Rayden Solicitors

Rayden Solicitors is an award-winning, top tier-ranked family law firm with offices across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, London and the West Midlands. Founded in 2005 by Senior Partner Katherine Rayden, the firm has grown to become the second largest specialist family law practice in England and Wales as of 2025. It focuses exclusively on private family law, with all fee-earners specialising in this area.

The firm operates from offices in St Albans, Berkhamsted, Beaconsfield, Hampstead, Bishop’s Stortford, Harpenden, Epping, London Bridge and Birmingham. Its team includes 15 Partners, 7 Legal Directors and 34 solicitors. Rayden Solicitors uses a team-based structure, ensuring appropriate allocation of legal resources for each case, with overall strategy led by a Partner.

The practice covers all aspects of private family law, including children matters, divorce and separation, financial claims, pre and post-nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, domestic abuse, and international family law. The firm has particular expertise in financial issues involving trusts, offshore assets, partnerships and cross-border considerations, as well as child arrangements, parental disputes, surrogacy and grandparents’ rights.

Rayden Solicitors also provides Alternative Dispute Resolution services. Partner Julian Bremner is a qualified Financial Arbitrator, while Partner Emily Watson is a Child Arbitrator. Legal Director Che Meakins is a trained mediator and a Specialist Accredited member of Resolution, and several lawyers, including Partner Paula Butterworth, Legal Directors Lehna Gardiner and Marc Etherington, and Associate Bhini Phagura, are qualified in Collaborative Law. The firm’s Anglo-French family law service is led by Partner Abby Westell and Legal Director Che Meakins, both fluent French speakers with significant experience in cross-border family cases involving France, Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

The firm frequently advises international and overseas-based clients with links to England and Wales and works with a global network of experts on offshore assets, trusts, investments and pensions.

Staffing

15 UK Partners
45 Other UK Fee-earners
7 UK Trainees
6 UK Paralegals