Caroline Holley

Partner

Caroline is a leading family lawyer who has acted in some of the biggest and highest profile cases of the last 20 years. She has extensive litigation experience, including in the Supreme Court, and is renowned for her expertise in international family law cases.

Caroline advises in high-level financial litigation, frequently involving complex financial structures and multiple jurisdictions, as well as in disputes concerning children, such as abduction, relocation and living arrangements.

Her practice also includes non-contentious work, with expertise in drafting and negotiating pre- and post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements. Caroline also advises in relation to surrogacy arrangements and fertility law.

A large part of Caroline’s work is international. She speaks French and Italian and has particular experience of cross-border US/UK work, having spent time working at a top family law firm in Los Angeles.

Clients value Caroline’s ability to empathise and respond quickly and sensitively in difficult situations. She combines a resolute commitment to securing results in their best long-term interests with a sensible and pragmatic approach. She is hailed in the legal directories as “completely unflappable”, “a brilliant strategist” and “a fabulous practitioner who clients really love”.

Caroline has experience acting for high-profile individuals in the worlds of sports and entertainment, as well as professionals, financiers and entrepreneurs and their families. She also advises trustees and other third parties involved in divorce proceedings. Caroline works closely with specialists across the firm’s reputation management, property, trusts disputes, estate planning and corporate teams as and when her clients’ needs require it.

Individuals & Families

Caroline has a wealth of experience advising clients in relation to relationship breakdown and divorce, with an emphasis on high-value financial litigation including difficult enforcement matters. Caroline successfully represented a client in enforcement proceedings in Collardeau v Fuchs & Anor [2025] EWFC 36. She also achieved a landmark ruling in her client’s favour in the Supreme Court case Petrodel v Prest. The case concerned the ability of divorcing spouses to access assets held by companies. The then President of the Supreme Court highlighted it as one of the five most significant cases heard in the Supreme Court since its establishment in an interview in The Independent. The case was reported widely, including by the BBC, The Telegraph and The Guardian. Caroline also successfully represented a client in a landmark case in the Court of Appeal concerning the availability of trust assets, Whaley v Whaley. She also has a leading practice in children disputes and wealth protection advice, including pre-/post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements and advising trustees.

Entertainment, Creative & Talent

Caroline leads the firm’s Entertainment, Creative & Talent sector group. She is the “go-to” family lawyer for those who work in the sports, entertainment and creative industries. Caroline understands that discretion and an understanding of reputational considerations are critical for high profile clients navigating sensitive family issues. She regularly collaborates with those advising high profile clients in relation to reputational issues to achieve the best outcomes for them.

Memberships & Accolades

Caroline has been recognised as a leading family lawyer in the legal directories for many years.

She is ranked as a "Leading Partner" in the Legal 500 and a "Top Recommended" lawyer in the Spear’s 500 Family Law Index. She is also ranked in Chambers & Partners HNW Guide.

Caroline is a fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a prestigious worldwide organisation whose members are elected based on their market-leading work and their expertise in international cases.

Caroline is also a member of:

ABA (American Bar Association)
AIJA (Association International des Jeunes Avocats)
UIA (Union Internationale des Avocats)
STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
Resolution

Testimonials

“Brilliant work, sharp minds, and kind hearts” (Client)

"Caroline Holley is a total perfectionist and the person to have on side in a difficult dispute." (Legal 500 2025)

"Caroline Holley is an amazing lawyer. Quite frankly one of the most intelligent family lawyers in London. She inevitably outshines and outmanoeuvres her opponents. It is difficult to think of a solicitor who ticks every box as she does. She is brilliant at the law. Her negotiating skill are razor-sharp." (Legal 500 2025)

"Caroline Holley is a simply superb lawyer. She has fantastic strategic vision and a real mastery of the law. She is formidable and has an incredible drive. She cares deeply about her clients, both in terms of the outcome for them and their welfare." (Legal 500 2025)

“Caroline is a really brilliant solicitor. She has a wonderful understanding of the mechanics of the law and the emotions going on between the parties." (Chambers HNW 2024)

“Caroline gets really good cases and inspires confidence with her clients. She's unflappable really, you'd want her in a crisis." (Chambers HNW 2024)

“Caroline is an unflappable, highly knowledgeable and collegiate lawyer." (Chambers HNW 2024)

"Caroline Holley is one of the greats of family law. She is an incredible solicitor totally dedicated to her work and clients. She has an enormous intellect and a wonderful client manner. She brings a light touch to her cases which clients love. All her opponents respect her for her judgement and sensibility." (Legal 500 2024)

"Caroline has an international practice with a particular expertise of clients in America. She is very adept at dealing with clients with complicated global assets." (Chambers HNW 2023)

"She is absolutely top of the game. A fabulous practitioner that clients really love, and incredibly intelligent with a good bedside manner. Great to work with as she takes the sting out of the case." (Chambers HNW 2023)

