Pump Court Chambers

Mark Ablett

Call: 2014

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  • French & History – University of Warwick
  • GDL – University of Law
  • BPTC – University of Law (Middle Temple Blackstone Entrance Exhibition Award)
  • IBA Family Law Committee 2017 scholar

Mark is a food fanatic and when not in court can be found in his garden smoking sides of salmon and roasting coffee beans (although not simultaneously), to the mild irritation of his long-suffering neighbours. Mark is also an avid follower of the travails of Liverpool FC and devotes his time to ensuring his young daughter shares his loyalties.

Instructing Mark Ablett

Would you like to know more?

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.

Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.

Mark Ablett has a specialist practice in family law, appearing at all levels of the Family Court and High Court having completed pupillage in October 2017. His background as the senior paralegal at a leading family law solicitors firm lends an experience of working on big money divorce cases.

He is frequently instructed on family finance cases with a complex element, often involving asset-protection structures, as well as private law children cases. He handles Family Law Act injunctions and has a growing practice in TOLATA claims.

In all practice areas, Mark is sensitive to the benefits of settlement where achievable but does not hesitate in taking a robust approach where necessary. Profiling his expertise, Mark regularly provides talks and case updates to leading law firms as well as writing articles  for key publications (both online and in print), and has been published in the Guardian. Mark’s first book was published in June 2024. Mark was also proud to achieve recognition when awarded the IBA Family Law Committee scholarship in 2017, enabling him to attend and speak at the IBA annual conference in Sydney (2017).

He 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.

Mark is the co-founder of the successful Pump Court Family Law Podcast, which was a finalist in the Family Law Commentator of the Year category at the 2023 Family Law Awards.

 

Legal Services

Mark’s practice encompasses all aspects of the financial consequences of relationship breakdown, having been instructed both in applications under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and Schedule 1 Children Act 1989. In relation to the latter, he has authored the relevant chapter for the forthcoming Resolution guide to maintenance claims.

Mark came to the Bar with a background in family finance, having worked for two years pre-pupillage as a paralegal on big money divorces, handling one case involving assets worth several billion dollars held in a Cayman Islands trust. Mark applies this experience in cases where he is instructed to deal with on and off-shore trusts and complex company structures. Mark is experienced dealing with cases involving third party interests and has acted in numerous cases with intervenors and joined third parties.

In summer 2019, Mark assisted in-house at a boutique family firm, specialising in high and ultra-high net worth cases as well as complex children proceedings. Mark is well-versed in arguments over non-matrimonial property, pre-nuptial agreements and complex pension arrangements.

Mark is frequently instructed to advise pre-proceedings. He has experience advising on proposed terms of pre-nuptial agreements, the enforceability of proposed foreign settlements and recognition of foreign divorces.

Mark is familiar with international aspects to financial disputes, such as disputed contested divorce jurisdiction and divorce validity. Conflict of laws is a particular interest and was the subject of a talk given by Mark at the IBA annual conference in Sydney in 2017. Mark also has experience of Part III MFPA proceedings, both at permission stage and substantively.

Mark is known for his attention to detail, meticulous case preparation and knowledge of the law, and has received particular praise for his written documents and manner with clients. He regularly gives seminars and is frequently asked to write articles for such journals as the Family Law journal and Financial Remedies Journal. He has recently published a book on Barder events and has contributed a chapter to the forthcoming Resolution guide to maintenance claims.

Selected Cases

S v S

Junior counsel (led by Edward Boydell) in proceedings before a High Court judge. Net assets were approximately £16 million with various company valuations and complex tax considerations.

M v L

Notice to show cause application following settlement reached 2 weeks prior to final hearing, only for H to seek to resile. Additional context was a large alleged loan from H’s sister. Mark succeed in upholding the agreement.

R v R

Substantial assets held within a group of companies involving third parties and various inter-company loans and arrangements. Mark unpicked the structures and secured a substantial cash settlement for his client.

F v A

Contested divorce jurisdiction hearing applying forum conveniens principles

X v X

Complex multi-jurisdiction post-nuptial agreement involving high net worth parties.

