Kate Allen

Consultant
"an outstanding family lawyer....impossible to feel better represented"Chambers UK 2021

Profile

Described by sources as “in a league of her own”, the “incredibly bright and hard working” Kate is consistently ranked as a leader in her field in Chambers, Chambers HNW, The Legal 500 and Citywealth.

Having been a partner with the firm since 2004, she is now a consultant. She advises on all areas of domestic and international family law particularly high net worth financial settlements, children disputes and cohabitation. She is a long standing member of Resolution.

Kate is also an experienced collaborative lawyer known for being “committed to avoiding court whenever possible“. She is a member of the London Collaborative Group, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and London Family Solutions.

Awards & Recognitions
  • Shortlisted for "Diversity/Gender Positive Role Model of the Year" in Citywealth Magic Circle Awards 2020
Rankings

Top Recommended
"Kate is a superb tactician who will move heaven and earth to achieve the right result," enthuses one client, who also praises her "formidable intellect and empathy", combined with "incisive analysis of the most complex of cases".
Spear’s Family Law Index 2024

Top Recommended
"Kate is a superb tactician who will move heaven and earth to achieve the right result," enthuses one client, who also praises her "formidable intellect and empathy", combined with "incisive analysis of the most complex of cases".
Spear’s Family Law Index 2023

Leading Individual
Kate Allen has significant experience in handling high net worth financial matters on both an international and domestic scale, including prenuptial agreements. She has further experience advising clients on children disputes, cases with non-disclosure issues and Schedule 1 matters. "Kate is very hard-working and very committed to her clients." "She brings a good energy to cases and pushes her client's side of the case well." "She is a strong believer in her clients."
Chambers UK 2023

Recommended Lawyer
Kate Allen advises on all areas of domestic and international family law – particularly HNW financial settlements, children disputes and cohabitation.
Spear’s Family Law Index 2022

Recommended Lawyer
Clients and peers are quick to praise Kate Allen“She is very bright and constructive”, says one. Though known for her technical ability, she is a conscientious lawyer as much as anything else.
The Spear’s 500 2022

Leading Individual
Kate Allen has significant experience in handling high net worth financial matters on both an international and domestic scale, including prenuptial agreements. She has further experience advising clients on children disputes, cases with non-disclosure issues and Schedule 1 matters. "I have really high regard for her. She's really good at finances and children matters, and she thinks about the family." "She is a very strong litigator and a very strategic lawyer. She gives everything to her cases."
Chambers UK 2022

Leading Individual
“Kate Allen's stellar reputation proved to be well-deserved. From our first meeting, Kate was laser-focused on me, my position and my objectives. She adapted her approach to best reflect my changing perspectives and circumstances. At times, she saved me from myself. Kate ably combines legal rigor, steadfast advocacy and empathy.”
Legal 500 2022

Notable Practitioner
Kate Allen advises wealthy clients on complex financial matters and has particular expertise in international work.  A fellow family solicitor says: "She has a lot of knowledge when it comes to enforcing financial orders around the world."  Another interviewee notes: "She's highly experienced, professional, and adopts a sensible efficacious approach."
Chambers HNW 2021

Recommended Lawyer
Kate is a superb tactician who will move heaven and earth to achieve the right result for her client”, enthuses one client. “Her formidable intellect and empathy, combined with incisive analysis of the most complex of cases, means that she wins.”
The Spear’s 500 2021

Leading Individual
Kate Allen has significant experience in handling high net worth financial matters on both an international and domestic scale, including prenuptial agreements. She has further experience advising clients on children disputes and Schedule 1 matters. "Kate is an outstanding family law solicitor. I love the way she works because she goes directly to the key issues, I think this is her main strength. She has huge experience and she's very confident. I think it's almost impossible to feel better represented." "Kate is very rigorous and methodical. She thinks about cases ahead of time, what the issues will be and what evidence you need to support the case, and that is a real asset."
Chambers UK 2021

