Chris Longbottom

Chris heads the Family Law team as a Partner at Clarke Willmott, Manchester.

He regularly deals with the issues that arise for an individual following the breakdown of a relationship in relation to divorce/civil partnership dissolution, their financial affairs and their children.

Chris provides advice on complex financial cases; serving high profile / high net worth clients in complex financial and private law children matters. He provides advice locally, nationally and internationally covering financial settlements on divorce, unmarried family disputes, divorce and separation planning (in particular pre-nuptials, post-nuptials, trusts and corporate structures).

His team are known for a commercial and pragmatic approach to resolving disputes in a swift and cost effective manner, looking for alternatives to the Court process and actively engaging in the arbitration process, private FDRs and round table meetings to reach a quicker resolution that enables the family to move forward more successfully. This can frequently involve the client’s IFA or accountant in ensuring that all professionals work together to obtain the right outcome for the individual and so that they can effectively plan for the future.

Chris and his team have a diverse client base and it is made up of professionals, academics, self-employed entrepreneurs, high level management in the public sector, owner managed businesses, family businesses, homemakers and the sports and entertainment sectors. Chris has undertaken UHNW work such as preparing a prenuptial agreement where the assets stood circa £320m+ and has also undertaken child related work (later appearing in the National news) involving a 4 week Private Law Children final hearing involving children who were abducted following an order for them to be returned of their Father (the client).

Chris is a regular “go-to” expert commentator on divorce and separation matters. His comments and legal insights from a divorce perspective on the Ashley Madison data breach were covered in a number of national media – including primetime BBC News and Sky News. Chris also recently commented on BBC radio regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact upon co-parenting during that time of lockdown and isolation.

Chris is a Resolution member and is proud to be so. He is also a member of the Manchester Law Society Family Law Committee.

How Chris can you help you

Chris offers a personal and tailored service to meet an individual’s specific needs, listen to their objectives and provide an excellent level of service with the warmth and respect delicate issues require, ensuring that they understand each and every step taken. Testament to this is the fact that the majority of his work is generated through recommendations by previous clients and professional contacts.

He regularly deals with:

• Divorce – fair financial provision
• Dissolution of civil partnerships and nullity proceedings
• Financial provision in all those circumstances and after overseas divorce
• Cohabitation rights
• Pre and post-nuptial agreements
• Applications for permission to resettle overseas with children
• Separation agreements
• Adoption, disputes about care or education of children
• Applications for parental rights
• Child relocation disputes
• Child residence and contact disputes
• International child abduction
• Variation or set aside of existing financial orders
• International child abduction remedies