Smith Hamilton was founded in 2014 as a boutique firm focused on corporate and commercial law, with expertise in fund management and advising senior executives, shareholders and entrepreneurs.
In 2023, the firm became part of MEUM Group, a multidisciplinary platform supporting ultra-high-net-worth individuals, their families and their businesses. During this period, our practice broadened significantly to include family, private client, education, charities and regulatory work, employment, and dispute resolution.
The law firm is now building on that growth to operate independently once again under the Smith Hamilton name. This transition reflects a natural progression in our growth and allows us to focus fully on delivering an integrated legal service under a single specialist brand, while retaining the expanded expertise developed over recent years.
For our clients, it remains very much business as usual – the same team, the same relationships, and an even broader depth of capability.
Julie has a wealth of experience as a specialist family, children and divorce lawyer.
She had a previous career in the IT and financial sectors before becoming a solicitor and her business knowledge helps her to understand the complexities that can arise when sharing assets and is able to provide holistic practical advice.
Julie is known for her compassionate, empathetic and supportive approach to her clients; she takes the time to get to know her clients to best help them through difficult times. Julie works with high and ultra-high net worth individuals, international clients, business owners, entrepreneurs, family offices, home-makers, private clients and high-profile individuals including artists, celebrities and sports personalities.
Julie’s practice includes divorce, sharing of financial assets, arrangements for children, (including international relocation and child abduction), pre-nuptial agreements and financial provision for unmarried parents and couples living together. Julie specialises in high conflict cases that often involve people who are suffering with mental health issues, addictions and coercive control.
She has handled difficult and complex cases as well as more straightforward matters domestically and involving international arrangements for children and finances. Julie specialises in cross-jurisdictional issues that arise for families when separating. Her cases with an international element have involved jurisdictions crossing Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Asia, America.
Julie is a qualified Collaborative Family Lawyer and promotes a resolution away from the court process wherever possible via mediation, arbitration and the collaborative process so as to protect privacy and confidentiality. She is equally skilled at obtaining the right strategic outcome at court if this is necessary.
Julie provides holistic support by creating a divorce team for her clients which include at the core barristers, divorce coaches, counsellors, wealth managers, accountants and pension experts. A wider team can provide personal health and career advice with a focus on the future. This enables the client to have a smoother journey through an often difficult and emotional time.
In her spare time Julie enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing tennis and walking her lovely Labradors in the picturesque Wealden Kent countryside.
