Will MacFarlane

Will advises on all aspects of family law with a particular focus on matrimonial finance disputes. The Legal 500 records that, ‘Clients love him. He cares so much about every part of their lives and lives and breathes their cases until they are in a strong position again.’ He heads up the Family Team in Bristol having spent 13 years practising in London at Withers and at Kingsley Napley.

Recent clients have included entrepreneurs, business owners, partners in legal or accountancy practices, professional sportspeople (Premier League footballers and rugby players), investment bankers, private equity professionals and landowners seeking to protect dynastic wealth.

He is frequently instructed by international clients and particularly those with connections to the United States (CA, IL, MA and NY), France, Germany and the UAE.

His practice includes the following specialisms:

• Wealth protection – Advising on domestic and international prenuptial and postnuptial agreements protecting businesses, trust interests and inherited wealth (to include attacking and defending them within court proceedings);
• Financial claims on divorce (or after a foreign divorce) – Often with business assets or those held in complex trust structures;
• Cohabitation Agreements – Advice on agreements to avoid property disputes between unmarried couples;
• Child Arrangements – Advice on disputes and acting for parents wishing to relocate abroad with their children;
• Financial Claims brought by unmarried parents – Known as ‘Schedule 1’ claims; and
• Domestic Abuse – Advising on and obtaining non-molestation orders and occupation orders to protect vulnerable parties.

Where possible, he seeks to resolve disputes outside of a formal court process to minimise costs and preserve his clients’ privacy. He is also trained to advise both parties to a divorce via the Resolution Together process.

Will is often quoted in the national press on family law issues (recent examples include, ‘Win for the rich who use spouse to avoid inheritance tax’ – The Times, July 2025 and, ‘Why financial settlement after divorce is still a mess’ – The Times, January 2025.) His recent speaking engagements include, ‘International Problems & International Solutions’ at the Global Citizenship Forum: Abu Dhabi (April 2025) and ‘International Considerations’ at the Illinois State Bar Association’s Family Law Conferences (London, October 2024 and New Orleans, April 2023).

Recent work highlights

• Representing a landowner and investor with inherited wealth valued over £100m (a significant proportion held in trusts) in divorce and financial proceedings, securing a favourable result via arbitration protecting the non-marital wealth.
• Advising a French national who had entered into a French Law Pacte Civil de Solidarité with their Dutch partner on an English Law post-partnership agreement to ensure that they were given equivalent protection in England.
• Acting for a professional footballer on financial claims brought by the mother of his child, seeing off spurious property-related claims and reaching a housing on trust type agreement via a private, non-court process.
• Advising a Peruvian national on the likely effect in England of the terms of a proposed Swiss Law marriage contract prior to their marriage to a Swiss National.

Reported cases

• M v M [2013] EWHC 2534 (Fam)
• Re S (a Child) (Abduction: Hearing the Child) [2014] EWCA Civ 155
• FO v PN [2025] EWFC 327 (B)

Experience & education

2025 Partner, Birketts
2020 – 2025 Partner, Kingsley Napley
2018 – 2020 Partner, RWK Goodman
2010 – 2018 Senior Associate, Withers
2006 – 2010 Trainee solicitor and solicitor, Burges Salmon
2004 – 2006 BPP University, PGDL and LPC
1999 – 2003 University of St Andrews, MA (Hons) Modern History