

• All aspects of divorce and civil partnership dissolutions
• Financial disputes on relationship breakdown, i.e. between spouses/ civil partners/ unmarried couples (i.e. cohabitee disputes)
• Disputes involving children including living and contact arrangements, relocation, other specific issues such as holidays
• Presenting and defending applications for Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders (i.e. injunction applications to the Court to prevent harassment and domestic abuse)
• Issues over child support and capital provision for children (Schedule 1 claims)
• Advising on Pre-Nuptial Agreements
• Cohabitation agreements

Recent Work

• Acting for a client in financial proceedings which involved forensic examination of a family company to achieve an accurate valuation and fair division of the business.
• Representing clients in cases involving valuable NHS, Armed Forces and other final salary (defined benefit) pensions.
• Settling cohabitee property disputes, avoiding the need for protracted and expensive litigation.
• Acting for a client in a protracted children dispute based on serious allegations of domestic abuse which were unfounded and achieving a shared ‘live with order’.
• Obtaining an injunction to protect a client from further domestic violence and abuse.
• Representing a client in an emergency application to protect the children, i.e. a Prohibited Steps Order to prevent the children being removed from the client’s care and moved to a different area of England to live without my client’s consent.
• Acting for high net worth clients with investment property portfolios
• Advising a client on a proposed pre-nuptial agreement designed to protect pre-marital wealth and inherited assets

Professional Associations & Qualifications

• Resolution Accredited specialist in complex financial remedies and private law children matters
• Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500 UK 2024 guide for Family Law - "Lauren Harley has a great reassuring manner with clients and is a very safe pair of hands."
• Dragonfly Champion (the YOU Trust – Domestic Abuse services)
• Founding member of Dorset YRes and Regional Liaison Committee Representative for Dorset Resolution
• Admitted as a solicitor in September 2017
• Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, College of Law Guildford
• Law with Criminology LLB (2:1)