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Breakdown of Trust
Sital Fontenelle
‘Very good client care, a detailed knowledge of the law and good judgement when it comes to tactics’
Legal 500 UK 2017, The Clients Guide to Law Firms
Stacey is a Senior Associate in Kingsley Napley’s family and divorce team. She advises UK and international clients on matters involving all aspects of family law, in particular complex financial issues and private children cases.
Stacey has particular expertise in advising on:
- complex financial issues (including trust arrangements)
- cross-border disputes involving jurisdiction races and/or proceedings in multiple countries
- private children cases, including child relocation, intractable contact disputes and cases involving allegations of parental alienation
- nuptial agreements
She works closely with Kingsley Napley’s immigration team to support clients where family and immigration issues need to be considered in tandem.
Stacey is a member of the Brexit Working Party to the Resolution International Committee and Property, Tax and Pensions Committee, a group of lawyers formed to consider the impact Brexit will have on family legislation in England & Wales.
After reading law at the University of Sussex, Stacey completed the Legal Practice Course at BPP London with distinction. She trained at Howard Kennedy, qualifying into their family department in 2013.
Recent cases
Recent work includes:
- RC v JC [2020] EWHC 466 (Fam) - represented the wife in her successful claim for compensation for relationship generated disadvantage
- Orenga de Gafforj v Orenga de Gafforj [2018] EWCA Civ 2070 - Interlocutory application in the Court of Appeal, successfully obtaining a “Hadkinson Order” to immediately dismiss the husband’s appeal against an Order that England & Wales has jurisdiction in the event he failed to purge his contempt of a previous court order within 14 days, and to lift the stay on the wife’s Petition for Divorce in England & Wales
- Arbili v Arbili [2015] EWCA Civ 542 - concerning arguments regarding inherited property and Imerman issues
- UL v BK [2013] EWHC 1735 (Fam) - the leading authority on freezing injunctions and without notice applications
- Acting for an Iraqi business man in contested financial remedy proceedings involving a Jersey Trust, an extensive property portfolio and valuable business assets
- Acting for a father in a high value Schedule 1 claim under the Children Act 1989, with pre-existing trust arrangements
- Acting for a wife in a Court of Appeal case concerning the treatment of inherited property and Imerman issues arising from the removal of confidential information
- Acting for a wife in committal proceedings against her husband for non-payment of maintenance
- Contested Leave to Remove Applications, Child Arrangement Orders and other children matters
- General family law, including divorce proceedings, cohabitation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, non-molestation orders and injunction proceedings
Publications, press and speaking engagements
- UK same-sex unions to face hurdles in some EU countries from 2021 - Europe Street News, November 2020
- International Comparative Legal Guide to: Family Law 2021 - Co -author of chapter on England and Wales, book edited by head of Family department Charlotte Bradley
- International Comparative Legal Guide to: Family Law 2021 - Author of chapter on Brexit and Family Law, book edited by head of Family department Charlotte Bradley
- "High earners and sacrificed careers", New Law Journal, June 2020 (subscription required)
- Stacey co-presented with Jane Keir and Lucy Stone QC at the ThoughtLeaders4 webinar in May 2020 on "Compensation Claims on Divorce – how exceptional do they have to be"
- Divorcing professionals count cost of lost career (subscription required), Accountancy Daily, May 2020
- Stacey spoke about Brexit and family law from an English perspective at the Brexit and Family Law Conference organised by Family Lawyers Association of Ireland in February 2020
- International Comparative Legal Guide to: Family Law 2019 - co-author of chapter on Brexit and Family Law
- Mills v Mills resolved, at last, quoted in Spear's, July 2018
- Common sense restored, say lawyers, quoted in The Times, July 2018
- Husband wins Supreme Court appeal against order to pay all wife’s rental costs, quoted in Family Law Week, July 2018
- Landmark court ruling finds against ex-wife who sought higher maintenance payments, quoted in The Telegraph, July 2018
- Parental alienation and intractable contact disputes – when all seems lost, Family Law, January 2018
- Parental Alienation - The example we should all learn from, Divorce Magazine, November 2017
- Brexit and relocating with children overseas – mind the immigration and family law gaps, Law Society Gazette, August 2017
Professional societies and memberships
- Stacey is a member of Resolution
Further information
In her spare time, Stacey enjoys playing hockey, watching rugby and baking.
"has ‘client care that is second to none’"
Legal 500 UK 2019
"Many, many thanks for all your hard work over the last year. You made a painful process more bearable"
A client of Stacey's