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How Expatriate Law Compares

Value for money

This firm - 97%
National Average
Poor Competitive Excellent

Excellent does not necessarily mean ‘cheap’. It means that clients thought that the level of service received was Excellent for what they paid.

This score has been calculated using up to the last 300 reviews left by clients of Expatriate Law on ReviewSolicitors.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask reviewer questions about the value for money they felt they received by using Expatriate Law. These questions include:

  • Value for money (a rating of 1-5)
  • How much were you initially quoted or how much did you expect to pay?
  • Approximately how much did you end up spending for the legal services provided (ignoring disbursements and court fees)
  • Did you think this was underpriced, overpriced or about right?
  • Overall experience

We use data science to amalgamate the answers to these questions and create a ‘ReviewSolicitors score’ out of 100. The above chart representation score is a simple percentage representation of the averaged score across those who have reviewed this law firm.

Underpriced 2%
Overpriced 4%
About Right 92%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Would recommend to
friends and family

This firm - 99%
National Average
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

ReviewSolicitors uses our community data to show you how many clients used Expatriate Law and have had a satisfactory experience where they have indicated that they would recommend the services of the law firm to their friends and family.

You can use this data to see how Expatriate Law performs against other law firms nationally. A score close to 100% indicates that this firm is highly valued by their clients.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask the question:

"Would you recommend this firm to somebody else?"

The reviewer can select either “Yes” or “No”.

The above score is a simple percentage representation of the total amount of clients who selected the “Yes” option:

Yes 99%
No 1%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Satisfied with
outcome of matter

This firm - 99%
National Average
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

ReviewSolicitors uses our community data to show you how many clients used Expatriate Law and were satisfied with the outcome of their matter. Being satisfied with the outcome of your matter is an important consideration to have in mind.

You can use this data to see how Expatriate Law compares to the national average of clients being satisfied with the outcome of their matter after instructing a solicitor.

As part of our review questionnaire we ask the question:

"Were you satisfied with the outcome of your case?"

The reviewer can select either “Yes” or “No”.

The above score is a simple percentage representation of the total amount of clients who selected the “Yes” option:

Yes 99%
No 1%

If you would like to read more about how we work with our review data please see our Transparency section.

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Rankings by area of expertise

The rankings below show the areas of expertise that Expatriate Law offers to clients. You can see how good the service offered is in comparison to all other law firms nationally.

Data shown above is based on the reviews and client feedback collected by ReviewSolicitors over the last 12 months.

Review Sources

Client Reviews

4.9/5

Reviews summary

  • Excellent

    150
  • Very Good

    6
  • Average

    0
  • Poor

    1
  • Awful

    1

Overall experience

  • Value For Money
  • Communication
  • Initial Impressions
  • Approachability
  • Documentation Accuracy
  • Legal knowledge
Nigel

Nigel

February 20, 2024

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Client Care Excellence

I have dealt with many solicitors over the years following a toxic divorce, multiple Court sessions since on related matters and I can say that Sonny and the team were a send.

Once and for all, someone was able to effectively deal with the issues at hand from SEA, within the UK legal framework, in a timely and cost effective manner.

What made the difference? Clarity of objective, a clear recommendation, approach and focused execution. Time is money and Sonny does not exploit this vulnerability with clients that many having gone through a divorce will appreciate.

He leverages his experience and shares succinct, thought through guidance that imbues confidence and trust. He leads the process and is proactive rather than needing to be nudged. He respects his time and yours and therefore, produces a quality outcome.

Worth every penny and he is highly recommended.

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PhilMatt

Matter Type:

Child Custody

PhilMatt

February 17, 2024

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Expatriate Law - UAE - Byron James & team

Byron James provided expert legal counsel in my case which involved and required expert knowledge within the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court within an international setting.

Most importantly Mr James took the time to understand the emotional aspect of my matter and its importance for my children. Byron James is, in my opinion without peer in his overall approach in his advocacy, supportive, understanding, and professionalism whilst constantly examining the case.

