Introduction
Jack Best joined St Philips as a Family Pupil in October 2021, successfully completing pupillage and being offered tenancy in October 2022.
Jack’s practice has quickly developed into a focus on all areas of financial remedy proceedings and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 applications. Jack is instructed on First Direction Appointments, Financial Dispute Resolutions, multi-day final hearings, interim applications and Intervener claims.
Jack is also instructed for drafting particulars of claim and all other necessary documents for a claim under TOLATA and is instructed at pre-trial reviews and final hearings.
Jack has developed his practice in impressive short order and is now being instructed on cases with total assets over £1million, including company structures, shareholding arrangements and pensions of high value. Jack is often against opposing Senior Counsel and yet still delivers excellent results for his clients, by either agreeing a favourable settlement or through cross-examination at a final hearing.
Jack obtained a First-Class Law degree where he focused, in his final year, on Matrimonial Finances, Trusts and Insolvency Procedures. Prior to being at St Philips, Jack worked alongside Jo Sidhu KC (former head of the Criminal Bar) and Bernard Richmond KC in preparing two nationally reported murder trials. Jack, from his experience being at the heart of these trials, developed his cross-examination which he has bought into the Family Court arena.
Jack was supervised by senior financial remedy Counsel Juliet Allen during his pupillage.
Jack accepts instructions on private children matters and has acted for both applicant’s and respondent’s in multi-day finding of fact hearings and final hearings.
Family Finance Team
Jack joined St Philips as a Family Pupil in October 2021, successfully completing pupillage and being offered tenancy in October 2022.
Jack’s practice has quickly developed into a focus on all areas of financial remedy proceedings and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 applications. Jack is instructed on First Direction Appointments, Financial Dispute Resolutions, multi-day final hearings, interim applications and Intervener claims.
Jack is also instructed for drafting particulars of claim and all other necessary documents for a claim under TOLATA and is instructed at pre-trial reviews and final hearings.
Jack has developed his practice in impressive short order and is now being instructed on cases with total assets over £1million, including company structures, shareholding arrangements and pensions of high value. Jack is often against opposing Senior Counsel and yet still delivers excellent results for his clients, by either agreeing a favourable settlement or through cross-examination at a final hearing.
Jack obtained a First-Class Law degree where he focused, in his final year, on Matrimonial Finances, Trusts and Insolvency Procedures. Prior to being at St Philips, Jack worked alongside Jo Sidhu KC (former head of the Criminal Bar) and Bernard Richmond KC in preparing two nationally reported murder trials. Jack, from his experience being at the heart of these trials, developed his cross-examination which he has bought into the Family Court arena.
Jack was supervised by senior financial remedy Counsel Juliet Allen during his pupillage.
Jack accepts instructions on private children matters and has acted for both applicant’s and respondent’s in multi-day finding of fact hearings and final hearings.
Notable Cases
D v J (2023) – TOLATA FDR where Jack secured a favourable settlement for his client to avoid escalating legal costs. Jack was against Senior Counsel.
J v J (2023) – FDR where the total assets were c.£3million compromising of a joint company, commercial premises, trusts and complex ring-fencing arguments. Despite being against Senior Counsel, Jack secured a settlement in his client’s favour.
K v K and K (Intervener) (2022) – Jack acted for the applicant wife whereby he secured a favourable settlement on day one of a preliminary issue trial under S37 of the MCA 1973. Jack was still a pupil and the respondent husband’s and interveners had instructed senior London Counsel.
S v S (2023) – Acted for the respondent husband in a two-day final hearing. Jack spent two hours of careful cross-examination going through hundreds of pages of schedules to disprove W’s case. After this, an agreement was reached outside of court reflecting Hs’ case. Jack was against senior Counsel.
K v K (2023) – Successfully ring-fenced non-matrimonial property that was inherited by the applicant prior to the marriage.
Y v W & I & Z (2022) – Whilst Jack was still a pupil, he was instructed to represent the applicant in a two-day preliminary issue trial to assert an interest over the former matrimonial home. Despite there being a Trust Deed prior to purchase which was signed by the respondent and interveners and created by a solicitors, through detailed cross-examination and careful submissions Jack was able to prove the Deed was a sham trust and all parties were aware of the sham when the Deed was signed.
D v T (2022) – Jack conducted a three-day finding of fact hearing after being on his feet for 4 weeks, attempting to prove 11 allegations of domestic abuse. After cross-examining the respondent for 3 hours and two further witnesses, all 11 allegations were found. The case had substantial amounts of complicated police disclosure.
