“Yesterday’s decision was better than I could ever imagine and I am the happiest man on the planet. I am now able to be a father again.”
With over thirty years in practice, Bernadette has a wealth of experience in all aspects of family law. She is a well-known specialist on the financial aspects of divorce and separation, and her expertise extends to arrangements for children. The Legal 500 2017 says The ‘highly experienced’ Bernadette Hoy heads the practice and is ‘meticulous, pragmatic and determined’; she has ‘an extensive network of contacts within the legal profession’ and ‘a great ability to turn challenging situations around in a relatively short space of time’.
The Legal 500 2023 recognises Bernadette’s mediation focused practice for both financial and children’s matters and that Bernadette is an ‘extremely experienced, empathetic and brilliant family lawyer’.
As a member of Resolution, Bernadette is committed to working with her clients to reach constructive solutions and agreements wherever possible. However, she also has a great deal of hard-hitting experience in court, and has achieved many notable negotiated settlements. (see below)
Bernadette is a member of the Law Society Family Law Panel demonstrating her specialisation in this area of law. She has practiced as a Collaborative Family Lawyer since 2007 and has since developed a successful practice using this procedure for couples who want to reach agreement without litigation.
Bernadette practices as a Family Mediator and can offer Mediation to her clients on both Financial and Children’s matters. Bernadette is a qualified Child Inclusive Mediator with the Family Mediation Association.
Bernadette qualified as a solicitor in 1993, following her training at a Legal 500 firm.
Law Society of England and Wales
Member of the Law Society Family Law Panel
North West London Collaborative Family Law Group
Family Mediation Council
Family Mediation Association
Law Degree LLB (Hons)
Accredited Family Mediator
(Law Society)
Child Inclusive Mediator
(Family Mediation Association)
“For me the detail is what’s important. I come from a long line of lawyers so perhaps it’s in the blood, but I pride myself on making sure everything is correct – right down to the last letter. A lot of my clients are having a difficult time but I’ll always go the extra mile to try and help them through it. It’s really rewarding to see how they come out the other side.”
Collaboration
Bernadette has completed a large number of collaborative cases, helping her clients reach complex financial agreements as well as arrangements concerning residence of and contact with children.
She recently assisted a couple establish contact and residence arrangements for their children at an early stage without going to court and despite the different religions of the mother and father. Early resolution enabled the parties to concentrate on resolving their financial issues.
Contested property
Successfully acted for the wife in financial proceedings where the husband’s family claimed an interest in properties jointly owned by the couple. After careful examination of the financial documentation and a three-day trial, the court ruled in the wife’s favour, while the husband’s family was ordered to pay costs.
Confiscation proceedings
Acted for the wife in a divorce and contested financial proceedings case in the High Court. The couple’s assets were frozen under confiscation proceedings because the husband had been found guilty of VAT fraud and other criminal offences. In addition, the husband’s assets were subject to a Voluntary Arrangement with his creditors. However, following three days at the High Court, Bernadette won judgement in the wife’s favour.