Maria Henty

Call: 2012

"You want Maria in your corner, she has a no-nonsense approach and is a fierce advocate."

Chambers & Partners, 2026

"Maria is a formidable barrister, a real star in the making. Her advocacy is outstanding."

Legal 500, 2025

"Maria has a really engaging manner, is completely on top of the detail, but is good at understanding the human elements of a case."

Chambers & Partners, 2026

"Maria is a passionate and motivated barrister. She works tirelessly to ensure the correct outcome is achieved and is very popular with her clients."

Chambers & Partners, 2026

"She is a robust advocate and has the ear of the judge."

Legal 500, 2026

Maria Henty is building a practice in all areas of family law, with a particular interest in family finance.

Maria read social and political sciences at Girton College, Cambridge before converting to law. Prior to coming to the bar, Maria worked for two years as a solicitors’ agent, attending the County Court on a daily basis on a variety of civil matters.

She is a founding donor and assisting barrister for the legal charity Not Beyond Redemption, assisting mothers in prison or recently released from prison with re-establishing and regenerating the fundamental relationship between mother and child.

Maria accepts instructions to act as an evaluator in private FDRs. Maria can also assist as an evaluator for pDRAs.

Maria is direct access qualified.

In January 2024, Maria was reported in the following judgment: K v Y [2023] EWFC 262 (B) following complex private children proceedings. Maria was praised in the judgment for the clear and careful way in which she put her client’s case.

In October 2024, following an appeal in the High Court in August 2024 Maria was reported in the case of Re: V (Appeal: Relocation) [2024] EWHC 2600 (Fam). In this matter Maria successfully represented the respondent mother on appeal. The matter concerned internal relocation by the mother to a Northern city.

“Maria is fantastic – I never have any hesitation in briefing her. She’s always well prepared and a robust advocate. She has excellent client care and communication skills. I have instructed her on some cases with unusual circumstances and she gets to grips quickly with the salient facts and her advice is spot on.” – Partner, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 ranked firm

“Maria is absolutely brilliant with clients. She is so friendly and approachable yet straight-talking and tough when she needs to be. Maria is always so well prepared which together with her eye for detail really instils confidence in the client. It is a pleasure to instruct Maria as she just makes it so easy.” – Solicitor

“I regularly brief Maria as I know that her prep is impeccable and she is always prepared to go above and beyond for the client. She is a joy to brief.” – Deputy Head of Family Law, Regional Firm

“Maria is a pleasure to work with. She has excellent client care skills and goes above and beyond for her clients and instructing solicitor.” – Partner, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 ranked firm

“Maria is not only an excellent advocate but her client care skills are a cut above the rest. Maria’s energy and dogged determination is inspiring. She is always extremely well prepared and shows real empathy for every client who feel well cared for, safe in the knowledge she will fight for them. Maria is my first choice every time.” – Partner, Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 ranked firm

“Maria gets to the heart of the issue straight away and will always find a sympathetic but pragmatic way forward.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024

“Maria is an absolutely top-draw advocate, a force of nature in court, dealing with the trickiest of opponents or litigants in person with calm composure. Maria is both forensic in her analysis and empathetic with clients. She is always approachable and good-humoured, even on the toughest of cases. She is simply excellent.’” – Legal 500, 2024

“Excellent client skills and a very robust advocate. She really cares about her cases and her instructing solicitors.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024

“Maria Henty is gaining a strong reputation for financial remedy work, and her advocacy and cross-examination have been described as ‘phenomenally impressive’.” – Legal 500, 2024

“Maria Henty is always willing to fight the client’s corner to achieve the best settlement.” – Chambers & Partners, 2025

“Maria is a pleasure to work with. She is pro-active and tactically smart and really takes the time to make sure that her lay clients feel heard.” – Chambers & Partners, 2025

“Maria’s written work is clear, concise and always impresses the court and she has excellent client care skills. She is tactically smart and pragmatic.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024

“Maria is a tenacious advocate, she always goes above and beyond for her clients and instructing solicitors.” – Chambers & Partners, 2026

“Maria takes a no-nonsense approach and is a robust negotiator. She works hard for the clients, which they very much appreciate.” – Chambers & Partners, 2026

Expertise

Family Finance

Maria has a growing family finance practice and has experience in dealing with cases involving pensions, foreign assets, companies, multiple properties, intervenors, trusts, enforcement, freezing injunctions, and pre-nuptial & post-nuptial agreements.

Maria welcomes the use of ADR and has experience in representing clients at private FDRs and in final hearings conducted by way of arbitration.

In the summer of 2019, Maria assisted in house at a boutique firm of family solicitors in London. Maria worked on cases concerning high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals.

Maria acts in family finance cases from first appointment to final hearing.

Maria has also acted in Schedule 1 Act claims.

Cases

H v H (2020)

Multi-day preliminary issues hearing concerning assets outside of this jurisdiction, with intervenors.

E v E (2019)

Represented an applicant at a three day final hearing. Respondent was represented by a silk. Argument concerning whether the child was a child of the family. Successful in arguing that the child was a child of the family, that this was a needs case, and securing a 90:10 split in favour of the applicant as a result. Outcome upheld on appeal. Successful in obtaining a costs order against the respondent in respect of unreasonable conduct and failure to comply with the Family Procedure Rules.

S v S (2019)

Enforcement and order for sale application in a case where the financial remedies order was over 20 year’s old. Involving property out of the jurisdiction and advice from foreign lawyers.

H v H (2019)

Represented a respondent at a four day final hearing. Extensive assets outside the jurisdiction and a dispute over whether the decision of the court (and appeal court) in that jurisdiction should be binding. Successful in obtaining a substantial costs order against the applicant in respect of unreasonable arguments run at trial and non-compliance with the Family Procedure Rules in respect of offers.

K v K (2019)

Represented a respondent in a one day final hearing. Successful in obtaining a lump sum order for the respondent who had elevated needs in light of a long standing injury, despite the parties having a young child and limited resources.

View more cases

Children Law (Private)

Maria has represented parents at all stages of private children proceedings: her experience at trial in the criminal and civil courts means that she is well practised in cross-examination, including of experts.

Recently Maria has been involved in cases involving: international relocation; internal relocation; leave to remove temporarily from the jurisdiction for a holiday; consent as to medical treatment; revocation of parental responsibility; special guardianship orders for family members; change of a child’s name; witchcraft; parental alienation; appointment of guardian; and sexual abuse of a child.

She also has experience in respect of enforcement applications and appeals.

Maria has been praised for her thorough preparation and presentational skills.

Cases

S v A (2018)

Following two years of litigation, successful reunification of applicant and child including a change of who the child lives with. Complex factual background, including the involvement of social services with another child, domestic abuse, corporal punishment, and allegations of witchcraft.

B v B (2018)

Success at one day final hearing in respect of a prohibited steps order remaining in place so as to prevent a medical procedure.

W v W (2018)

Successful defence in enforcement proceedings, avoiding any form of punishment or fine, following repeated breaches of a final order. One day contested hearing.