Leading Individual
The team is led by the “super bright” Kate Allen who is “is in a league of her own and is committed to achieving the best outcome for the client. She is exceptionally bright, very proactive and hands-on, and very creative in her thinking. Committed to avoiding court whenever possible. An excellent but tough opponent and an absolute pleasure to deal with both personally and professionally.”
Legal 500 2021

Notable Practitioner
Kate Allen is adept at dealing with high-value matrimonial finance and children disputes. A client says she is "clear and retains an eye on what needs to happen to achieve the end goal," adding that they "felt a genuine interest and warmth from her." A family barrister adds: "Kate is very rigorous and methodical. She thinks about cases in the round, thinking ahead of time what the issues will be and what evidence you need to support the case, and that is a real asset."
Chambers HNW 2020

Best of Breed - Recommended Family Lawyer
"Kate is a superb tactician who will move heaven and earth to achieve the right result for her client".
The Spear's 500 2020

Top 10 Lawyers - Family & Matrimonial
"A passionate and effective family lawyer who runs the extra mile for all of her clients."
Citywealth Leaders List 2020

Leading Individual
Kate Allen is recognised for her representation of clients in domestic and cross-border financial proceedings involving substantial assets. She also has experience acting on Schedule 1 and surrogacy disputes. Interviewees note: "She really cares about her clients - she puts an enormous effort into what she does and goes to extraordinary lengths to assist them."
Chambers & Partners 2020

Leading Individual
"Kate Allen is committed to a better way of delivering family law services. She attracts wealthy clients who wish to conduct their cases well. Kate is incredibly bright and articulate".
The Legal 500 2020

Leading Individual
Kate Allen is an expert in dealing with cross-border and domestic family matters, especially matrimonial finance cases and children disputes. "In my view, Kate is in a league of her own," enthuses a local barrister. They add: "She combines a fierce intellect with compassion and humour. She has a laser focus on the essential core of a case enabling her to achieve the best outcomes for her clients whether through compromise or litigation," and describe her as "a formidable tactician."
Chambers HNW 2019

"Intelligent, incisive and intuitive. Kate is one of the most dedicated practitioners in her field. She demonstrates real empathy with her clients who, with good reason, trust her completely."
Citywealth Leaders List 2019

Leading Individual
Kate Allen is an accomplished matrimonial practitioner who acts on a range of financial remedy and children disputes, including Schedule 1 settlements. She is particularly noted for her collaborative law practice. One source notes: "Kate is a superb tactician who will move heaven and earth to achieve the right result for her client. Her formidable intellect, empathy and incisive analysis of the most complex of cases means she wins the respect of her opponents and complete trust of her clients."
Chambers & Partners 2019

Leading Individual
The "excellent" Kate Allen  has "impeccable judgement".
The Legal 500 2018-2019

Distinguished Individual
'good, solid and sensible' family lawyer, Kate Allen is respected for her thriving collaborative law practice and strong negotiating skills.
The Spear's 500 2019

Leading Individual
Kate Allen handles cross-border and domestic family matters, including matrimonial finance cases and children disputes. "I always find Kate very straightforward to work with, collaborative in her approach, always looking to do a sensible deal. Kate is excellent," reports an interviewee. "She is very, very bright and very constructive. She is quite wily, she knows how to litigate. As opponent she is very tough and very constructive - you can have a row with her but in a constructive and good-humoured way," says a source.
Chambers HNW 2018

Leading Individual
Kate Allen comes recommended for her collaborative matrimonial practice, which focuses on both domestic and international relationship dissolution issues. Her practice includes Schedule 1, children and cohabitation disputes, and draws on notable strength in ADR.
Chambers & Partners 2018

Distinguished Individual
'good, solid and sensible' family lawyer, Kate Allen is respected for her thriving collaborative law practice and strong negotiating skills.
The Spear's 500 2018

Leading Individual
Kate Allen "is fearless, enormously experienced and extremely conscientious. She has impeccable judgement".
The Legal 500 2017

" Intelligent, incisive and intuitive. Kate is one of the most dedicated practitioners in her field. She demonstrates real empathy with her clients who, with good reason, trust her completely. She will settle the right cases, always choosing her battles. She is not afraid to go head to head where necessary."
Citywealth Leaders List 2017

