Zoe Rudd

Call: 2003

Zoe Rudd has over 20 years of experience at the bar and is a specialist in family law, undertaking all aspects of Family Finance and Private Children work, including associated injunctions and in matters concerning an appeal.

She provides practical advice, including consideration of case-appropriate alternate dispute resolution options, including mediation, arbitration and therapeutic interventions. Zoe is pragmatic and seeks to find workable solutions as early as possible in proceedings. Zoe regularly appears in courts throughout the south of England at all levels, and often provides advice as to the courts’ anticipated approach at an early stage. Zoe is robust yet calm, compassionate and has a sensible practical approach that clients, both professional and outside of the law, often find refreshing and much needed when it comes to dealing with the Court process.

Zoe undertakes cases at all stages of proceedings and to ensure careful case management and that appropriate experts are involved, it is recommended that in complex or high conflict cases, she is involved as early as possible. Zoe is also instructed to provide preliminary advice prior to proceedings being issued.

Zoe’s practice span often leads to her being instructed in cases involving clients involved in concurrent disputes regarding their children, injunctions and the family finances. Zoe is able to provide advice to ensure that decisions in all proceedings are considered holistically.

Zoe additionally accepts Direct Access instruction from members of the public in appropriate circumstances.

Expertise

Children Law (Private)

Zoe undertakes all aspects of Private Law Children work and is often instructed in cases where alienating behaviour is alleged. She previously undertook Public Law children work and therefore has significant experienced in cases involving all aspects of abuse, mental health difficulties (including addictions and personality disorders) and cases where local authorities are involved with the family. Zoe regularly undertakes complex cases where expert assessment is required and multi-party cases where a Guardian is often instructed.

Zoe is experienced in cases involving the following issues:

Child Arrangements Orders; including for older children, including those over 16 years where specific issues arise, as well as applications to vary previous orders.
Cases involving welfare concerns requiring the involvement of CAFCASS / NYAS / ISW’s or other external agencies.
Domestic abuse involving allegations of controlling and coercive behaviour, physical, emotional, sexual and psychological abuse including drafting documents in advance of a fact-finding hearing.
Allegations of alienating behaviours,
Cases involving experts, including conflicting expert assessments.
Applications for temporary and permanent Internal and international relocation.
Cases involving neurodivergence in respect of both adults and children.
Cases involving mental health issues in both adults and children.
Addiction issues
Allegations of child abuse, including all aspects of abuse, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and specifically those involving parental acrimony and emotional harm of the children by including them in the adult issues and disputes.
Cases where there is no contact, supervised contact and where the child expresses that they do not wish to spend time with a parent / extended family member including grandparents.
Shared care arrangements
Where English is not the first language of one or more of the parties or witnesses.
Cases where cultural issues are a feature.
Matters of parental responsibility including where one or more of the parties seeks to act unilaterally and where Specific Issue Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders are required.
Specific Issue Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders including health, education religion and holiday arrangements.
Representing parties at FHDRA, DRA, pre-trial reviews, Fact-Finding hearings and final hearings as well as appeals, enforcement applications and contested interim hearings.

Family Finance

Zoe undertakes all aspects of Family Finance work. Zoe regularly undertakes complex cases where experts are required, including matters in which single experts and shadow experts are engaged by a party in challenging an appointed SJE. She is regularly instructed to represent clients in cases across the spectrum of needs, from modest value cases to those with high net-worth individuals, significant assets and Trusts matters.

Zoe is experienced in cases involving the following issues:

Business interests, shareholdings and Company structures;
Disputed pension provision;
Inherited wealth and Trusts matters;
High conflict “Needs and sharing cases”, including those where conduct and contributions are in issue.
Arguments as to excluding/ring-fencing assets, whether between the parties or through the involvement of third parties within the litigation;
Cases involving adult children, including those with a disability.
Matters involving experts, including conflicting expert assessments.
Allegations of non-disclosure and associated litigation conduct issues being raised.
Cases involving neurodivergence in respect of both adults and children.
Matters involving mental health issues in both adults and children and cases where litigation capacity is an issue, including fluctuating capacity and litigation friends are required.
Where English is not the first language of one or more of the parties or witnesses.
Interim applications, including Maintenance Pending Suit and Litigation funding.
Notice to Show cause applications
Preliminary issue hearings, including contested factual and legal disputes and conflicting expert evidence.
Applications for variation or set aside of Orders
Cases where cultural issues are a feature.
Representing parties at FDA, FDR, MPS hearings, pre-trial reviews, preliminary issue hearings and final hearings as well as appeals, enforcement applications and contested interim hearings.
Advice on Appeal is also provided, including in matters where a second opinion is sought and cases in which Zoe was not originally instructed.