‘Samantha is an intelligent and persuasive advocate. She is deeply committed to her clients and always well-prepared. She remains calm under pressure and builds rapport with her clients. She is fantastic to work with and extremely supportive of her instructing solicitors.’
Legal 500, 2024
Tier 1
Experience
Year of Call: 2006
Education
MA Law Cambridge University
Qualified Collaborative Lawyer
Trained Family Mediator
Languages
French, Spanish
Profile
Praised by clients, colleagues and the legal directories alike, Samantha specialises in complex and high-value financial disputes and in contentious private law children cases. She is a fearless advocate with a keen intellect, yet possesses a warm and approachable manner that puts clients at ease.
Samantha is in high demand from clients with complex financial circumstances, both domestic and international. She is known for her meticulous preparation, and her understanding of the corporate world. She speaks French and Spanish, and worked for a top London law firm before joining the bar, giving her a good grounding in corporate law.
In addition to representing married or formerly married clients in financial disputes, Samantha has considerable expertise in financial cases relating to children (Schedule 1 cases) where the parents may not have been married and claims by unmarried cohabitants under trusts of land legislation. This is a specialist area, and Samantha is widely recognised for her skill and success in representing her clients who find themselves in a very different legal landscape to married couples. She is recognised as an expert in complex and high value cases.
Samantha’s financial practice is complemented by her work on cases concerning living and contact arrangements for children, both within this country and internationally. She is often instructed in factually complex and difficult cases in which her charm, down-to-earth professionalism and unwavering support are appreciated by clients involved in litigation over their children’s futures.
Samantha is also trained as a collaborative lawyer and believes passionately that for the right cases, out-of-court dispute resolution can bring a speedier and more dignified resolution.
Samantha has co-written the relocation chapter in the re-published, Rayden and Jackson on Divorce and Family Matters 2016.
Samantha is the co-founder with Harry Gates, a fellow member of chambers, of The Divorce Surgery, a unique service which allows couples to obtain joint, impartial legal advice at any stage of the divorce process: www.thedivorcesurgery.co.uk
Professional Memberships
Middle Temple
FLBA
Directories
‘Samantha is an intelligent and persuasive advocate. She is deeply committed to her clients and always well-prepared. She remains calm under pressure and builds rapport with her clients. She is fantastic to work with and extremely supportive of her instructing solicitors.’
Legal 500 2024 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)
‘Samantha has amazing insight into a case very quickly. She has the ear of the court and makes meaningful submissions which land will with tribunals. She is very empathetic with clients and gives difficult advice in a way in which they feel hugely supported and able to make decisions. She is focused on the settlement but not at all costs. She has huge attention to detail and is a wonderful advocate.’
Legal 500 2024 Tier 2 (Children and Domestic Abuse)
“She has huge empathy and clients know that she gets where they’re coming from.”
“She’s unbelievably good with clients, has very good people skills, is very good on the law, and has great depth of knowledge.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024
‘Samantha is extremely kind and empathetic. She has an excellent manner with clients, even when delivering unwelcome news. Her advocacy is clear and to the point, never aggressive, and she appears well liked and respected by judges and other members of the bar alike. She is intelligent and numerate, and her written documents are persuasive and well structured’
Legal 500 2023 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)
‘Samantha is a brilliant advocate who keeps her cool even in the most difficult situations. She knows her brief like the back of her hand, and clients trust her implicitly as a result.’
Legal 500 2023 Tier 2 (Children Law)
Family practitioner and co-founder of the Divorce Surgery, handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.
Strengths: “Has a way of explaining the subtleties of a case so they matter to both the court and clients.” “She thinks strategically and with settlement at the forefront of her mind.” “She is personable and takes a collaborative approach towards cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
‘She is incredibly polished, brimming with enthusiasm and gets results’ ‘appreciates the nuances of a case and can persuade the court to appreciate the subtleties too‘
Legal 500 2022 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)
‘An absolute joy to work with. She is sensible and pragmatic but with a genuine sense of empathy. Clients like her immediately and she puts them at ease with her confidence and resolution-driven approach.’
Legal 500 2022 Tier 2 (Children Law)
Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.
Strengths: “Personable, all over the detail, and a brilliant advocate. Clients love her and she is a pleasure to instruct.” “She is always brilliantly prepared and fantastic with the clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide a pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.
“Has huge amounts of energy for cases and does not shy away from taking or running a punchy point. She charms clients, solicitors and the court with her straightforward and respectful manner.”
Legal 500 2021 Top Tier, Family (Including Divorce and Financial Remedy)
‘She is fantastic with clients and spots every relevant detail. She has huge amounts of energy for cases and does not shy away from taking or running a punchy point. She charms clients, solicitors and the court with her straightforward and respectful manner. ’hearing.’
Legal 500 2021, Children
“Brilliantly hands-on and very accessible. She’s pragmatic in terms of solutions and is very good both in negotiation or in the courtroom. She also has a really nice way with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
‘Her greatest strength is her ability to empathise with clients in a way which makes them feel completely supported while also making their legal position clear.’‘ Her advice is carefully thought out and she is always meticulously well-prepared for any conference or hearing.’
Legal 500, 2020
Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes, Schedule 1 and leave to remove cases. She is frequently sought out to provide a pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.
Strengths: “Samantha is enormously hard-working and dedicated. She deeply cares about her clients, and produces excellent written documents which are of great advantage to the case.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
‘She is very persuasive with judges in her calm and measured way.’
Legal 500, 2019
Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes, Schedule 1 and leave to remove cases. She is frequently sought out to provide a pre-emptive insight on developing problems before proceedings are issued.
Strengths: “She’s absolutely fantastic and goes above and beyond what she needs to do. Brilliant with clients, she’s approachable and enormously helpful.”
Chambers & Partners 2018
‘She is excellent in difficult money cases involving a need for sensitive management.’
Legal 500, 2017
Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes, Schedule 1 and leave to remove cases.
Strengths: “She has a fantastic manner and goes above and beyond the call of duty.”
Chambers & Partners 2017
‘Incredible with clients and feisty if needs be.’
The Legal 500, 2016
Regarded by her peers as a rising force in the field. She previously qualified as a solicitor and focuses her practice on matrimonial finance and private children work. Sources are quick to praise her preparation and work ethic.
Strengths: “She prepares thoroughly and produces very high-quality documents. She has got a very engaging, lively personality and even though she is young she radiates authority. The clients trust her.”
Chambers & Partners 2016
‘She is extremely personable and immediately establishes a fantastic and empathetic rapport with clients.’ ‘Punches above her weight, and is a superb advocate.’
The Legal 500, 2015
A rising junior dealing with high-value financial disputes and contentious private law children matters. “A pleasure to work with and someone who is very on top of the facts. She’s very good with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2015
Samantha Woodham – A star of the future with infectious energy and enthusiasm.
The Legal 500, 2014
Debuts in the rankings this year and is gaining much recognition for her work relating to financial remedy cases and trusts of land applications. “A star of the future, who gives her all to clients and works incredibly hard to get the right result.”
Chambers & Partners 2014
The ‘endlessly charming’ Samantha Woodham
The Legal 500, 2013