Katherine Dunseath

Katherine Dunseath is a leading senior junior family barrister specialising in complex private children and financial remedy proceedings. Her practice spans complex private children matters, international family work, HNW finances and high-income claims, with expertise in jurisdiction and forum disputes, relocation and abduction, and child and spousal maintenance.

Typical instructions include complex private children disputes, HNW financial remedy proceedings and cases where finance and children issues interlink, particularly

• matters involving international family issues,
• business interests,
• jurisdiction and enforcement,
• LSPOs, Schedule 1 claims,
• relocation,
• abduction,
• child maintenance
• and spousal maintenance.

Katherine is recognised by Chambers & Partners as a respected advocate, with market feedback referring to her “steely advocacy”, “faultless” preparation and ability to fight her client’s corner. Her advocacy is central to her practice in high-stakes family proceedings, whether in court, private FDRs, arbitrations or other non-court dispute resolution settings and she often acts across from Silks in these matters.

Katherine has appeared in reported and quoted cases involving periodical payments and financial provision at Court of Appeal and Supreme Court level, including Mills v Mills. Her work includes cases involving difficult children issues, vulnerable parties, litigation capacity and international family disputes.

Advocacy, Private FDRs and Arbitration

Katherine is frequently instructed as counsel in private FDRs, arbitrations and other non-court dispute resolution settings. She recognises that NCDR is often the most appropriate forum for resolving complex family disputes, particularly where parties require privacy, flexibility, early evaluation or a more focused route to settlement.

Financial Remedy

Katherine acts in financial remedy cases involving spousal maintenance, child maintenance, high-income claims, HNW finances, business interests, trust and company structures, international assets, jurisdiction, enforcement, LSPOs and Schedule 1 claims.

Children and International Family Work

Katherine acts in private children disputes involving child arrangements, relocation, abduction, international families, cross-border disputes and allegations affecting parenting arrangements. She is experienced in cases where children issues arise alongside financial remedy proceedings.

Vulnerable Witnesses and Litigation Capacity

Katherine is vulnerable witness trained and has experience of cases involving vulnerable parties or witnesses, litigation capacity, litigation friends, mental health concerns, cognitive impairment, trauma and safeguarding concerns.

Reported and Quoted Cases:

• F v M [2025] EWFC 225 (B)
• FB v KS [2025] EWHC 827 (Fam)
• RG v TA (Appeal: Legal Services Funding Order: Schedule 1 Children Act 1989) [2023] EWHC 3155
• Des Pallieres v Des Pallieres [2021] 4 WLR 96 (Court of Appeal)
• DP v DP [2020] EWHC 3188 (Fam) (High Court) 
• M v P (the Queen’s Proctor Intervening) [2019] 2 FLR 813
• Mills v Mills [2018] 4 All ER 612 [2018] UKSC 38
• Mills v Mills [2017] EWCA Civ 129
• Re L and B (Children) (Specific Issues: Temporary Leave to Remove from the Jurisdiction; Circumcision) [2017] 1 FLR 1349
• In the Matter of X, Y and Z (Children) (Retrospective Leave to Remove from the Jurisdiction) [2016] EWHC 2439 (Fam)
• LM and DR (Return to Non-Convention Country) [2016] EWHC 1943 (Fam)
• In the Matter of JL and AO (Babies Relinquished for Adoption) [2016] 4 WLR 40; [2017] 1 FLR 1545
• Guerroudj v Rymarczyk [2016] 1 FLR 1349

Publications and Chapters:

• Resolution Spousal Maintenance Handbook, Chapter 5: “Assessing reasonable needs and the problem of quantum”, 2024
• With P. Allsop, “Legal costs funding under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989 – Evidence (RC v TA)”, LexisNexis, December 2023
• With E. Darlington, “Fairness versus Certainty – Should the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 be Amended to Restrict the Duration of Spousal Maintenance?”, Financial Remedies Journal, Summer 2023
• With D. Eames, “Jurisdiction and Brexit: Des Pallieres v Des Pallieres”, Family Law Journal, October 2021
• With J. Bazley KC, “Considering the impact of the wrong box on a divorce petition”, Family Law, June 2019
• With J. Westcott, “Periodical Payments, no second bite”, Family Law Journal, September 2018
• With C. Lloyd-Smith, “Parental Abduction within the UK”, Resolution, July/August 2017
• With F. Feehan KC, “Varying maintenance: Mills”, Family Law, March 2017
• With F. Feehan KC, “Maintenance payments as a gateway to independence (Mills v Mills)”, LexisNexis, February 2017
• With R. Harrison KC and S. Craddock, “Should I stay or should I go? Where the clandestine removal of a child from the jurisdiction is not unlawful: LM v DR”, Family Law, November 2016
• With K. Taft, “English court exercises jurisdiction in retrospective leave to remove case (Re X, Y and Z)”, LexisNexis, October 2016
• With R. Harrison KC, “Summary return and competing jurisdictions”, LexisNexis, August 2016
• With J. Chegwidden, “A clear conclusion: religious circumcision for boys”, Family Law, August 2016
• “Babies relinquished by foreign nationals: leading guidance”, Family Law, July 2016
• “Court considers transfer of tenancy on separation”, LexisNexis, July 2015
• “Evidence and interim care orders”, LexisNexis, February 201