T v T & T

Matrimonial proceedings where a family member was joined for a preliminary issue hearing on the beneficial ownership of the family home; Mark’s client was successful.

W v H

Advised pre-proceedings on divorce and financial remedies options as part of a multi-jurisdictional legal team for a wealthy individual, including drafting of post-nuptial agreement.

Mark has represented parents across the full spectrum of private children proceedings. He has experience of intractable hostility to contact and parental alienation; he has acted in proceedings with and on behalf of r.16.4 guardians. Mark is confident dealing with cases involving allegations of domestic abuse and finding the proportionate approach to take. His cases have involved allegations of serious harm against children, including sexual abuse as well as vulnerable children with a high level of need.

Mark also deals with both internal and international relocation cases, having been instructed to assist in the preparation of the father’s case in S v S (Relocation) [2017] EWHC 2345 (Fam).

Mark’s international practice also includes recognising overseas child arrangements agreements or similar and cases involving non-EU and non-Hague Convention 1996 countries.

Mark has been praised for adopting a child-focused and pragmatic approach where possible, whilst being robust in litigating a case where necessary.

Selected Cases

G v G

Acted on behalf of the respondent in proceedings where Mark’s client was having no contact at all with one of the children. Following a highly inadequate section 7 report, Mark persuaded the court to order an ISW report instead and at final hearing Mark secured an order for shared care.

G v S

The child was unilaterally removed from the family home by parent A. Mark acted for parent B throughout, successfully securing numerous findings of fact and ultimately securing a change of residence.

M v F

Successfully resisted an effective diagnosis by a psychologist of parental alienation.

E v E

Arbitration in relation to internal relocation with a very young child. Mark successfully resisted the application despite a section 7 report in his favour being dismissed by the arbitrator.

H v D

Proceedings involving high risk allegations. Mark managed to avoid a fact-finding for his client by obtaining a risk assessment instead, leading to final agreement for Mark’s client to see his child for the first time in 3 years.

Mark has a growing a practice in TLATA claims and associated proceedings, for which he advises in writing and appears in court.

Recent cases have involved: proprietary estoppel arguments in a quasi-matrimonial situation; facts very similar to those in Jones v Kernott (for which Mark secured a favourably alternative outcome); TLATA proceedings within matrimonial proceedings and claims for equitable accounting.

  • A practical guide to Barder events in financial remedy proceedings in family law (2024, Law Brief Publishing)
  • “Child Maintenance in Cases of Equal Shared Care”, Financial Remedies Journal (Winter 2023). Co-author with Stuart McGhee.
  • “Step-children and half-siblings in family proceedings” Family Law Journal [2021] Fam Law 976. Co-author with Samara Brackley.
  • “Without Notice applications in Children Act and Family Law Act: tips, pointers and warnings” Family Law Journal [2021] Fam Law 553. Co-author with Samara Brackley.
  • Brexit and Family Law, The Review, Issue 199
  • “Costs in fact-finding proceedings against the legally aided litigant” – [2019] Fam Law 407. Co-author with Alice Scott
  • “The without prejudice rule in children proceedings: myth or reality?” Family Law Journal, [2018] Fam Law 208
  • “Costs: Reassessing the Starting Point”, Family Law Week, 27 January 2017
  • “Why it pays for the wealthy to divorce in Singapore (and not Hong Kong)”, Trusts & Trustees, Vol. 22, No. 5, June 2016, pp. 525–530 (co-author)
  • “Ordering the would-be undertaker: the equitable reach of the Family Court”, Family Law Week, 8 July 2016 (co-author)
  • French & History – University of Warwick
  • GDL – University of Law
  • BPTC – University of Law (Middle Temple Blackstone Entrance Exhibition Award)
  • IBA Family Law Committee 2017 scholar

Mark is a food fanatic and when not in court can be found in his garden smoking sides of salmon and roasting coffee beans (although not simultaneously), to the mild irritation of his long-suffering neighbours. Mark is also an avid follower of the travails of Liverpool FC and devotes his time to ensuring his young daughter shares his loyalties.

Instructing Mark Ablett

Would you like to know more?

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.

Call +44 (0)20 7353 0711 or email clerks@pumpcourtchambers.com.

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