Matrimonial Finance Breakfast Seminar 2
Please join us on Thursday 10th October at 8.45am for the second in our online Matrimonial Finance breakfast seminar series. This seminar will be...
Senior Clerk - Family and Court of Protection
Family Clerk
Assistant Senior Clerk (Matrimonial Finance)
“Frances remains calm in a storm and has a wonderful way of putting clients at ease notwithstanding the pressures of the day. Even when faced with a ‘losing’ argument, she remains tenacious and thorough until the end, and she has a keen eye for detail and her client care is second-to-none.”
Legal 500, 2025
Strengths: “Frances has a keen eye for detail which makes her perfect for complicated cases involving difficult assets. She is always extremely well prepared and will know cases very well.”
“She’s always really well prepared. Diligent but with a calm manner. Frances gets the results that clients want.”
“Her written advocacy is powerful and often sways the case and judge before she makes any submissions. She goes above and beyond for clients.”
Chambers UK Bar, 2025
Prolific family law junior who specialises in financial remedy proceedings, particularly those involving high net worth individuals. Her cases cover a range of complex matters, including company valuations and freezing orders, and often have cross-border aspects.
Frances read Law with Australian Law and Politics at the University of Nottingham, spending a year studying at the University of Melbourne on a scholarship. She was called to the Bar in 2005 by the Inner Temple and specialises in Family Law.
Frances is a family law specialist. She has a particular interest in cases dealing with the financial division on divorce and is regularly instructed in high asset cases.
Frances regularly advises in cases involving:
Frances also deals with cases involving property disputes between unmarried former cohabitants under TLATA 1996, financial provision for children under Schedule One Children Act 1989 and child support appeals.
S v S (2018) St Helens Family Court
Acted for the wife in a case in which the majority of the assets derived from the sale proceeds of the husband’s shareholding in a company.
The husband sought a departure from equal division on the basis that his shareholding was acquired prior to the marriage. He also sought to argue that he had settled a large proportion of the sale proceeds of the shares into a trust in favour of his adult children from a previous relationship.
Result – The assets were divided 50:50. The Court rejected to husband’s arguments in relation to the trust and non-matrimonial property.
R v D (2017) Manchester Family Court
Acted for the wife in a case in which was factually complex due to the basis upon assets were held and the tax consequences of any order.
The parties were joint shareholders in a company, which traded from land that was personally owned by the parties. The company had been financed using a large, personal, commercial loan.
The husband sought an immediate sale of all of the assets, including the company and the land and the division of the any net sale proceeds. The wife sought to argue that such an approach would trigger large tax charges but with careful planning these immediate tax charges could be avoided. The wife sought a transfer of the company and the land into her name.
Result – Land and company transferred to the wife upon a lump sum being paid to the husband.
R v R (2017) Liverpool Family Court
Case involving confirmation of Canadian order for child support and spousal maintenance via REMO.
Re: MS and DK (2017)
Instructed to draft a nuptial agreement on behalf of a party who had previously suffered a severe brain injury and who had a Financial Deputy appointed by the Court of Protection to manage his financial affairs. The party had previously been awarded c. £2 million in damages following a personal injury claim.
Re: S (2017)
Instructed to draft a pre-nuptial agreement on behalf of a Premier League footballer.
B v B (2016) Central London Family Court
Acted for husband who was seeking variation of a joint lives spousal periodical payments order of c. £5,000 per month following the loss of his job.
Result: Periodical payments order varied to a nominal order and a term imposed so that order would expire at husband’s retirement age.
I v I and Others (2014) Blackburn Family Court
Acted for the wife in financial proceedings in which an application was made to set aside the transfer of properties worth approximately £1 million by the husband to his associates prior to the commencement of divorce proceedings. Case settled on day four of five following cross examination of the husband and the third parties leading to a substantial award to the wife.
Re W (2014)
Advised on and drafted a pre-nuptial agreement in circumstances in which the parties’ assets were approximately £10 million.
H v H (2014) Blackburn Family Court
Financial proceedings that included issues over the valuation of the husband’s business interests and complexities in relation to pension sharing. The husband held a substantial pension fund within a SIPP that owned the company’s business premises. Settlement obtained.
Frances is a family law specialist. She has a wealth of experience of dealing with private law children cases in relation to Child Arrangements Orders.
Frances also deals with applications for financial relief for unmarried parents under Schedule One Children Act (see practice profile Property and Private Client).
Frances regularly advises in cases involving:
M v C (2017) Manchester Family Court
Acted for a father who had been served with a prohibited steps order, which had been obtained without notice, the terms of which prevented him from exercising contact with his child.
Result – Successfully challenged order at return date hearing and previous shared care regime was reinstated.
D v D (2014) Manchester Family Court
Acted for a mother in proceedings in which serious allegations of sexual abuse had been made by the children against their father. The matter proceeded to a fact finding hearing which lead to substantial findings being made against the father.
A v A (2014) Lancaster Family Court
Proceedings involving an issue over whether a party should be granted temporary leave to remove children to a non-Hague Convention country.
