Samara Brackley
Call: 2016
Education
- University of Bristol, French and Italian BA (Hons) (2:1)
- Kaplan Law School, GDL (Commendation)
- BPP, BPTC (Very Competent: Outstanding in Opinion Writing, Cross Examination, Examination in Chief and Family Law modules)
Scholarships
- Gray’s Inn Cynthia Terry BPTC Award (Major Scholarship)
- BPP Advocacy Scholarship
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- FLBA
- Gray’s Inn
- Advocate
- Member of the Resolution Cohabitation Committee
- Bar Representative for the Hampshire YRes committee
Samara actively contributes to life at Gray’s Inn, particularly in relation to music and performance having achieved Grade 8 Singing, Grade 8 Acting and Grade 8 Musical Theatre.
She is a member of the Gray’s Inn Chapel Choir, the Gray’s Inn Songbirds and performs in the Gray’s Inn Miscellany.
Samara assists with advocacy training at taster days aimed at university students and judges moots for BPTC students. She is a member of the Gray’s Inn Moots Committee.
Samara enjoys art, history and politics. Samara is highly proficient in French and Italian, having spent time abroad during her degree in Geneva and Bologna respectively.
Instructing Samara Brackley
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.
Samara has a busy practice in all areas of private family law. Samara’s practice focusses on financial remedies and cohabitation disputes (TLATA and Schedule 1) as well as private children law work.
Samara is frequently instructed by the same client for both their finance and children disputes and understands the importance of continuity of counsel. Samara is mindful that settlement will often be in a client’s best interests and she provides robust advice where required. She welcomes a collaborative approach with her instructing solicitors and clients and is happy to advise at any stage of litigation. Samara is also available to sit as a pFDR tribunal.
Samara is recognised for her expertise in the Spear’s 500 Family Law Barristers Index 2024, where she features as a ‘Top Recommended’ barrister and in the Legal 500 2025 as a ‘Leading Junior’.
Samara is an active member of Resolution. She is a member of the Hampshire YRes committee and the Resolution Cohabitation Committee.
Legal Services
Samara assists clients in all financial remedies disciplines and has a busy matrimonial finance practice.
Samara’s cases increasingly involve factual disputes, which have recently included third party interests in matrimonial property, inherited wealth and conduct. Samara has increasing experience of dealing with agreements (PNAs, separation agreements or Xydhias arguments) and the litigation strategy required to deal with challenging or upholding agreements.
Samara’s cases often involve an international element. She accepts instructions on Part III matters and is happy to advise on jurisdictional issues.
Samara is an advocate for ADR at all stages of proceedings. She also acts as a pFDR tribunal.
Selected Cases
HJB v WPB (financial remedies) (separation agreement – application to show cause) [2024] EWFC 187
Samara acted as junior counsel for the wife, led by Ed Boydell KC in a notice to show cause application brought by the husband to hold the wife to a separation agreement. Samara had also represented the wife in the parties’ Children Act proceedings.
H v H
Junior counsel for H in an 8-day final hearing. Issues involved separating the parties’ property portfolio of c. 115 properties (including some in negative equity), the parties’ multiple businesses (some SPV’s), and issues arising from H’s tangential bankruptcy proceedings.
B v B
Samara represented H for four years, culminating in a 5-day final hearing, where there were several factual issues including disputed loans, disputed beneficial ownership of investment properties, contributions arguments and most notably, W’s non-disclosure of several properties which had been subject to tangential TLATA proceedings involving her ex-partner (subsequent to the marriage). Samara secured a finding at trial that W had deliberately hidden assets from the Family Court and had produced sham loan agreements to cover up monies transferred to her ex-partner to purchase the non-disclosed properties. Samara also secured a costs order against W for 50% of H’s costs.
Samara represents clients at all stages of private children law disputes. She frequently acts in cases with welfare-only considerations as well as cases with allegations of domestic abuse.
Samara’s experience of allegations also includes allegations of alienating behaviours. She has acted in many cases with Guardian appointments and has successfully challenged expert opinions in such cases (including ISWs and psychologists).
