EMILY WATSON
PARTNER AND CHILD ARBITRATOR
Emily Watson has extensive experience of the many and complex financial issues arising from separation and divorce, including those with an international divorce dimension. She also has significant experience of disputes concerning children, with a particular expertise in contested Child Arrangements Orders and a strong track record in external relocation (leave to remove) cases. Emily has also dealt with a large number of pre and post nuptial agreements, separation agreements and cohabitation disputes.
Emily is a qualified children Arbitrator and is able to arbitrate private law children disputes. She is also a Resolution accredited specialist in Children Law (private) and Complex Financial Remedies (middle/high income and assets).
Emily has been consistently ranked as a “leading individual” in the Legal 500 since 2018, where she has been described as “calm, thorough, with a great eye for detail”.
Emily is also ranked in Chambers & Partners where she is described as “going the extra mile for her clients”.
Clients appreciate Emily’s supportive manner, her clear explanations of the legal issues and willingness to fight their corner robustly when appropriate.
Emily is a member of Resolution. She is a former member of Resolution’s Precedent Drafting Committee and of their Cohabitation Working Party. Emily also contributes regularly to professional press, including the Family Law Journal.
Emily trained at top London family law firm Manches and has practised family law exclusively since qualifying in 2002. She worked at Dawsons for nearly five years and then joined Kingsley Napsley in 2007, continuing to develop her expertise in a range of family law issues at both firms.
Emily is based in Berkhamsted but is also able to meet clients in St Albans, Harpenden or London.
Email Emily.
Emily is supported by Katie Hughes. Email Katie.
Thank you so much for all your help. I really appreciate how it was all handled and I couldn’t have asked for a better service from you.
Client on Emily
I’d like to offer my sincere thanks. You have a very difficult job and you do it with great compassion and professionalism.
Client on Emily
Thank you once again for all of your hard work and advice but actually for your support and caring manner. You are great at what you do because I think you really do care.
Client on Emily
Emily is ‘a superb lawyer’.
Legal 500
Emily ‘gets to the core of a problem quickly’.
Legal 500
Emily is a star and simply wonderful to deal with! She is direct, succinct, highly professional, organised, crystal clear and very efficient. She is absolutely brilliant and it is a complete pleasure to work with her!
Client on Emily
Consulting Rayden Solicitors was the best decision I ever made when I needed sensible legal support during an international marriage break up. Mine was a particularly difficult case and Emily Watson treated me with sensitivity but with the strength I needed to win my case. I can never thank them enough, their legal advice was tremendous.
Client on Emily
I knew when I originally came to see you a few years ago that you would be the one I would go to when I needed legal advice. Very approachable, understanding and professional. I have received excellent service from you and the staff at Raydens at all times. Your professionalism, knowledge and support have been second to none.
Client on Emily
Along with her undoubted experience, she is innately reassuring, resourceful and compassionate.
Chambers and Partners
Though the process was long and arduous I always felt I was in strong hands and receiving the right guidance for which you have my sincerest gratitude.
Client on Emily
…thanks again to you and Georgina for all of your support through such a hugely difficult time, everyone at Rayden was so professional but also really lovely and supportive – it made the whole ordeal so much easier to live through and I really appreciate it.
Client on Emily
I knew from the moment meeting, you were the person I wanted alongside me to navigate through this process. I recognised your expertise and how well you had all the bases covered.
Client on Emily
I am very grateful for your wise and level-headed guidance in navigating this journey. The entire legal team you arranged have been exceptional, very professional and wonderfully supportive.
Client on Emily
Reported Cases:
- Emily acted for the mother in the High Court case of L v L (Child: Arrangements Following Treatment) [2017] EWHC 1212 (Fam) (19 May 2017)
- Prior to joining Rayden Solicitors, Emily ran a complex and long-running international High Court case on behalf of three intervenors, culminating in obtaining a rare costs order against the LSC, reported as LSC v F, A and V [2011] EWHC
