Specialist advice and courtroom representation in divorce, financial remedies, children matters, domestic abuse injunctions, international family law and Court of Protection cases — instructed by solicitors or directly through Public Access.
Family law covers the legal issues that arise when relationships change — divorce and separation, the division of matrimonial finances, arrangements for children, protection from domestic abuse, cross-border family disputes, and decisions made on behalf of people who lack the mental capacity to make them for themselves. These matters are rarely just legal problems; they are personal, often stressful, and touch on what people care about most: their children, their home, their security and their future.
Seema Kansal is a family law barrister practising from FOURTEEN Chambers at 14 Gray's Inn Square, London. She advises and represents clients across London, England and Wales in financial remedy proceedings, private and public children law, domestic abuse injunctions, international relocation and abduction cases, and Court of Protection matters involving health, welfare or property.
Seema works with two groups of clients. The first are solicitors, who instruct her for advocacy, advice, drafting and strategic input on complex or high-value cases. The second are members of the public, who can instruct her directly through the Direct Access (Public Access) scheme — allowing individuals to obtain expert barrister-level advice and representation without first going through a solicitor, often at a lower overall cost.
Whatever the route of instruction, the approach is the same: careful preparation, clear and honest advice, and robust court representation before the Family Court, High Court and Court of Appeal when a case cannot be resolved by agreement. Seema's aim in every matter is a practical, achievable outcome — reached as efficiently as the circumstances allow, and explained to the client in plain English at every stage.
Below is an overview of the family law services Seema Kansal provides. Each area can involve straightforward negotiation or complex, contested litigation — every case is assessed on its own facts.
Divorce ends a marriage or civil partnership legally, but rarely resolves the practical questions of money, property and children on its own. Seema advises on the divorce process itself — including uncontested and disputed applications — and on how to protect a client's financial and parental position alongside it.
LEARN MOREFinancial remedy proceedings deal with how matrimonial assets — property, pensions, savings, businesses and income — are divided after divorce. Seema has particular experience in high-value and complex cases involving business assets, hidden wealth, cryptocurrency and cross-border assets.
LEARN MOREChildren law covers disputes about where a child lives, who they spend time with, and how major decisions about their upbringing are made. Seema represents parents, grandparents and other family members in both private and public law cases, with the child's welfare as the central consideration.
LEARN MOREA Child Arrangement Order sets out where a child lives and the contact arrangements with the other parent. Seema advises on applications and responses, represents clients at hearings, and works to agree arrangements where possible without the cost of a fully contested hearing.
LEARN MOREDomestic abuse cases require urgent, decisive legal action. Seema advises and represents both applicants seeking protection and respondents facing allegations, with the sensitivity these cases demand and the speed they require. Emergency applications can often be made within days of instruction.
LEARN MOREA Non-Molestation Order prohibits a person from threatening, harassing or using violence against another. Seema regularly advises on urgent, sometimes without-notice applications, as well as representing clients who are responding to an order made against them.
LEARN MOREAn Occupation Order regulates who can live in, or must leave, the family home. Seema advises on the strength of an application or defence, the likely outcome, and represents clients at hearings where the family home itself is in dispute.
LEARN MOREInternational family law arises where a family has connections to more than one country. Seema advises on jurisdiction disputes, Hague Convention child abduction applications, and relocation cases where a parent wishes to move a child abroad.
LEARN MOREThe Court of Protection deals with decisions for people who lack the mental capacity to make them independently — covering health, welfare and property matters. Seema advises families, deputies and professionals in these sensitive proceedings.
LEARN MOREDirect Access allows members of the public to instruct Seema without first going through a solicitor. This route offers direct communication with the barrister handling the case, often at a lower overall cost, while retaining the option to bring in a solicitor where genuinely needed.
LEARN MOREChoosing the right barrister matters as much as the strength of the case itself. Seema Kansal brings over 17 years of experience at the family Bar, appearing regularly before the Family Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, in cases ranging from straightforward child arrangement disputes to complex, high-value financial remedy litigation.
Preparation is meticulous — every case is reviewed in detail, evidence is tested, and arguments are built to withstand scrutiny in court. Clients instructing Seema for a hearing know their case has been prepared properly, not assembled at the last minute.
Direct Access means clients don't have to go through a solicitor to get expert representation. Many clients value speaking directly with the barrister managing their case — and the cost savings this can bring are often significant.
Legal jargon is translated into plain English, likely outcomes are discussed honestly (including where a case is weaker than a client might hope), and costs are discussed openly from the outset. Seema takes the time to understand a client's actual priorities and builds a strategy around what genuinely matters to them.
Above all, Seema combines client focus with compassion. Family law disputes are often among the most stressful experiences a person will go through, and being treated with empathy — while still receiving direct, realistic advice — makes a genuine difference. This approach is recognised by peers and clients alike, including recommendation in the Legal 500.