Lily Mottahedan
- Call
- 2011
"Gives clear, confident advice to clients and makes them feel at ease. She has the ability to think on her feet." 'Lily is a skilled advocate. She is eloquent, articulate, forceful, robust and pragmatic. She is a go-to junior on all matrimonial finance disputes.'
Chambers and Partners 2022 and Legal 500 2023
Practice
Lily’s practice covers all aspects of private family law, especially the financial and international aspects.
She was named Family Law Junior Barrister of the Year at the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Awards 2023 and was runner-up in the category of International Family Lawyer of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2023.
She is ranked in Band 1 for matrimonial finance in Chambers and Partners 2023 in which she is described as “very eloquent, meticulous and someone with a really bright future".
The 2022 edition of Chambers and Partners describes her as "a bright, determined, thorough cross-examiner who is well informed about the strengths and weaknesses of her case” and who "gets on top of obscure areas of law quickly” and “has the ability to think on her feet”.
The 2021 edition says she is “quick on the uptake, numerate and has good client management skills, proving kind but firm” and that "she provides comprehensive, well-reasoned advice and insight into the French divorce processes."
As a former investment banker in the UK M&A team at Merrill lynch, Lily brings a commercial edge to her financial cases and as a fluent French speaker owing to her formative years at the French Lycée, Lily is adept in cases with an Anglo-French element.
Previous editions of Chambers and Partners say that she is “hard-working, presents well and is an effective advocate”, that “she is very dynamic in her approach to cases and very personable with clients", that her advocacy is “very precise” and that she is considered to be “very tenacious” and is someone who “isn’t frightened of anyone”.
In 2019 she was shortlisted UK Family Law Junior Barrister of the year by Chambers and Partners and in 2018, UK Family Law Junior Barrister by LexisNexis.
As the author of the chapter on declarations of marital status and co-author of the chapter on the English court’s approach to the recognition of overseas divorces in the latest edition of the leading family law textbook, Rayden and Jackson, Lily is recognised for her additional expertise in matters concerning marital status.
Lily is also regularly instructed in cases involving fine art collections due to her in-depth knowledge of the international art market. She completed the Diploma of Art Profession Law and Ethics at the Institute of Art and Law with Distinction.
SPECIALIST IN
- Financial remedies
- Financial remedies after an overseas divorce (Part III)
- Jurisdiction (including under the EU Maintenance Regulation 2009 and the Hague Convention 2007 on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance)
- Forum non conveniens
- Recognition of foreign marriages and divorces
- Declarations as to marital status
- Non-marriage and nullity
- Injunctions
- Enforcement (including the enforcement of international orders)
- Marital agreements (prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and European marital property regime agreements)
- Financial provision for children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989
- Private law children matters (residence and contact)
Lily has appeared in cases in county courts across the country, in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal, her reported cases include:
SA v FA [2022] EWFC 115 (before HHJ Hess) where she sought a stay of divorce and financial remedy proceedings in England and Wales on forum non conveniens grounds in favour of proceedings in the Abu Dhabi Family court for Non-Muslims and was successful.
SC v TC [2022] EWFC 67 (before HHJ Hess) where she successfully set-aside a post-nuptial agreement on the grounds of undue influence and failure to meet needs on behalf of a vulnerable client who had lost litigation capacity during the proceedings.
AG v VG [2020] EWHC 1847 (Fam) (High Court), led by Deborah Bangay QC, defending the Wife in the Husband’s application for disclosure of her previous solicitors files on the grounds that she had waived legal professional privilege in her pleadings.
Waggott v Waggott [2018] EWCA Civ 727 (Court of Appeal), led by Nigel Dyer QC in the Husband’s successful resistance to the Wife’s appeal and his cross-appeal in a substantial financial remedy case concerning spousal maintenance, capitalisation, clean breaks and section 28(1) bars.
Quan v Bray and Others [2017] EWCA Civ 405 (Court of Appeal), led by Richard Todd QC in the Wife’s appeal of the first instance decision.
Quan v Bray and others [2015] EWCA Civ 1253 (Court of Appeal), led by Richard Todd QC in the Wife's successful application for permission to appeal.
Quan v Bray and others [2014] EWCA 3340 (Fam) (High Court), led by Richard Todd QC, a four-week preliminary issue hearing concerning whether an offshore trust is post-nuptial settlement and/or a resource pursuant to the Thomas v Thomas line of cases.
B v B [2014] EWHC 4857 (Fam) (High Court), without a leader, in a two day contested jurisdiction dispute concerning jurisdiction under Articles 3 to 7 of the EU Maintenance Regulation 2009 in which she was successful.
AI v MT [2013] EWHC 100 (High Court) where the High Court gave effect to an agreement (both finances and children) reached following a non-binding arbitration in the New York Beth Din (whilst at Manches LLP prior to joining chambers, reported after Lily joined chambers).
Alyami v Musallam [2012] EWCA Civ 898 (Court of Appeal), led by Nicholas Cusworth QC, concerning the applicable cost principles in financial remedy proceedings.
El Gamal v El Maktoum [2011] (High Court) EWHC B27 concerning the recognition of an Islamic marriage (marriage/non-marriage) (whilst at Manches LLP prior to joining chambers).
Author of chapter on declarations of marital status in the current edition of Rayden & Jackson on Divorce and Family Matters.
Co-author of the chapter on the recognition of overseas divorces in the current edition of Rayden & Jackson on Divorce and Family Matters.
Bankers’ Bonuses – how the divorce capital of the world treats the rewards reaped from the financial capital of Europe
http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed129030
Asaad v Kurter: The latest round in ‘non-marriage’ cases - is the tide turning?
- Gray’s Inn
- FLBA
- Diploma in Art Profession Law and Ethics (Distinction), Institute of Art and Law
- Bar Professional Training Course, City (Outstanding)
- Graduate Diploma in Law, The College of Law (Distinction)
- BA (Hons) History, Christ Church, Oxford University (First Class)
- Charterhouse
- Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
Scholarships and awards
- Management Today 35 under 35 (2016)
- Atkin Scholarship (for pupils of “exceptional merit”), Gray’s Inn (2012)
- Prince of Wales Scholarship, Gray’s Inn (2011)
- Freshminds One to Watch (the UK’s top 100 peer nominated graduates) (2008)
- College Prize, Christ Church, Oxford University (2008)
Ranked in Chambers & Partners 2023
Ranked in Legal 500 2023
Lily is married with two children. She is a keen cook and enjoys travel and all of the arts.