This case was extremely complicated having an international multi-jurisdictional complexity and more, which Byron and his team worked hard to navigate through.

He and his team were prompt with responses, filing, feedback and administrative support, which is one of the difficult aspects when dealing with language barriers as an expat in the UAE. For expats and in general, this is a relief having the ability to communicate effectively, something I have had problems and experience in the past.

Byron has managed to achieve many precedent outcomes/decisions in the Abu Dhabi Civil Family court. His approach and understanding of complex matters and ability to convey the human aspect throughout proceedings is the driving force behind achieving these outcomes.

Overall if I highly recommend Byron James at Expatriate Law for family matters, multi-jurisdictional and complex family matters.

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Garth

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Expatriate Law.

Matter Type:

Divorce

Garth

February 02, 2024

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Very professional service

Hero and her colleagues were very helpful and professional in helping me through a difficult divorce. Communication was always good, and any issues or misunderstandings were quickly rectified. I highly recommend Hero.

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Richard

Matter Type:

Divorce

Richard

February 02, 2024

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Divorce Settlement Services

Byron and the team have been amazing. Delivered very pragmatic advice and were very careful to work within my budget, keeping communication short and to the point. Everything concluded for me beyond my expectations.

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Sarah

Matter Type:

Divorce

Sarah

January 18, 2024

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Professional and supportive

Expatriate Law have provided an exceptional service, demonstrating professionalism, unwavering support, and efficiency throughout. Byron, in particular, stood out for his experience and expertise
but also for his personal and considerate manner. His guidance and commitment greatly contributed to a positive experience. Thanks also to Marilou for her timely communication and updates. I highly recommend this firm for their outstanding legal representation.

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Julie

Matter Type:

Family law

Julie

January 11, 2024

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The Best for Family Law in the UAE

After initially working with another law firm and unfortunately losing my case for sole custody, I enlisted the services of ExpatLaw, and specifically that of Byron James, given his prior successes in winning custody disputes under the new Abu Dhabi Non-Muslim family law. From the beginning, I was impressed with Byron's understanding of the law in question, his eagerness to problem-solve using creative strategies where appropriate, the excellent support of his team, his straightforward communication style, and also his empathy in addressing my concerns. After crafting and executing a multi-pronged strategy, I'm thrilled to report that he has won yet another custody case. Many law firms seem to be struggling with this new law, but Byron James has a masterful understanding of it, and is keen to explore its full potential.

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Julie

Matter Type:

Child Custody

Julie

January 11, 2024

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ExpatLaw succeeded where other lawyers failed

After initially working with another law firm and unfortunately losing my case for sole custody, I enlisted the services of ExpatLaw, and specifically that of Byron James, given his prior successes in winning custody disputes under the new Abu Dhabi Non-Muslim family law. From the beginning, I was impressed with Byron's understanding of the law in question, his eagerness to problem-solve using creative strategies where appropriate, the excellent support of his team, his straightforward communication style, and also his empathy in addressing my concerns. After crafting and executing a multi-pronged strategy, I'm thrilled to report that he has won yet another custody case. Many law firms seem to be struggling with this new law, but Byron James has a masterful understanding of it, and is keen to explore its full potential.

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Sarah

Matter Type:

Family law

Sarah

December 27, 2023

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Outstanding - Oscar Smith

I consider Oscar to be the primary driving force behind why I find myself today in a position of emotional and physical stability, strength and wellbeing.

My case was complex and multifaceted from the offset. We began our communications in Spring of 2021, during the pandemic. I don’t imagine there is ever a straightforward process when overseeing clients through divorce proceedings and all that this entails, however, I do believe Oscar was faced with an extremely challenging case and set of circumstances in my instance and in the face of such adversity his ability to not only meet but excel at managing it’s demands was outstanding and faultless.