H v H (2013) High Court
Acted for grandparents who lived in the USA who had applied for residence of the children and leave to remove them from the UK to the USA. The application was granted.
D v S (2013) Preston County Court
Acted for mother who wished to relocate to France with the parties’ child. Application for leave to remove from the jurisdiction granted following contested hearing.
Frances regularly deals with property disputes between unmarried former cohabitants under TLATA 1996. This includes cases in which there are issues as to:
Frances also regularly acts in cases in which third parties to divorce proceedings assert a beneficial interest in property owned by one of the divorcing parties. She also acts in cases involving claims for financial provision by unmarried parents under Schedule One Children Act 1989.
D v D (2016) Aberystwyth Family Court
Acted for father in Schedule One Children Act proceedings in which the majority of his assets derived from damages he had received for a serious injury.
I v I and Others (2014) Blackburn Family Court
Acted in proceeding in which third parties to a divorce alleged beneficial ownership of properties worth approximately £1 million. Case settled on fourth day of five-day hearing.
B v G (2014) Central London Family Court
Advised and drafted pleadings in case between former cohabitants involving disputed ownership of property held in the sole name of one party.
B v M (2014) Altrincham County Court
Proceedings pursuant to Schedule One Children Act 1989 in which housing was secured for the mother and child to live in for the duration of the child’s minority.
Frances has extensive experience of dealing with cases under the direct public access scheme. She is a specialist in family law with a particular emphasis on the following areas:
Frances has a particular interest in cases dealing with the financial division on separation and is regularly instructed in high asset cases.
Frances regularly advises in cases involving:
Please see practice profile “Family Finance” for more details.
Frances regularly deals with property disputes between unmarried former cohabitants. This includes cases in which there are issues as to:
Please see practice profile “Property and Private Client” for more details.
Frances is a family law specialist. She has a wealth of experience of dealing with private law children cases in relation to Child Arrangements Orders.
Frances regularly advises in cases involving:
For more details please see practice profile “Children (Public & Private Law)”.
Strengths: “Frances is technically very gifted and knowledgeable beyond her years.” “Frances is an excellent and highly respected advocate for financial remedy proceedings. She holds her own with her technical ability. She is always impressive and very approachable.” “She has an understated and superb advocacy style.” Chambers UK Bar 2024
“Frances has many fantastic qualities; she is thorough in her preparation for conferences and court hearings, she prepares notes or position statements for cases whether they are requested or not, and she is proactive on cases and extremely personable. Whilst she may have a sensitive approach with clients, she is straight-talking and spot on with her advice, her advocacy is effortless, and she makes her submissions powerfully.” Legal 500 2024
Strengths: “Frances de Navarro is highly competent. She’s a soldier at the Bar.” “Frances de Navarro is detailed, and her skeletal arguments are aggressive. She’s an excellent practitioner.” “Frances is excellent. She manages clients well, and manages to get through the issues of a case with ease. She puts the client in the best possible place for the trial.” Chambers UK Bar 2023
“Frances is always very well prepared and knows the case thoroughly. She will do her own in depth research where needed. She has the ability to communicate and explain complicated matters to a client with ease. She listens to them, makes them feel comfortable to ask questions and will make sure the client is clear, before she moves on. She is methodical, persuasive, thorough and always acts in clients’ bests interests.” Legal 500 2023
Strengths: “She approaches matters in a sensible and measured fashion. She is always happy to offer pre-hearing support and guidance to ensure that matters have the best chance of success at hearing.” “Her ability to forensically analyse accounts is phenomenal.” Chambers UK Bar 2022
“Excellent technical knowledge but with an ability to think commercially and practically to achieve the best possible outcome for the client. A Rolls Royce of the Bar. Frances has a particular strength in the drafting of pre/post-nups. Her brilliant bedside manner and razor sharp wit quickly puts clients at ease. You know you’re going to get a great service and a thankful client when Frances is on the case.“ Legal 500 2022
Strengths: “She is truly excellent and able to handle very complex company structure matters. She distils that down and is able to explain the plan in simple words.” “She is extremely competent, gives realistic advice and has a reassuring manner.” Chambers UK Bar 2021
“Forensic analysis of complex financial cases. Looking at bank accounts and business accounts with a thorough analysis of them into a simple language context for clients. She is not phased by complex cases with cross-jurisdictional aspects. She has a fantastic bedside manner with clients. She remains involved in cases throughout and not just from brief to brief.” Legal 500 2021
Strengths: “She tackles a case with both hands, and is extremely personable but also very technical. She gives clients practical, tactical and reasonable advice.” “She works very much as a team, and is very supportive. All of her written work is brilliant, and she’s really good on her feet.” Chambers UK Bar 2020
“Extremely bright, with a keen analytical eye for finance matters.” Legal 500 2020
“She has excellent client care skills and is sensible in her advice.” “Always well prepared and very good in court advocacy-wise.” Chambers & Partners 2019
“Intelligent, calm, wise, thorough and no push-over in court.” Legal 500 2019
“A good negotiator, with a firm yet friendly style.” Legal 500 2017