Greg Williams

Greg is a financial remedies specialist with wide experience in this field. His cases tend to involve one or more of the following:

• High net worth clients
• An international element
• Trusts work (including overseas trusts)
• Claims by intervenors either for beneficial interests or repayment of loans (‘Bank of Mum and Dad cases’)
• Pre or post-acquired matrimonial assets
• A dispute over the applicability of pre or post nuptial agreements
• Family businesses (especially farming businesses)
• Part III MFPA 1984 applications
• Freezing Injunctions
• Enforcement of orders

A relatively large proportion of Greg’s instructions concern trials of preliminary issues, usually beneficial ownership disputes involving third parties. Greg also acts and advises in freestanding (civil) TOLATA 1996 claims, applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, and claims for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

In the foreword to Greg’s book, ‘A Practical Guide to TOLATA Claims’ (2019. Law Brief Publishing), Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, describes Greg as “an expert in the field” … and “an enthusiast who has a gift for delivering complicated material in an open and conversational style.”

Greg is recognised by his professional clients and the directories for having a wide knowledge of Private Client or Chancery issues. He frequently deals with matrimonial or wider civil litigation cases concerning insolvency, contentious wills, will trusts, the intestacy rules, unreasonable financial provision, (dis)inheritance, lack of capacity, powers of attorney, undue influence, and fraud.

Greg’s broad understanding of these issues brings insight to his financial remedies cases which is of great practical assistance to his lay clients. His early advice enables his clients to think strategically about these wider issues and how they may impact on the progress of a financial remedy application.

Additionally, Greg is the standing cohabitation columnist for the FLBA’s tri-annual magazine ‘Family Affairs’.

Finance and Private Client

Dispute Resolution

DDR v BDR (Financial Remedies, Beneficial Ownership and Insolvency) [2024] EWFC 278

Nigel Fox & Anor v Marcus Nathan Bent & Ors [2024] EWHC 2179 (Ch)

The Estate of Nafisa Hasan (deceased) v Digit Limited (in liquidation) & Anor [2024] EWHC 1127 (Ch)

Unger and another v Ul-Hasan, decd and another [2023] UKSC 22; [2024] AC 497; [2023] 3 WLR 189

HP v AP [2023] EWFC 49

Anne Alexander Hotels v Anne Blake-Coulter & Ors [2016] EWHC 1457 (QB)

Yordanova v Iordanov [2013] EWCA Civ 464 (Successful at first instance, permission to appeal to CoA refused)

Called to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn (March 2006)

Bar Vocational Course – Nottingham Law School

LLB (Hons) – University of Warwick

The Family Law Bar Association

The Chancery Bar Association

The London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

The Denning Society

Resolution

Denning Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn

Hardwicke Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn

Winner, Warwick University Mooting Competition 2004

Runner Up, Oxford University Press National Mooting Competition 2004

Treasurer, FLBA (Jan 2022 to date)

FLBA Executive Committee Member (January 2014 – to December 2019; January 2021 – to date)

Bar Council Member, as FLBA representative to the Bar Council (Jan 2016 – to December 2018)

Bar Council Remuneration Committee member (February 2016 – December 2021)

Bar Council Remuneration Committee Vice Chair (Family) – (January 2018 – to December 2021)

Advocacy Tutor/Trainer, Lincoln’s Inn, (July 2015 – to date)

Pupil Supervisor (2021 to date)

“Greg has such an in-depth knowledge of case law and is a master at adapting the relevant case law to a client’s circumstances.” Chambers & Partners 2025

“Greg has a calm manner and is incredibly respectful of the client and the court. He’s very nice to work with.” Chambers & Partners 2025

“A formidable expert in TOLATA matters and someone not afraid to give robust and sensible advice.” Chambers & Partners 2025

“A class act” Legal 500 2025, Tier 2

Greg is very conscientious in his preparation and will leave no page unturned in pursuit of his client’s case. He is unflappable.” Legal 500 2025, Tier 2

“Determined, composed, thoughtful and a very good advocate. He reads and absorbs everything.” Chambers and Partners 2024, Band 3

“He’s always perfect with clients and so nuanced and composed when it comes to dealing with tricky cases.” Chambers and Partners 2024, Band 3

“Pragmatic and easy to understand, he makes complicated areas of law seem simple.” Chambers and Partners 2024, Band 3

“Greg is technically astute, knowledgeable and a calmly persuasive advocate. Steely in court.” Legal 500, 2024 Ranked: Tier 2

“Greg Williams is thorough and easy-going. He has fine client care skills and is a tenacious advocate.” Chambers and Partners 2023