Leading Individual
Kate Allen acts on very high net worth matrimonial finance and child maintenance cases. She is also a trained collaborative lawyer, and runs the firm's practice in that area. One source praises Allen's straightforward, collaborative, resolution-focused approach to family law matters.
Chambers HNW 2017

Leading Individual
Kate Allen is a collaborative matrimonial practitioner dedicated to reaching settlements for her clients, who include City professionals and other businesspeople. Sources say she  “has got a huge amount of intellectual vigour, is completely unafraid of a fight and cares enormously about her clients."
Chambers & Partners 2017

Prominent Figure & Powerwomen
She combines a complete dedication to her clients with exemplary technical skills. She knows how to settle the most difficult of cases but is also, when necessary, the wiliest of litigators”.
Citywealth Leaders List 2016

Leading Individual
Kate Allen maintains a strong commitment to collaborative law as part of her cross-border matrimonial finance practice. Commentators praise her negotiation and litigation skills, noting that “she does her work with a great deal of verve, really cares about the outcome and is extremely interested in the process
Chambers & Partners 2016

Leading Individual
a “good, solid and sensible” family lawyer. She is best known for her busy collaborative law practice and is praised by interviewees for her strong negotiating skills. “She is no-nonsense, direct and very professional, with a user friendly and intuitive approach” comments one interviewee, while another source notes “She does her work with a great deal of verve, really cares about the outcome and is extremely interested in the process. That shows in terms of the way she negotiates and litigates. She’s very good
Chambers HNW 2016

Leading Individual
Legal 500 2016

She manages a diverse practice, receiving instructions for complex divorce proceedings and the examination of pre-nuptial agreements, as well as private law leave to remove cases. Clients appreciate her “focussed prompt responses to problems”.
Chambers & Partners 2015

totally committed and devoted to her clients”.
Legal 500 2015

Prominent Figure
Citywealth Leaders List 2015

Leading Individual
Kate Allen is “very pragmatic, good with international cases and good with enforcement” according to sources. She handles complex matrimonial finance and private children law matters.
Chambers & Partners 2014

Kate Allen is “a superb all round lawyer”.
Legal 500 2014

Kate is one of the most highly principled lawyers I know. She is incredibly bright and hard working as well as being very focussed on the needs of her clients”.
Citywealth Leaders List 2014

Leading Individual
Kate Allen acts in complex finance matters and children work on behalf of high-profile clients throughout the entertainment, arts and industrial industries.
Chambers & Partners 2013

… a first rate lawyer … a supreme tactician with an eye for ensuring that the client achieves the optimum outcome”.
Citywealth Leaders List 2013

Leading Individual
handles complex finance matters and children work, receiving regularly instructions from high-profile clients in the entertainment, arts and financial industries. She is a skilled litigator but also able to settle disputes through the means of collaborative law.
Chambers & Partners 2012

Kate Allen “is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for her clients”. She advises on ancillary relief, co-habitation and children issues.
Chambers & Partners 2011

Kate Allen is “dynamic and focussed” – she quickly establishes a client’s aim and regularly achieves it for them.
Chambers & Partners 2010

Deals with both finance and children’s work.
Chambers & Partners 2008/2009

Kate Allen combines private child work with matrimonial finance and is praised for her “dedication to clients”.
Chambers & Partners 2007/2008

Kate Allen is strong in financial settlements and children disputes. She specialises in pre-nuptial agreements and co-habitation disputes.
Chambers & Partners 2006/2007

Representing the younger generation, Kate Allen is a welcome addition to the partnership and a performer whose “drive and fire are likely to cement her position as another wise monkey in this impressive firm”.
Chambers & Partners 2005/2006

Reported Cases
2016 2006 2004 2000
Publications
  • Recovering costs debt: BC v DE: a summary of the impact of their case of BC v DE [2016] EWHC 1806 by Kate Allen and Jessica Reid for Family Law (September 2016)
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