Thomas Harvey
Chambers ranked in UK Bar 2025
Leading Junior – Legal 500 Uk 2025

Thomas Harvey

Call: 2013

“Tom is one of the best family juniors at the moment. He is well prepared and all over the detail, and also makes very good strategic calls. He is hugely intelligent and handles clients well.”

Chambers and Partners 2024

Expertise:

Services:

Practice

Tom is described in the legal directories as “one the best family juniors” and “utterly brilliant for his level”.

He has a particular expertise in cases involving the proper treatment of non-matrimonial assets, having successfully represented the respondent husband in Standish v Standish [2014] EWCA Civ 567. Together with Tim Bishop KC, Tom persuaded the Court of Appeal to dismiss the appellant wife’s appeal, allow the respondent husband’s appeal, and reduce the wife’s sharing claim from £45m to £25m.

Tom’s practice is focused on complex financial remedy work. He is regularly instructed as junior counsel to the leading silks in cases concerning ultra-high net worth individuals and/or and complex issues. He is also frequently instructed as sole counsel in cases before High Court judges.

His cases frequently involve:

  • Disputes as to the proper treatment of non-matrimonial / matrimonialised assets
  • Contested jurisdiction
  • High net worth individuals
  • Offshore and corporate/trust structures
  • Disputed valuation evidence
  • Allegations of non-disclosure
  • Issues of privilege

Tom is increasingly instructed to sit as an early neutral evaluator.

“Tom is one of the best family juniors at the moment. He is well prepared and all over the detail, and also makes very good strategic calls. He is hugely intelligent and handles clients well.”

Chambers and Partners 2024

Practice

Tom is described in the legal directories as “one the best family juniors” and “utterly brilliant for his level”.

He has a particular expertise in cases involving the proper treatment of non-matrimonial assets, having successfully represented the respondent husband in Standish v Standish [2014] EWCA Civ 567. Together with Tim Bishop KC, Tom persuaded the Court of Appeal to dismiss the appellant wife’s appeal, allow the respondent husband’s appeal, and reduce the wife’s sharing claim from £45m to £25m.

Tom’s practice is focused on complex financial remedy work. He is regularly instructed as junior counsel to the leading silks in cases concerning ultra-high net worth individuals and/or and complex issues. He is also frequently instructed as sole counsel in cases before High Court judges.

His cases frequently involve:

  • Disputes as to the proper treatment of non-matrimonial / matrimonialised assets
  • Contested jurisdiction
  • High net worth individuals
  • Offshore and corporate/trust structures
  • Disputed valuation evidence
  • Allegations of non-disclosure
  • Issues of privilege

Tom is increasingly instructed to sit as an early neutral evaluator.

  • Financial remedies
  • Jurisdiction and forum non conveniens
  • Claims after foreign divorce under Part III of the MPA 1984
  • Nuptial agreements (including the drafting of pre/post-nuptial agreements) Financial provision for children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 Enforcement and variation of court orders

  • Standish v Standish [2024] EWCA Civ 567 – Landmark case on the proper treatment of assets generated outside of the marital partnership. Successfully reduced the appellant wife’s sharing award by £20m.
  • H v GH [2023] EWFC 235 – Successful strike out application of an application to extend time for payment of a lump sum.
  • SBX v ABX [2022] EWHC 3652 (Fam) – Post-Brexit jurisdiction battle between England and Germany.
  • ARQ v YAQ [2022] EWFC 128; [2022] 4 WLR 112 – A leading case on ‘matrimonialisation’ of non-matrimonial assets. Decision of Court of Appeal awaited.
  • Baker v Baker [2023] EWFC 136 – Implementing a New York Separation Agreement before the English Court.
  • Baker v Baker [2022] EWFC 15; [2022] 2 FCR 555 – Impact of unsatisfactory disclosure on an application for interim maintenance.
  • G v T [2023] EWFC 235– Post-separation endeavour, disputed valuation evidence.
  • Haskell v Haskell [2019] EWHC 3434 (Fam); [2020] 4 WLR 24; [2020] 1 FCR 565 – Interim maintenance order suspended rather than dismissed.
  • FW v FH [2019] EWHC 1338 (Fam); [2019] 2 FCR 937 – Extraction of value from a family business.
  • Hammoud v Al Zawiwi [2019] EWHC 697 (Fam); [2019] 3 FCR 356 – Prison sentence imposed on the husband who had breached an order to provide financial disclosure in proceedings under Part III of the MFPA 1984.
  • Hammoud v Al Zawiwi [2019] EWHC 736 (Fam); [2019] 3 FCR 356 – Absence of affidavit evidence in committal applications.
  • Chai v Peng (Jurisdiction: Forum Conveniens) (No2) [2014] EWHC 3518 (Fam); [2015] 2 FLR 424; [2015] Fam. Law 37 – Jurisdiction race between Malaysia and England, with assets of over £200m.
  • Chai v Peng (Estoppel: Foreign Judgment) (No1) [2014] EWHC 3519 (Fam); [2015] 2 FLR 412; [2015] Fam. Law 37 – Rebutted the husband’s case that the wife should be prevented from pursuing her jurisdiction claim before the English court.

  • Co-author of chapter on pre/post nuptial agreements in the current edition of Rayden and Jackson on Relationship Breakdown, Finances and Children

  • National Executive Committee of the Family Law Bar Association
  • Affiliate Member of Resolution
  • Inner Temple

  • Redruth School
  • Keble College, University of Oxford (Philosophy, Politics and Economics)
  • Oxford Brookes University (GDL)
  • Kaplan Law School (BPTC)

“His written work is of an incredibly high standard. He is able to put clients at ease within seconds of meeting him. Simply brilliant!” “His attention to detail is excellent and he is very responsive.” “He really rolls up his sleeves and works hard. He is full of common sense and fights his client’s corner.”
Chambers and Partners 2021

“Tom is utterly brilliant for his level. His notes are fabulous, he has superb client skills, he is hard working, and you can send him on a case where you know you’ve got a fierce opponent – even though he’s young you just know he’ll be fine.”
Chambers and Partners 2020

Prior to coming to the Bar, Tom spent three years as a full-time athlete training out of the GB Rowing High Performance Centre at Leander Club, Henley-on-Thames.