Alex joined FOURTEEN as a tenant following a three-month probationary tenancy ending in December 2022. He now welcomes instructions in all areas of family law and has experience acting for clients at both first instance and appellate levels.
Alex is regularly instructed in financial remedy proceedings and has appeared in cases involving joinder of 3rd party intervenors, disputes as to assets held under trust and property held internationally. He regularly appears in First Appointments, FDRs, and Final Hearings. Alex is currently acting as junior to leading counsel in complex High Court proceedings.
Alex has a particular interest in cases involving an international element. He recently appeared on behalf of the respondent mother in published article 13(b) Hague Convention proceedings. Judgment was reported as XK v JY [2023] EWHC 2996 (Fam). Alex has also appeared in the High Court opposing enforcement of a foreign return order under article 11 of Brussels IIa and is currently involved in a case concerning conflict between domestic proceedings, proceedings in a foreign jurisdiction and overlapping extradition issues.
Alex has experience conducting protracted fact-finding and final hearings in private child law proceedings. He recently represented the applicant father in the reported matter of Re A-M & Anor [2023] EWFC 124, a case involving significant allegations of abuse across multiple jurisdictions. He further appeared in the reported matter of The Mother v The Father [2024] EWFC 139.
Alex regularly appears in public law proceedings. He particularly enjoys engaging with unusual and novel points of law and recently appeared in proceedings concerning interplay between the making of a Special Guardianship order alongside a Prohibited Steps order.
Before completing pupillage, Alex was a paralegal at boutique Mayfair solicitors Peters May and assisted on a broad range of family law matters. Alex maintains a strong academic interest in family law stretching back to his research thesis and time spent as a part-time family law academic at Durham University.
Testimonials
'I have just finished at a FDR in Maidstone on a complicated case. We instructed Alex Aspinwall who was our paralegal before coming to you. I just wanted you to know how impressed I was with both Alex’s note and his oral submissions. He is booked to represent the client for the 3 day final hearing next summer.'
'Alexander Aspinwall is an exceptional barrister, possessing very impressive technical and intellectual ability. He is assertive and tenaciously fights the client’s corner and provides high quality representation and advocacy. He is brilliant with clients and his client care is second to none. He goes over and above and complex issues are always dealt with in such a way that he is able to cut through all of the detail and assist clients through extremely challenging situations. We regularly instruct Alexander Aspinwall in complex international cases involving jurisdictional issues, cases involving serious physical abuse and complex children cases.'
'May I please start by saying HOW EXCELLENT Alex was, he was very robust, clear and very, very professional. I can only say I wish I had him from the beginning! He was really, really good and I also felt at ease when he started representing me, being confident and knowing the case inside out despite not having anything to do with it before. He was so professional and efficient.'
Scholarships & Awards
2021: Inner Temple Major Scholarship Award
2021: Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Award
2021: BPP Academic Excellence Scholarship
Education
Durham University- First Class Honours
Durham University- MJur Research Masters focusing on the discretionary operation of section 8 Child Arrangements Orders. Full thesis available at http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13950/
BBP Manchester- BTPC (Very Competent)
Data Protection
Alex Aspinwall's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) registration number is ZB227780.
Please see here for his Data Privacy Notice.
