Katie Wood

‘Katie’s ability to absorb and distil information is astonishing, and she has a rare talent in being able to balance genuine empathy with robust advice where needed. She is able to command the courtroom in a most respectful manner and her advocacy is calm, crisp and compelling.’
Chamber and Partners, 2024

Experience

Year of Call: 2001

Education

Cardiff University LLB (honours)
Inner Temple Scholarship (2000)
Inner Temple’s Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award (2000)

Profile

Katie’s established practice encompasses all aspects of financial remedies and private law children work, for which she has been ranked in the major legal directories for over five years.

Katie is very experienced, appears before tribunals at all levels and is frequently instructed in cases where she is against King’s Counsel.

She often represents clients in both the financial and children aspects arising from their relationship breakdown, providing a holistic approach.

Her financial practice covers the spectrum of cases involving complex high-net worth individuals to those where assets are more limited or have been dissipated.

Likewise, Katie’s private law children practice focuses on particularly complex cases, including those involving serious allegations of domestic abuse and coercive control, sexual assault, alienating behaviours, addiction, as well as issues concerning mental health and capacity.

Katie is known for her personable nature, exceptional client care skills, “spot on judgement” and sensible, tactical advice. Her preparation is always thorough, and her advocacy is both persuasive and robust. Katie’s focus from the outset is to achieve the best possible outcome for her client.

Katie is often invited to speak at law firms and regional events to provide legal updates and discuss the continuing changes happening in the family law arena.


Family Finance

Katie has considerable experience in high-net-worth financial remedy cases, often involving nuptial agreements, off-shore assets, third party claims, dissipation of funds, pensions and complex business structures. She is also often instructed in cases where the assets are more modest, as well as cases which fall under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989.

As the directories report, Katie has a forensic approach to her work and has been praised for her meticulous preparation and command of the detail. She has excellent judgement, gives practical and sensible advice and is highly persuasive in court.

Private Children Law

Katie is repeatedly instructed in difficult children matters, often involving serious allegations of sexual abuse, violence and parental alienation, as well as cases with a long history of intractable or repeat litigation.

She frequently represents vulnerable clients, including those with mental health issues and people who lack capacity, and is known for her client care skills, conciliatory approach and robust, persuasive advocacy.

Because Katie also undertakes all aspects of financial remedy work, she has the advantage, when instructed on both the children and financial aspects of a case, of having a global insight into the interplay between the two areas of dispute within the same family, often giving her the edge over her opponents.
Katie appeared in the first reported case concerning Covid 19 vaccinations for children between 5-11 (https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewfc/2022/112)

Non-court dispute resolution

Katie is available to undertake work as private FDR judge and to provide Early Neutral Evaluations.

Professional Memberships

Inner Temple
Family Law Bar Association

Testimonials

“Katie has repeatedly impressed with her ability to handle huge quantities of complicated financial information. She is a master of the facts and has the ability to zero in quickly on key information and spot inconsistencies – both we and leading counsel relied on her immensely. Her judgement is also spot on.”
Mark Harrop – Head of London Team at Family Law Partners

Directories

“Supportive and available, she makes the clients feel like they have a team around them. Her utterly charming style has the judge and opponents eating out of the palm of her hands.”

“Legally and emotionally intelligent and an absolutely brilliant team player. She is very creative and analytical in her approach.”

“A very through barrister, Katie works very hard for her clients and her written work is excellent.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025

‘Katie is conscientious and always willing to go the extra mile.’
Legal 500, 2025

“Katie’s ability to absorb and distil information is astonishing, and she has a rare talent in being able to balance genuine empathy with robust advice where needed. She is able to command the courtroom in a most respectful manner and her advocacy is calm, crisp and compelling.”

“A highly skilled advocate who takes control of a case and guides the judges, taking them to where they need to be.”

“She has a warm and personable nature which plays well with clients, but is a formidable advocate.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024

‘Katie is cool, calm and collected and can put the client immediately at ease. She is well prepared and brings that coolness to her advocacy where nothing phases her. She can present and argue the case with ease.’
Legal 500 2024, Family (Divorce and Financial Remedy)

‘Katie is a persuasive advocate. Her preparation and written work are second to none, and her eye for detail is outstanding. She is always the first-choice barrister.’
Legal 500 2024, Family (Children and Domestic Abuse)

“Katie Wood gives great advice and good client service when handling complex and sophisticated cases. She’s always available to assist when required between hearings too.”
“Katie has a warm and calm manner with clients; she cares and the client can feel that. She’s a supportive barrister and very easy to work with.”
Chambers and Partners, 2023

‘Katie is always meticulously prepared for cases. She is a robust and highly persuasive advocate and fantastic with clients. Her judgment is always correct, and she is definitely a go-to counsel in matrimonial finance cases.’
Legal 500 2023, Family (Including Divorce and Financial Remedy) 

‘Katie has the ability to build a fantastic rapport with the lay client generating trust in the difficult and sensitive cases. She is superbly organised, with an eye for detail. She is astute with excellent judgment about the needs of each case and is a robust but always courteous advocate when needed.’
Legal 500, 2023 (Children Law) 

‘ A confident and authoritative advocate. She is excellent at mastering the detail of a case and is always well-prepared. ’
Legal 500, 2022

‘Very hardworking. Fantastic with clients and really goes the extra mile to achieve results. A real star.’
Legal 500, 2021


“Her commitment to cases is consistently 150% – nothing escapes her detailed examination of even the most complex of cases.”
Legal 500, 2020