Practice Areas
Dispute Resolution
Direct Access
Awards
Junior Family Law Barrister of the Year, Chambers and Partners Awards 2014
‘Judith is a first-class financial silk and an exceptional advocate. Clients have full confidence in her approach.’
Legal 500, 2025
‘Judith Murray is completely amazing. She’s done some horrible children’s cases… She’s doing the most complicated and ferociously fought work’
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 1994
Year of Silk: 2023
Qualifications
Arbitrator (MCIArb)
Education
Jurisprudence BA (Hons) (Oxon)
Lincoln College
Profile
Judith is an unusual Family Law barrister in that she is recommended in the leading directories as specialising in both financial remedies and private law children cases. She is equally expert in these areas and has been ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for almost 15 years.
Judith has always specialised in Family Law covering both children and financial proceedings. Her practice is now focussed on representing high net worth individuals in both their financial and Children Act proceedings. This will cover applications in respect of all elements of their children’s lives from applications for leave to remove and sole/shared care disputes to issues in respect of education and medical treatment. With many more ‘international’ families leave to remove applications include temporary leave to non-Hague jurisdictions. Judith is also regularly instructed in high conflict child arrangements disputes involving parental alienation and allegations of sexual abuse and/or coercive and controlling behaviour.
Judith undertakes private Financial Dispute Resolution hearings and is a children arbitrator and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).
Family Finance
Judith specialises in financial remedy applications including those resulting from divorce or the ending of co-habitational relationships. Her reported cases cover applications under The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and Schedule 1 of The Children Act 1989. Judith’s cases will often include off-shore assets and trusts and will usually involve the instruction of experts in relation to company valuations, property valuations, pension sharing and tax issues.
Private Children Law
Judith’s cases cover all aspects of private Children Law. This includes diverse areas from international relocation to extremely high conflict child arrangements disputes. Judith has a wealth of experience of cases involving serious allegations including coercive control, Parental Alienation and sexual abuse.
International Children Law
Having previously undertaken a large number of child abduction cases (see reported cases) Judith is well-versed in the issues arising from the international movement of children. Applications for Leave to Remove are a significant part of Judith’s private Children Law practice.
Non-court dispute resolution
Judith undertakes a significant amount of non-court dispute resolution work. She regularly sits as a private FDR judge in financial remedy proceedings and is a qualified children arbitrator.
Judith also regularly appears as counsel in both Financial Remedy and Child Law arbitrations to secure a swift outcome for clients in a private setting.
Professional Memberships
South Eastern Circuit
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb)
Directories
“Judith Murray is completely amazing. She’s done some horrible children’s cases where she is just the safest pair of hands. She’s doing the most complicated and ferocious fought work.”
“She’s just so well prepared and very diligent. She does both money and children. A very, very safe pair of hands and a great advocate. I’m a huge fan.”
“An excellent advocate. Undeterred in court with excellent client care handling.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025
‘Judith is a first-class financial silk and an exceptional advocate. Clients have full confidence in her approach.’
Legal 500, 2025
“Judith’s advocacy is on top of a long list of impressive attributes. She reads the court impeccably and is truly incredible in cross-examination. She is a top choice for complex children cases.”
Legal 500, 2024 Top Tier
“Judith Murray is exceptional and knowledgeable in both financial and children matters. She provides clear and no-nonsense advice to clients and presents cases strongly and persuasively, but always with an eye on reaching a sensible and proportionate agreement where possible. She’s able to cut through the detail in the most complex of cases to find the relevant points.”
“Her advocacy is crisp, clear and punchy.”
Chambers and Partners, 2023
‘Judith is a very strong advocate who will clearly put forward a compelling case for the client. She always gives a clear advice.’
Legal 500 2023, Family (Including Divorce and Financial Remedy)
‘Judith’s capacity for information is astonishing, and she is excellent at getting on top of the most paper heavy and complex cases. She has a knack at simplifying even the most difficult cases to get to the heart of the issues in a way that is easy for clients to understand. She is respectful and authoritative in her style and delivers oral submissions in an effective manner.’
Legal 500 2023 (Children Law)
Top Tier
“Good at drilling into the factual matrix and evidence of cases, and is proactive in touching base with clients where appropriate.” “She provides calm, considered and clear advice to clients in a measured manner and is always on top of the papers, even when dealing with complex family and business financial structures. Judith is capable of strong forensic cross-examination and will not miss the important details.” “A hard-working, practical advocate who takes a holistic view to cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
Band 1
‘Judith has impeccable measure in nailing the issues in a case, and is equally skilled in communicating this to the client and to the court. Her approach is calm and considered when dealing with the most difficult of cases, and as such she engenders the full confidence of those she represents, as well as those instructing her.’
Legal 500, 2022
Top Tier
Balanced practitioner who divides her practice between representing her clients in complex financial remedy and private children proceedings. She has experience across a range of Children Act issues including those concerning leave to remove matters and Schedule 1 proceedings. Murray also routinely handles acrimonious proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse.
