Samantha Woodham

Profile

Praised by clients, colleagues and the legal directories alike, Samantha specialises in complex and high-value financial disputes and in contentious private law children cases.  She is a fearless advocate with a keen intellect, yet possesses a warm and approachable manner that puts clients at ease.

Samantha is recognised as leader in her field in Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Spears, Citywealth and the Tatler High Net Worth Guide.

From her extensive experience representing husbands and wives in the Family Court, Samantha was convinced there was a better way to resolve family change than requiring each spouse, from day one, to seek advice from separate legal teams. In 2018 she, and fellow barrister Harry Gates, set up The Divorce Surgery, which was the first regulated law firm to enable separating couples to share a lawyer on divorce. The Divorce Surgery was named as one of the FT50 most innovative law firms in Europe.

Samantha is a leader in the field of Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR), for which she has received numerous awards, and appears regularly in print and broadcast media. Samantha and Harry were commissioned by

Harper Collins to write a book about how couples can divorce well: The Divorce Surgery: The Art of Untying the Knot.

Samantha was appointed to the sub-committee of the Online Procedure Rules Committee in 2024, which is tasked with reform of the pre-court space.

Directories

“Very well prepared and all over the detail. You can really tell she’s working hard to get the best possible outcome. Clients like her and trust her and she has a really excellent manner with judges.”

“She’s clever, thoughtful and always looking ahead.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025

‘Samantha is a class act. She is a brilliant advocate, has a bedside manner which is unmatched in the profession and knows precisely how to pitch her case to get the best outcome for a client.’
Legal 500, 2025

‘Samantha is an intelligent and persuasive advocate. She is deeply committed to her clients and always well-prepared. She remains calm under pressure and builds rapport with her clients. She is fantastic to work with and extremely supportive of her instructing solicitors.’
Legal 500 2024 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)

‘Samantha has amazing insight into a case very quickly. She has the ear of the court and makes meaningful submissions which land will with tribunals. She is very empathetic with clients and gives difficult advice in a way in which they feel hugely supported and able to make decisions. She is focused on the settlement but not at all costs. She has huge attention to detail and is a wonderful advocate.’
Legal 500 2024 Tier 2 (Children and Domestic Abuse)

“She has huge empathy and clients know that she gets where they’re coming from.”

“She’s unbelievably good with clients, has very good people skills, is very good on the law, and has great depth of knowledge.”
Chambers & Partners, 2024

‘Samantha is extremely kind and empathetic. She has an excellent manner with clients, even when delivering unwelcome news. Her advocacy is clear and to the point, never aggressive, and she appears well liked and respected by judges and other members of the bar alike. She is intelligent and numerate, and her written documents are persuasive and well structured’
Legal 500 2023 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)

‘Samantha is a brilliant advocate who keeps her cool even in the most difficult situations. She knows her brief like the back of her hand, and clients trust her implicitly as a result.’
Legal 500 2023 Tier 2 (Children Law)

Family practitioner and co-founder of the Divorce Surgery, handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.

Strengths: “Has a way of explaining the subtleties of a case so they matter to both the court and clients.” “She thinks strategically and with settlement at the forefront of her mind.” “She is personable and takes a collaborative approach towards cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022

‘She is incredibly polished, brimming with enthusiasm and gets results’ ‘appreciates the nuances of a case and can persuade the court to appreciate the subtleties too‘
Legal 500 2022 Tier 1 (Divorce and Financial Remedy)

‘An absolute joy to work with. She is sensible and pragmatic but with a genuine sense of empathy. Clients like her immediately and she puts them at ease with her confidence and resolution-driven approach.’
Legal 500 2022 Tier 2 (Children Law)

Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.

Strengths: “Personable, all over the detail, and a brilliant advocate. Clients love her and she is a pleasure to instruct.” “She is always brilliantly prepared and fantastic with the clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021

Family practitioner handling a variety of private law matters relating to both family finance and children. Her specialism lies in high-value matrimonial disputes and Schedule 1 cases. She is frequently sought out to provide a pre-emptive insight into developing problems before proceedings are issued.

“Has huge amounts of energy for cases and does not shy away from taking or running a punchy point. She charms clients, solicitors and the court with her straightforward and respectful manner.”
Legal 500 2021 Top Tier, Family (Including Divorce and Financial Remedy)

‘She is fantastic with clients and spots every relevant detail. She has huge amounts of energy for cases and does not shy away from taking or running a punchy point. She charms clients, solicitors and the court with her straightforward and respectful manner. ’hearing.’
Legal 500 2021, Children

“Brilliantly hands-on and very accessible. She’s pragmatic in terms of solutions and is very good both in negotiation or in the courtroom. She also has a really nice way with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2020

‘Her greatest strength is her ability to empathise with clients in a way which makes them feel completely supported while also making their legal position clear.’‘ Her advice is carefully thought out and she is always meticulously well-prepared for any conference or hearing.’
Legal 500, 2020

Samantha has been recognised in the directories since 2013; only the more recent quotes are included here.