Ella Freedman is a specialist family law barrister with over 20 years’ experience. She is regularly instructed in complex private family disputes and financial settlements, known for a sympathetic approach and robust advocacy. Core areas include:
Private law proceedings
Domestic violence
Substance misuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional or psychological harm and risk of abduction
Parental alienation
Ella’s work includes:
Private law proceedings
Domestic violence
Substance misuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional or psychological harm and risk of abduction
Parental alienation
Divorce & Financial Remedies
Ella has a particular interest in divorce and financial relief proceedings. She is instructed from the earliest stages of a case—conferences before proceedings and First Directions Appointments—through to final hearings. She often represents clients in both their private law and financial remedy matters, providing continuity of counsel throughout. A skilful negotiator, she focuses on early, practical resolution wherever possible to help clients avoid costly, protracted litigation.
Private Children Law
Ella advises and appears in child arrangement order disputes. She is regularly instructed in complex private law cases involving:
Domestic violence
Substance misuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional or psychological harm
Risk of abduction
Parental alienation
Social Services & Fact-Finding
Ella’s caseload frequently involves significant social services involvement. She is often instructed for fact-finding hearings where the above issues are in dispute, bringing structured case preparation and clear, evidence-led advocacy.
Jurisdiction & Removal From The Jurisdiction
Ella has extensive experience in applications to remove children from the jurisdiction and in disputes about jurisdiction and forum. She provides strategic advice on risk, evidence and procedure to support robust decision-making.
Injunctions & Protective Orders
As part of her core practice, Ella regularly advises and represents clients in injunctive proceedings, including:
Contested non-molestation orders
Occupation orders
These applications often arise alongside ongoing child arrangements disputes.
Media
Ella has contributed to public discussions on family law legislation, with appearances on BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and BBC News South East.
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