"Caroline Holley is simply brilliant. She guides her clients through the stormy waters of divorce and takes them to a safe port of good settlement or victory in court." (Legal 500 2023)

"She's completely unflappable and has a great insight into her cases." (Chambers UK 2023)

"Caroline is always thinking ten steps ahead, which makes her remarkable. She has fantastic instincts and she always has the answer." (Chambers UK 2023)

"She is a very shrewd and tactical lawyer who is always ahead of her opponent. She is a brilliant strategist." (Chambers UK 2023)

"She is extremely thorough and brings intellectual rigour to both financial and children work." (Chambers UK 2023)

"Caroline is always thinking ten steps ahead, which makes her remarkable...She has fantastic instincts and she always has the answer." (Chambers HNW 2022)

"Caroline Holley is a superstar. Her clients adore her for her incisive mind, strategic abilities and charming manner. You couldn’t find a better solicitor to fight your case and give you calm realistic advice." (Legal 500 2022)

"Caroline Holley – another brilliant partner who has made a great name for herself." (Legal 500 2022)

"She is brilliant. She has very good client management skills and is able to deal with enormously complicated cases. She has an exceptional legal mind and great client management skills." (Chambers HNW 2021)

Reported Cases

Alvina Collardeau v Michael Fuchs & Anor [2025] EWFC 36

Successfully acted for a former wife in High Court enforcement proceedings. In this highly significant judgment, Mr Justice Poole set aside a lease that was granted by the client’s former husband to a third party in order to defeat the financial remedy order made in her favour on divorce in 2023. The judge described the lease as a “sham” that was intended to frustrate and impede the enforcement of the financial remedy order.

AN v NO [2024] EWFC 94

Successfully acted for a husband to contest the wife’s English divorce application on the grounds of a lack of jurisdiction. The judge dismissed the English divorce proceedings brought by the wife, finding that there was no jurisdiction and an overseas country was the more appropriate forum for the divorce proceedings.

HAT v LAT [2023] EWFC 162

Successfully acted for a wife in an application for interim maintenance and legal costs provision in circumstances where a separation agreement had been entered into 30 years prior, but no court order had been obtained. The case addressed the law on delay in bringing a financial claim.

XO v YO & Anor [2022] EWFC 114

Successfully represented a wife in high-value financial proceedings where the husband refused to participate. The case involved international assets and complex jurisdictional issues. The judge drew adverse inferences against the husband, awarded the wife 50 per cent of the marital assets, and ordered the husband to pay the wife’s costs as a result of his misconduct.

G v T [2020] EWHC 1613 (Fam)

Acted for a high net worth businessman in financial proceedings addressing the correct valuation methodology for his business interests.

Prest v Prest [2015] EWCA Civ 714

Acted for a wife in enforcement proceedings which reached the Court of Appeal. Successfully defeated the husband’s appeal against a four-week prison sentence for breach of a financial order.

Y v Y (Financial Remedy: Marriage Contract) [2014] EWHC 2920

Acted for a husband in a high-value financial proceedings concerning the impact of a French marriage contract (akin to a pre-nuptial agreement) on the division of assets in an English divorce.

Prest v Petrodel [2013] UKSC 34

Acted for a wife in a successful appeal to the Supreme Court. This was a landmark case in family and corporate law concerning the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil. The case was reported widely, including by the BBC, The Telegraph and The Guardian.

Whaley v Whaley [2011] EWCA Civ 617

Acted for a wife in a landmark Court of Appeal case concerning the availability of trust assets to divorcing spouses. Successfully defeated the husband's appeal against an order in the High Court that trust assets were resources available to him.

U v U [2010] EWHC 2472 (Fam)

Acted for a father in international child abduction proceedings. Successfully obtained an order for the summary return of two children to their father in Nigeria.

W v H [2008] EWHC 2038 (Fam)

Successfully acted for a husband in a "big money" case concerning practice and procedure where one party seeks to shorten the litigation on the basis that an agreement has already been conclude (but the other party disputes that).

Publications and Talks

Caroline regularly speaks on a range of family law issues both domestically and internationally. Recent speaking engagements include those for the Union Internationale des Avocats, talks to STEP Chapters in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley, a presentation at the STEP International Tax and Estate Planning Forum and a lecture to the California Bar Association.
Recent speaking engagements include those for the Union Internationale des Avocats, talks to STEP Chapters in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley, a presentation at the STEP International Tax and Estate Planning Forum and a lecture to the California Bar Association.
Caroline writes regularly on family law matters for a range of publications. Recent publications include Family Law Journal, STEP Journal, IAFL Fall Journal, Law Society Gazette and Wealth & Finance.
Caroline is also frequently quoted in legal and national media, including The Times, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, The National, and eprivateclient.