Strengths: “An incredibly capable and agile advocate with steely determination.” “A formidable advocate who fights your corner,” “Judith is someone who can make a real difference to the outcome of the most difficult case. She is first rate in terms of preparation and presentation, and has an eye for the correct, strategic approach.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
Band 1
‘Is incredibly pragmatic and an excellent negotiator but at the same time has a real eye for detail.’
Legal 500 2021, Children
Top Tier
‘Is skilled in dealing with complex financial cases including trusts.’
Legal 500 2021, Family (Including Divorce and Financial Remedy)
Balanced practitioner who divides her practice between representing her clients in complex financial remedy and private children proceedings. She has experience across a range of Children Act issues including those concerning leave to remove matters and Schedule 1 proceedings. Murray also routinely handles acrimonious proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse.
Strengths: “Judith instils confidence in the client with her clear, strategic advice.”
Chambers and Partners 2020
Band 1
‘An exceptional negotiator and a formidable advocate.’‘Has a sharp intellect, excellent advocacy and provides succinct and clear advice.’
Legal 500, 2020
Balanced practitioner who divides her practice between representing high net worth individuals in complex financial remedy and private children proceedings. She has experience across a range of Children Act issues including those concerning leave to remove matters and Schedule 1 proceedings. She also routinely handles acrimonious proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse.
Strengths: “She is steely but with great charm.” “She has very good client skills and gives clear advice. In addition she’s a proper litigator who’s good in the fight.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
Band 1
‘She is confident and persuasive in court.’ ‘Clients feel that she is on their side.’
Legal 500, 2019
Balanced practitioner who divides her practice between representing high net worth individuals in complex financial remedy and private children proceedings. She has experience across a range of Children Act issues including leave to remove matters. She also routinely handles acrimonious proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse.
Strengths: “Judith is an advocate who is focused and fearless in court. Her advice is concise and clear, and delivered with empathy and charm. She really fights for her clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2018
‘Impressive and persuasive in court, and charm personified as an opponent.’ ‘Her strengths undoubtedly lie in her ability to maintain a cool and calm head in stressful situations.’
Legal 500, 2017
Balanced practitioner who divides her practice between representing high net worth individuals in complex financial remedy and cross-jurisdiction children proceedings. She routinely handles acrimonious proceedings concerning alleged sexual abuse.
Strengths: “She’s a ferocious advocate who is very punchy but calm in a crisis. She’s a number one choice for finance and children cases and has a wealth of experience in both.”
Chambers & Partners 2017
Band 1
She is calm and collected and always one step ahead of the game, providing pragmatic and sensible advice.’
The Legal 500, 2016
Leading Junior in the areas of Children Law and Family Law (including divorce and financial remedy)
Someone who is able to put clients at ease with her confident and straightforward approach. She is often instructed in cases that involve both money and private law children issues.
Strengths: “She’s got an incredibly good way of getting the client on board and gives clear, sensible advice.”
Chambers & Partners 2016
Unshakeable, clear and persuasive.’ ‘Very able, and a joy to work with.’
The Legal 500, 2015
Leading Junior in the areas of Children Law and Family Law (including divorce and financial remedy)
An accomplished junior who tackles both matrimonial finance and complex children law proceedings, and garners praise from peers and solicitors alike.
Expertise: “She’s a real client favourite who has got what it takes to be a silk one day.”
Chambers & Partners 2015
Judith Murray – ‘She has a commanding knowledge of the law.’
‘A calming presence and an authoritative voice in court.’
The Legal 500, 2014
Leading Junior in the areas of Children Law and Family Law (including divorce and financial remedy)
In addition to her strength in children cases, she is highly esteemed in the matrimonial finance arena, and handles complex and high-value cross-border matters.
Expertise: “She has been excellent, and is very good with clients. She is very tough and deals with everything really well. She is also great on her feet.”
Chambers & Partners 2014
Judith Murray is ‘a senior junior of choice whenever money and children are in dispute’, who can ‘always be relied upon.’
Leading Junior in the areas of Children Law and Family Law (including divorce and ancillary relief)
The Legal 500, 2013
Judith Murray, recognised for her abilities in the matrimonial finance sphere, has handled numerous high net worth cases with an international dimension, as well as Inheritance Act matters. Sources remark that she is “calm and great in court.”
Chambers & Partners 2013
Judith Murray, who is ‘intelligent and fast thinking, and works well under pressure’.
The Legal 500, 2012
Judith Murray comes highly recommended for her expertise in both matrimonial finance and children cases, including Schedule 1 Children Act. Sources applaud Murray for her “no-nonsense approach,” and because she is “technically sound and confident with both opponents and judges.”
Chambers & Partners 2012
Recommended as a Leading Family Junior in The Legal 500, 2011
Judith Murray focuses mainly on matrimonial finance work. According to sources “she has great antennae for spotting the potential pitfalls of a case.” She is one of a phalanx of talented juniors.
Chambers & Partners 2011
The “unflappable and industrious” Judith Murray, who particularly impresses on ancillary relief matters.
Chambers & Partners 2010