Oscar first met me whilst I was a client at a residential addiction treatment programme in London receiving treatment for alcoholism; I was one month into my recovery programme having more or less fled Abu Dhabi in order to escape the physically and emotionally abusive marriage I was in, to seek addiction treatment in the UK and begin children’s proceedings whilst my children needed to remain at school in Abu Dhabi. For a vulnerable person such as myself in the context of these circumstances, I was extremely apprehensive of making any new acquaintance's and tried to avoid communications with almost anyone other than family or my counsellors, I was also committed to a strict recovery programme and being in the early stages of recovery I was in a high relapse risk position.

As such Oscar was tasked with having to handle my process very delicately, to gain my trust, extrapolate necessary information from me to build my case, whilst being acutely aware that any distressing topic or question could be a triggering factor for me and thus potentially leave me vulnerable to relapse which needless to say would have been damaging for my case.

Throughout our interactions Oscar always made me feel at ease, reassured, supported, understood and safe, he was enormously patient and encouraging and always went above and beyond throughout proceedings. He expertly led me through more of the complex areas of the case, effectively clarifying where necessary and was skilled at gently but assertively encouraging me to maximise my position. There were times when I might waiver on my direction, with years of my being in a highly controlling relationship there were instances where I may have conceded on matters that I should not have as I was often still co-dependent with my ex husband but Oscar diligently and patiently navigated such instances and I am eternally grateful for this, he was my strength when I did not have enough of my own.

Oscar is incredibly empathetic and would be able to predict and provide the necessary guidance ahead of situations I would find potentially triggering and was able to put in place reassurances and measures that he knew would work for me; whether that was advice on putting me at ease ahead of a hearing, quashing unfounded fears I had further to receiving intimidating correspondence from the other side or by introducing counsel to me with consideration of my apprehension towards meeting new people during my vulnerable process of recovery. Oscars natural rapport with counsel, including Will Tyler KC and Sarah Phipps KC, immediately relieved me of any feelings of shame or awkwardness I had during conferences as I could see the ease at which they interacted which gave me confidence. Without Oscar’s excellent suggestions of such counsel which leant themselves in their niches to the complexities of the case, and his painstaking work towards each and every element of the case, the team work and strong relationships displayed throughout, I do not believe we would have gained the exceedingly successful results that we did.

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karen

Matter Type:

Family law

karen

December 21, 2023

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Divorcing outside the UK

Sonny helped me through a very challenging divorce while living in China. It was an unexpected experience to move to China to support my now ex-husband’s career and find myself abandoned a few months later. It was a very emotional time for me and I was not an easy client at times. However, both Sonny and Ambar showed me support and empathy. Their professionalism and commitment to get me the outcome I duly deserved is credit to their expertise. I am truly grateful to have them on my side, thank you Sonny and Ambar for all your hard work and dedication!

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Emma

Verified review

This review has been left by a verified client who used Expatriate Law.

Matter Type:

Family law

Emma

December 12, 2023

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Would HIGHLY recommend to anyone!

I honestly couldn’t recommend Antonia highly enough. Not only was the legal knowledge and advice first class, but the support and kindness she showed was unforgettable. I felt so incredibly supported and cared for during the worst time in my life. I knew I could trust Antonia to defend me and fight for me in whatever way was appropriate and had full trust in her. The communication was incredible and I felt she always made time for me, even if it was just a phone call to reassure me or check in on me. I would recommend her to anyone.

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Reviews collected from

Peter

Peter

March 06, 2024

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Peter

Very good solution for Expats who want representation in the UK. Highly recommended.

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Sarah

Matter Type:

Family law

Sarah

August 04, 2023

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Sarah

Jack Mitchell was excellent supporting me in my case linked to non payment of maintenance from the ex husband. He was measured, confident and human. I would highly recommend Jack. Thank you

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Claire

Matter Type:

Family law

Claire

July 04, 2023

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Claire

I found Expatriate Law during my divorce proceedings as a local solicitor was unable to grasp the full complexities of my case with a tricky ex partner. The team acted swiftly to protect my interests for which I’m eternally grateful.
Jack saw my case throughout the whole process with empathy, diligence and patience. I am so very grateful for all his hard work and professionalism that got us a fair and just result that protected my own and my daughters future. Thank you Jack! (And team)