Samara’s cases increasingly involve health and educational (including SEN) issues, either relating to the child or the parents. She is sensitive to the complexities that cases involving additional needs can bring.
Samara is an advocate for ADR at all stages of proceedings.
Selected Cases
Re N (A Child) [2024] EWFC 331 (B)
final hearing judgment where Samara had represented the mother throughout, with proceedings culminating in an order for no direct contact between the father and the child N. The procedural aspects of the case were unusual, owing to the father not having complied with the majority of directions made. Samara represented the mother for both the finance and children proceedings.
Re S (Children: Parentage and Jurisdiction) [2023] EWCA Civ 987
Junior counsel for the Appellant where the appellant won on both grounds, addressing whether the appellant was the legal parent of the children under s.42 HFEA 2008 and whether the English court had jurisdiction under FLA 1986, in circumstances where if the English court did not accept jurisdiction, there was no other jurisdiction available to the appellant to bring her case. Re S is now the leading authority on both points of law considered.
A v B (Private Law Final Hearing – Application for Non-Molestation Order) [2023] EWFC 74
final hearing where Samara had represented the mother throughout proceedings concerning her child with the father. The mother had a diagnosis of a ‘major depressive episode’, which had been assessed by an SJE psychiatrist who attended the final hearing to give evidence.
Samara has an increasing practice in cohabitee disputes. She accepts instructions in domestic TLATA claims, Schedule 1 applications, and where the two applications are made simultaneously. Samara has experience of advising at an early stage, including pre-issue ADR.
Selected Cases
H v H
complex Schedule 1 case with total net assets in excess of £20m where all but two assets (worth less than £500,000 combined) were held in the father’s name, after an 18-year relationship where the mother could not work due to illness. Samara represented the mother.
- Resolution Working Group on Domestic Abuse in Financial Remedy proceedings – From the Members of the Working Party, Samara Brackley and Stephanie Coker, Family Law Week, 11 November 2024
- Step-children and half-siblings in family proceedings, Mark Ablett and Samara Brackley, Family Law Journal, July [2021] Fam Law 976
- Without Notice applications in Children Act and Family Law Act: tips, pointers and warnings, Mark Ablett and Samara Brackley, Family Law Journal, April [2021] Fam Law 553
- Samara Brackley to host roundtable discussion on cohabitation at 3rd Annual HNW Divorce Next Gen Summit
- Re N (A Child) – Samara Brackley acts for Respondent Mother in recently published judgment
- Resolution Working Group on Domestic Abuse in Financial Remedy proceedings – From the Members of the Working Party
- Four new pupils at Pump Court Chambers
- Pump Court maintains Top Tier status in the Legal 500 2025 rankings
More related news for Samara Brackley
Education
- University of Bristol, French and Italian BA (Hons) (2:1)
- Kaplan Law School, GDL (Commendation)
- BPP, BPTC (Very Competent: Outstanding in Opinion Writing, Cross Examination, Examination in Chief and Family Law modules)
Scholarships
- Gray’s Inn Cynthia Terry BPTC Award (Major Scholarship)
- BPP Advocacy Scholarship
- Young Legal Aid Lawyers
- FLBA
- Gray’s Inn
- Advocate
- Member of the Resolution Cohabitation Committee
- Bar Representative for the Hampshire YRes committee
Samara actively contributes to life at Gray’s Inn, particularly in relation to music and performance having achieved Grade 8 Singing, Grade 8 Acting and Grade 8 Musical Theatre.
She is a member of the Gray’s Inn Chapel Choir, the Gray’s Inn Songbirds and performs in the Gray’s Inn Miscellany.
Samara assists with advocacy training at taster days aimed at university students and judges moots for BPTC students. She is a member of the Gray’s Inn Moots Committee.
Samara enjoys art, history and politics. Samara is highly proficient in French and Italian, having spent time abroad during her degree in Geneva and Bologna respectively.
Instructing Samara Brackley
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.
