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“Thorough analysis and legal expertise. No detail of any case escapes her”
Legal 500
“A brilliant lawyer”
Legal 500
Kathryn is a dedicated lawyer with extensive expertise in financial and child arrangement cases arising from relationship breakdowns.
She has managed complex court cases, both domestically and internationally, navigating competing legal systems. Her international family law experience includes cross-border divorce, financial issues, and child relocation.
Kathryn has acted in cases involving challenging trust and corporate structures in divorce proceedings and is skilled in drafting pre-nuptial agreements.
As Head of our Alternative Families team, she is experienced in international and domestic surrogacy cases, supporting parents with parental order applications following a child’s birth.
A proponent of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR), Kathryn encourages clients to resolve disputes through arbitration and mediation. She is a member of Resolution and a regular contributor to their journal, The Review.
She holds a History degree from the University of Cambridge and a Law degree from the University of London. Called to the Bar in 2013, she qualified as a solicitor in 2017 with distinction in her Legal Practice Course. Kathryn is also a solicitor-advocate, representing clients in court as their advocate.
Highlights
- Kathryn represented a mother in court proceedings and secured interim leave to move to Sweden with the child.
- Represented a wife in a case involving worldwide freezing orders, non-compliance, and enforcement.
- Represented the husband/father in a multi-jurisdictional dispute, across Russia and the UK, advising on issues including recognition of a foreign divorce; whether orders obtained abroad in relation to children should be recognised by the English court; Part III; ancillary issues surrounding finances, including legal costs funding, interim financial provision, and the preservation of assets. The case went to the Court of Appeal.
- Secured parental orders in domestic and international surrogacy cases, and as solicitor-advocate represented them herself in court.
- Kathryn is a regular panellist at leading family law conferences, speaking about international private law and child maintenance issues.
- Kathryn often provides commentary to the legal and mainstream press on topical family law issues.
- Kathryn was awarded runner-up at the IAFL Young Lawyers award.
- She was named as a key lawyer in Legal 500 and shortlisted for Associate of the Year in the Family Law Awards 2023.
- Kathryn was awarded “The One to Watch” at the British Family Law Awards 2024.
Client & Professional Testimonials
These are some of Kathryn’s testimonials from previous clients and journals that regularly review practising lawyers.
“Kathryn is very experienced in alternative family work, with an unusual degree of expertise in international surrogacy arrangements”
Legal 500 2023
“Kathryn Cassells is excellent, thorough and pragmatic”
Legal 500 2023
“Clients love her for her attention to detail and unwavering passion to get the best results for them.”
Legal 500 2022
“Excellent eye for detail on all the important points, very thorough and diligent, hardworking and reassuring.”
Legal 500 2022
“Already establishing a brilliant reputation in the field for her thorough analysis and legal expertise. No detail of any case escapes her. She is particularly good at assessing wider case strategy where there are inter-related financial and children issues.”
Legal 500 2021
“Already a star of her generation… I have no doubt that she will be a leading family lawyer of the future.”
Charlotte Hartley, 1 KBW
“An intellect, maturity and mastery of a case to rival those many years her senior.”
Will Tyzack, QEB
“Exactly the kind of solicitor any client would want on their side.”
Daisy Hughes, 1GC