Spear’s Review

Few balance the emotive and technical aspects of the trade as well as family lawyer Michael Gouriet, whose clients have included business professionals, landed estate owners, politicians, film and music stars and their partners.

The Withers partner – who has been at the firm for more than 30 years – works on cases that call for a high level of discretion. These can range from £1 billion-plus financial disputes to intricate cohabitation matters.

A certified family law arbitrator and trained collaborative lawyer, Gouriet finds there is a clear shift towards non-court dispute resolution, with many of his cases being resolved in private financial dispute resolution or arbitration. 

‘In my experience, you may have to take it down the court route to get to a solution, but matters shouldn’t go all the way to court unless there are serious issues,’ he tells Spear’s.