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Mahmoud

Matter Type:

Children

Mahmoud

June 24, 2023

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Mahmoud

Sara Lange is an outstanding professional Lawyer, she helped us solving a rather complicated divorce dispute with her skills.Sara is an honest person. My son and I were lucky to have had her defending His rights. We certainly recommend Her for those who seeks justice.Thank you so much Sara.
We wish you all the very best,

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Dina

Matter Type:

Financial Matters

Dina

March 25, 2023

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Dina

After seeing the reviews on this firm, I reached out to ask about their services, and I was impressed with the professional way they handled everything from start to finish. This is how all law firms should operate.
Alexandra explained everything clearly, and she recommended Summer Balfour who was brilliant to work with. I can't thank her enough for her assistance at my FDR. Summer is efficient, was a step ahead and got everything done in record time.
Highly recommend.

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About this branch

Description

We are a specialist team of international family lawyers, advising on cross border divorce and children law issues. We appreciate that when living overseas, it can be difficult to know where to turn for accurate and trusted advice. Unfamiliar and conflicting laws make divorcing abroad a potential minefield. Our firm only advises on international family law - either for multinational families living in England and Wales, or British expatriates living overseas. We specialise in advising high net worth individuals with assets in several jurisdictions. Contact us for confidential advice on international or expat divorce if: - You were born in England or Wales - Your spouse was born in England or Wales - You have property or other assets in England or Wales - You or your spouse live in England or Wales - You or your spouse did live in England, and either of you intend to return there In addition to divorce, we advise on a large range of international family law matters including: 1. Child custody and contact disputes 2. National and international relocation with children 3. Child abduction 4. School fees and choice of school disputes 5. Maintenance claims 6. Injunctions and freezing orders 7. Pension and other asset claims 8. Same sex financial claims on separation 9. Financial claims for unmarried parents 10. Prenuptial, post-nuptial and cohabitation agreements 11. Court proceedings, representation and hearings and preparation for hearings We offer free initial telephone advice from a senior solicitor in the firm, giving an initial overview of your matter and the steps you can take. Call us today on 02030967169 or email alexandra@expatriatelaw.com.

Practice areas

*Divorce *Jurisdiction and forum disputes *Divorce planning *Nullity *Maintenance claims *Variation of maintenance *Division of assets on divorce *Injunctions * Freezing orders *Legal fees claims on divorce *Child custody *Child abduction *Schedule 1 claims for unmarried parents *Financial claims after a foreign divorce *Prenuptial and marital agreements *Settlement agreements

Regulated by

Solicitors Regulation Authority

Legal services

Personal areas of law

  • Family Law
    • Adoption, Surrogacy, Care and Special Guardianship
    • Annulment
    • Asset protection and tax mitigation
    • Child Abduction
    • Child Access
    • Child Arrangements Following Divorce
    • Child Custody
    • Child Law
    • Child Maintenance
    • Child Relocation After Divorce
    • Child contact
    • Children
    • Children Act proceedings
    • Civil Partnership Dissolution
    • Civil partnerships
    • Cohabitation agreements and disputes
    • Cohabitation and Unmarried Relationships
    • Collaborative Law
    • Divorce
    • Divorce After A Brain Or Other Serious Injury
    • Divorce Mediation
    • Domestic Abuse
    • Domestic Violence
    • Elderly care
    • Elderly care home fees
    • Family Mediation
    • Family law
    • Financial Matters
    • Fixed Fee Divorce
    • Grandparents' Rights
    • High Net Worth Divorce
    • Inheritance Act claims
    • Injunctions
    • International Divorce
    • Lasting power of attorney
    • Legal aid
    • Marriage and civil partnerships
    • Matrimonial finance
    • Out Of Court Divorce
    • Parental responsibility, paternity disputes, surrogacy
    • Pension and property advice
    • Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements
    • Separation
    • Separation Agreement
    • Social Services
    • Unmarried Couples' Rights
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