Margaret is a skilled, talented and experienced family solicitor and practitioner, qualifying in the UK in 1982 and in Australia in 1985. She specialises in all aspects of family law from complex financial and children matters to those that are more straightforward. Cases will often involve overseas assets, trusts and company structures. She is experienced in acting in children matters, including where there are allegations of sexual abuse. She represents parents in disputes regarding who the children should live with and the time they spend with the other parent and in cases where one parent would like to move out of the jurisdiction permanently with the children.
Margaret has always appreciated that clients navigating separation, divorce and disputes about their children need so much more than legal advice. With that in mind, she has honed her dispute resolution skills training as a mediator, then a hybrid mediator and an arbitrator qualified to hear both financial and children matters in arbitration.
As a deputy district judge in the family court she is experienced at hearing financial dispute resolutions. She is now happy to offer private financial dispute resolution hearings here at KMJ.
Margaret is passionate about assisting clients finding solutions to the issues they face when separating. She will explore all available options with clients, identifying the most suitable in a particular situation. She can move nimbly across the various options from mediation to collaborative law to arbitration to court proceedings.
She is a founding member of the certainty project: https://www.thecertaintyproject.co.uk. The certainty project incorporates both arbitration and mediation, providing certainty of price, process and outcome to participants.
Margaret is a member of the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators in the City of London.
Margaret works closely with trusted professionals including family therapists, financial advisors, divorce coaches, counsellors and children experts.
She speaks at Family Law conferences both in the UK and internationally as well as training other family law practitioners and is a contributing author to the Resolution Family Disputes Handbook.
Margaret is regularly recognised in The Legal 500. Below is a quote from 2019 edition:
“What Makes Margaret Kelly stand out is the following: her knowledge of the law, her deep commitment to the psychological wellbeing of her client; her capacity to remain in touch with her innate empathetic and compassionate stance towards her clients whilst delivering realistic and objective advice.”
“Margaret Kelly brings particular expertise from her experience of Australian family law. Margaret Kelly also benefits from sitting as a Deputy District Judge.”
“Margaret Kelly has a very calm and measured approach, very pragmatic.”
