Parklane Plowden Chambers (PLP) has announced that nationally renowned matrimonial finance barrister, Francesca Fothergill, has joined the set.

Francesca, who was called to the Bar in 1994, joins the Leeds and Newcastle-based chambers from St Philips Chambers, where she was joint head of the family finance team.

She practices across all aspects of matrimonial finance provision, with an emphasis on high-value cases. These often involve contested business valuations, complex trust and tax structures, and issues of inherited wealth.

Francesca is also highly regarded for her particular expertise in cases involving landed estates and farms, and the connected issues of succession, family settlements and partnerships.

Welcoming Francesca to chambers, PLP’s senior practice director to the family team, Mark Williams, said: “This is excellent news for our family property and finance team and for chambers as a whole. Francesca is an outstanding barrister who is nationally recognised for her high value matrimonial finance provision work.

“She will play a key role in further enhancing PLP’s reputation for excellence in family law across the North Eastern Circuit and beyond.”

Francesca will continue to advise her existing clients whilst growing PLP’s family property and finance practice. Francesca is happy to travel nationally to best assist her clients and also welcomes instructions to act as a private FDR judge.

Commenting on her appointment, Francesca said: “I am delighted to join the team at PLP and to join a set which has a clear vision for how it will expand and will grow its practice areas nationwide. I shall continue to advise my existing clients and I am looking forward to building new professional relationships, with the help of the excellent clerking and introductory network that PLP provides.”

PLP specialises across eight key practice areas, including: personal injury; clinical negligence; family; employment; chancery and commercial; court of protection; insurance; and litigation costs and funding.