Spear’s Review

‘A good percentage of my clients are based in the Middle East,’ says Maria Scotland of her increasingly international family law practice.

A barrister and deputy head of chambers at 5 St Andrew’s Hill, she focuses on high-net-worth financial remedy and children disputes, with a strong emphasis on cross-border issues involving England and jurisdictions across the Gulf, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

She has acted in a number of reported cases, including HK v NK (2024), a long-running England–Dubai jurisdiction dispute involving parallel proceedings and allegations of domestic abuse, and AM v AF [2026].

Scotland notes that many cases involve forum disputes driven by differing legal systems and financial outcomes. ‘The less financially powerful partners usually want to come back and have their finances dealt with here,’ she tells Spear’s.

She also highlights the growing complexity of international litigation, particularly where expatriate families seek to relocate or resolve proceedings in England, often leading to urgent and contested High Court applications.

Read next: Divorcing in Dubai: Should wealthy expats worry about new UAE family laws?