Rachel Gillman

Practice Overview

• Children (Public Law)

  Rachel has experience representing all parties, with extensive local authority and Guardian work as well as parents. Her cases have involved fatal and very serious injury to children, sexual abuse and factitious illness, frequently at High Court level. She has also dealt with Public Interest Immunity issues.

  Notable cases:

  London Borough of Wandsworth v M, A, C and J [2017] EWCA 2435 (Fam)

  A County Council v SB, MS and AA [2011] 1 FLR 651

  Re M v Islington Borough Council [2001] NLJ 1665

  Re N (Contested Care Application) [1994] 2 FLR 992

• Children (Private Law)

  Rachel has extensive experience with cases where the dispute concerns parental alienation, sustained separation of a child from a parent, and cases involving serious allegations of physical/sexual abuse allegations.

  A large proportion of her children practice involves dealing with relocation applications, both external and internal and abduction cases.

• Court of Protection

  Rachel deals with financial issues in the Court of Protection, as well as welfare issues.

• Family Finance & Property

  Rachel is experienced in Schedule 1 CA 1989 applications including applications for settlement of property, income, and school fees.

  Rachel has covered a great variety of financial remedies, with a broad range of asset value including high value cases in excess of £5m. She has extensive experience dealing with company and disputed assets typically held by third parties, and has dealt with a large number of cases involving foreign assets. She has appeared in the Chancery Division in order to deal with property issues, and jurisdiction issues in the High Court.

• Domestic Violence & Injunctions

  Rachel covers Hardship and Injunction Proceedings in the High Court.

• International Family Law

  Rachel has worked on external relocation applications, and on issues of abduction to both Hague and non-Hague countries which have also involved contempt proceedings, and recovery.

• Notable Cases

  PA v CK & Ors [2018] EWHC 2004 (Fam)

  A County Council v SB, MA and AA [2011] 1 FLR 651

  Re M v Islington Borough Council [2001] NLJ 1665

  Re N (Contested Care Application) [1994] 2 FLR 992

   

• What the Directories Say

  "Incredibly intelligent and someone who thinks 'outside the box', she never fails to deliver. Rachel effortlessly navigates her way through every complex scenario, and is very intuitive." Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2025

  "Rachel is extremely knowledgeable and has impeccable advocacy skills. She always builds good relationships and clients are always pleased with how she has handled their cases." Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2025

  "Rachel is a fierce advocate who will argue a client’s case with determination and nuance." Tier 6 - Legal 500, 2025

  "Rachel is highly intelligent; she grasps the nuances of the cases, delving into the depths in order to reach the right outcome for the client. She is always helpful, kind and personable." Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2024

  "Rachel is truly someone who goes the extra mile in trying to get the best possible result for clients. An extremely safe pair of hands and an excellent tactician, she's well worth having on your side." Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2024

  "She's very practical and takes a commonsense approach to everything." Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2024

  “Personable and gives superb advice. She is an instinctive lawyer” who “goes through every piece of evidence with a fine-tooth comb and spends time explaining to clients what is important. She is very patient.”  Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2023

  "Rachel's grasp of complex children cases with voluminous amounts of paperwork is brilliant, as is her management of clients."  Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2023

  "Rachel is outstanding. Intelligent, professional, personable and intuitive, she quickly homes in on the problems in a case and thinks outside the box in order to resolve issues for the client. Her advocacy is excellent too."  Band 4 - Chambers and Partners, 2023