“Frances Bailey combines exceptional technical family law expertise with commercial intelligence and rare financial fluency, making her a standout adviser in complex divorce and private wealth disputes. Her specialist authority in pensions, trusts and business-related family matters, alongside her constructive dispute resolution credentials, marks her out as a highly trusted and accomplished family lawyer.”

Fantastic Lawyers® Editorial 2026

Frances Bailey is a Partner and specialist family lawyer in a top-ranked family law team, advising clients across the UK and internationally on the legal, financial and practical issues arising from divorce, separation and family disputes.

She is particularly well known for advising business owners, landowners, private wealth clients and families with complex financial arrangements, combining sharp technical expertise with clear commercial judgment and a solution-focused approach.

What Frances Bailey does

Frances advises on a wide range of family law matters, including:

• Divorce and separation
• Complex financial settlements
• Pensions on divorce
• Family business protection
• Private wealth family law disputes
• Divorce involving trusts and professional trustees
• Wealth protection and estate planning considerations within family law
• Prenuptial and family agreements
• Children matters
• Family mediation
• Collaborative family law
• Alternatives to court resolution

She is also qualified as both a trained mediator and collaborative lawyer, allowing her to support couples seeking constructive, non-court solutions, including mediation and one-lawyer couple resolution models where appropriate.

Why she stands out

Frances stands out for her rare combination of deep technical family law knowledge, commercial pragmatism and strong financial fluency.

She leads her team’s pensions on divorce strategy and is a solicitor member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Pensions on Divorce Working Party, making her particularly strong in financially technical divorce matters where many family lawyers are less comfortable.

She is especially well suited to cases involving owner-managed businesses, inherited wealth, trust structures and complex settlement negotiations.

Her mediation and collaborative law training also brings a broader, more holistic perspective to emotionally difficult family situations, helping clients pursue solutions that are legally robust but also workable for real families.

Recognition and trust signals

Frances has earned strong recognition from leading legal directories, peers and clients.

“Diligent and scrupulously fair.” – Legal 500

“One of the most intelligent lawyers I know and is also very personable.” – Chambers & Partners

“Frances is an exceptionally good lawyer who has complete confidence dealing with any complex matter.” – Chambers & Partners

“You are highly numerate, which is a rare thing in most lawyers and very much to be wished for when doing a financial settlement.” – Client feedback

She is also recognised in the Spear’s 500, making her one of only a small number of family lawyers in East Anglia to achieve that distinction.

Thought leadership and specialist expertise

Frances has a strong academic and technical profile within family law.

She is co-author of Tolley’s Pensions Law Service for the chapter on pension aspects of divorce, and co-authored Drawing the Lines: A Guide to Family Agreements.

She regularly delivers training to other lawyers on financial remedies and pensions on divorce, underlining her standing as a genuine technical expert in this area.

Professional memberships and wider contribution

• Long-standing member of Resolution
• Member of Resolution’s national Litigants in Person Committee
• Contributor to Resolution’s Pensions, Tax and Financial Remedies Committee
• Solicitor member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Pensions on Divorce Working Party
• Volunteer with Norfolk Community Law Service