“Greg is impressive on TOLATA and financial remedies generally.” Chambers and Partners 2023, Band 3

“Greg has excellent judgment and is able to get to the heart of a case quickly, despite its complexities. His drafting and position statements are compelling and he is always at hand to guide and help. He is a good negotiator, reasonable and realistic with clients. A favourite go to barrister for anything complex.” Legal 500 2023, Tier 2

“A knowledgeable barrister who simplifies complicated areas of law.” Chambers and Partners 2022, Band 3

“He knows TOLATA case law inside-out. You can be assured he will give the right advice and do the right thing tactically.” Chambers and Partners 2022, Band 3

“He’s cerebral, thoughtful and good at technical issues.” Chambers and Partners 2022, Band 3

“Extremely thorough and shows excellent attention to detail. He has a robust yet personable manner which garners the respect of clients, opposition counsel, and judges alike.” Chambers and Partners 2022, Band 3

“Greg is very knowledgeable, and has a persuasive and serene courtroom manner.” Legal 500 2022, Tier 2

“He has a unique ability to assimilate and synthesise a mass of complex background information into an effective strategy.” Chambers and Partners 2021, Band 3

“Adept at financial remedy and civil cases, Greg is one of few who can tackle a cohabitation case as well as a chancery barrister would.” Legal 500 2021

“Very meticulous when dealing with financial matters to ensure he gives the best advice to clients.” Legal 500 2020

Books

• A Practical Guide to TOLATA Claims

National Press

• The Saturday Times – 31 August 2019
  • ‘Parents take their children to court over home loans’ P.19 (quoted as expert in area)
  • Front Page – Money Section: ‘Family homes become legal battlefield’ P.53 (quoted as expert in area)

Articles

• Cohabitation Column – From Easter 2021 (published in Family Affairs by the FLBA three times per annum).
  
•  Personal Insolvency v Matrimonial Law (with Ian Defty) – legalfutures.co.uk 03 March 2021 
•  Making Allowances (with Lehna Gardiner): Equitable accounting and in particular the circumstances in which an occupation rent may be payable and how it will be calculated; Family Law Journal, April 2020

• ‘Outta Time, but not outta luck II’ (with Alex Laing), – a second look at the extension of the six month time limit in Inheritance Act 1975 claims following the CoA decision in Cowan (The Review, November 2019) 

• ‘Outta Time, but not outta luck’ (with Alex Laing), – which looks at the case law on applications for an extension of the six month time limit in Inheritance Act 1975 claims following the Bhusate litigation (The Review, August 2019, Page 29-31) 

• Ilott: a battle for independence – which analyses the Supreme Court decision in the Inheritance Act 1975 case of Ilott v The Blue Cross and others [2017], and its impact on testamentary freedom. (First published in the New Law Journal, 28 April 2017)

MBL Seminars Limited: Standing contributor on Cohabitation claims.

• Between 2018 and 2019, Greg delivered an in-person 5-hour CPD TOLATA course for MBL Seminars on over 20 occasions, up and down the country, including in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Nottingham, Southampton and Cambridge.
• Greg currently presents two seminars for MBL as ‘Learn Live’ webinars (90 minutes in length):
  • ToLATA Masterclass – ‘Complex Cohabitation Made Clear’ (Please book here for upcoming events.
  • Intervenors’ Claims in Financial Remedy Proceedings – The Key Issues for Family Lawyers (Please book here for upcoming events.

An International Lawyer’s perspective on TOLATA

• Oscar Smith and Greg Williams in conversation with Melanie Bataillard-Samuel, 2 March 2022

Intervenor’s Claims in Financial Remedy Proceedings

• An Essential Guide for Family Lawyers; Surrey Law Society, 27 May 2021.

Insolvency v Matrimonial

• (Organised by Integrated Dispute Resolution and Simon Gore Events) 20 April 2021.

Family Law Conference – Online

• (Simon Gore Events): Tricky TOLATA January 2021.

Family Law Conference – (Simon Gore Events):

• TOLATA Tips and Tricks January 2020.

FLBA – Autumn Lecture Series (Week 1)

• TOLATA by case study (September 2019)

Coram Chambers Annual Family Law Conference:

• TOLATA – Tricky issues. London, October 2019.

Chancery Bar Association International Conference

• Trusts and Probate Panel, Hamilton, Bermuda, May 2019.

Family Law Conference (Simon Gore Events)

• ‘Reap what you sow?’ Proprietary Estoppel, London, January 2019.