Julia acts across the full range of private law children disputes: child arrangements, internal and international relocation, and fact-finding hearings and allegations of domestic abuse. Recent instructions include international cases involving relocation and the reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders. She has a strong appellate practice, with successful appeals in 2026 against decisions of both judges and lay magistrates. She is a qualified children law arbitrator and a Pathfinder Programme trainer, and has recently appeared on podcasts discussing surrogacy and modern families.

Julia is a founding member of Northern Resolve – a joined-up dispute resolution initiative bringing family mediation and family arbitration together as complementary parts of one process, designed to give families the best chance of settlement whilst keeping a firm route to finality. She offers arbitration, private FDRs and early neutral evaluation in both finance and children cases, and featured in chambers’ podcast on non-court dispute resolution in family cases, discussing private FDRs, arbitration and the role of AI.

Julia acts in financial remedy cases at all levels, with particular expertise in complex assets, business interests, and pensions on divorce, including PODE evidence and the Pension Advisory Group guidance. Her practice includes legal services payment orders, Schedule 1 Children Act claims, enforcement, and cases where AI-generated or manipulated disclosure is in issue. She sits regularly as a private FDR judge and financial remedies arbitrator. 

Chambers and Partners (2026) - Family: Matrimonial Finance (Band 2), Family: Children (Band 3) - "Julia Nelson is a very experienced, gutsy counsel who is prepared to provide around the clock support and advice on a case."

The legal 500 (2026) Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy (Tier 2) 

The legal 500 (2026) Family: Children and Domestic Abuse (Tier 2) 

Chambers and Partners (2025) - Family: Matrimonial Finance (Band 2), Family: Children (Band 3) - "She is simply superb. You know that when Julia is instructed your client will have the very best chance of success." "Her advocacy in court is excellent." "Her bedside manner with clients is fantastic, but she's a real fighter at the same time."

Legal 500 (2025) - Family, Children and Domestic Abuse (Tier 2) - "Julia is an excellent advocate. She is robust and firm and fierce when needs be. She builds great rapport with clients."

Legal 500 (2025) - Divorce and Financial Remedy (Tier 2) - "Julia is a fearless and tenacious advocate with a clear and robust approach, and is excellent at managing difficult clients and knotty cases."

Chambers and Partners (2024) - Family: Matrimonial Finance (Band 3) - "Julia has a lot of experience. She is a very safe pair of hands and she is straight-talking."

Chambers and Partners (2024) - Family, Children (Band 3) - "She is pragmatic and realistic. Clients immediately get on well with her and she delivers very good advocacy and paperwork."

Legal 500 (2024) - Family, Children and Domestic Violence (Tier 2) - "A junior who has the ear of the judge in court."

Legal 500 (2024) - Divorce and Financial Remedy (Tier 3) - "Julia has a candid and practical approach to cases. She is a highly skilled advocate who balances empathy with direct questioning, which makes her very effective."

Chambers and Partners (2023) - Family, Children (Band 3) - "Julia Nelson is well versed in handling a broad spectrum of family law matters, with particular expertise in children cases. She advises on international relocations and residence disputes, as well as other highly contentious children issues. She also has experience in financial provision cases."

Legal 500 (2023) - Child Law, Public and Private (Tier 2) - "Julia is a fierce advocate. In court her cross examination is second to none."

Legal 500 (2023) - Divorce and Financial Remedy (Tier 3) - "Julia is a dedicated senior junior who really rolls her sleeves up and represents her client with style and grit. She is eloquent in court."

Legal 500 (2022) Child Law, Public & Private (Tier 2) - "Julia is a detailed, precise and robust advocate. She provides sound advice to clients.’"

Chambers and Partners (2022) Family, Children (Band 3) - "She gives confident and robust advice and is well prepared for representation at court. She offers a unique approach to difficult proceedings which is encouraging and reassuring for clients and always goes the extra mile in preparation." "She is a no-nonsense all-rounder with excellent advocacy skills backed up with natural empathy that clients adore." "Julia is silky smooth in cross-examination, and clients love her approach."

Chambers and Partners (2021) - (Band 3) - "Because of her level of experience, there is a gravitas and self-assuredness about her." "She is very good on all things private children." "She knows what she wants to do and how to do it. She's also very approachable. You can ask her anything and she will help."

Legal 500 (2021) - (Tier 2) - "Julia is confident and fights for her client in a way which is constructive and appreciated by the Court and admired by clients. Clients warm to Julia when they meet her and immediately know that they have a very experienced and dynamic barrister."

Chambers and Partners (2020) - (Band 3) - "She's direct and to the point; she doesn't waffle with legal jargon and immediately gains clients' confidence." "An excellent barrister for children cases. She relates well to clients and quickly grasps the issues. She is practical and not scared to use common sense!"

Legal 500 (2020) - (Tier 2) - "Excellent in dealing with private law matters."

Legal 500 (2018/2019) - "Very confident before a judge."

Legal 500 (2017) - "Experienced in matrimonial property and finance matters."

Legal 500 (2016) - "Recommended for Court of Protection work."

Legal 500 (2014) - "Experienced in all aspects of family law and highly regarded on circuit"

Legal 500 (2013) - "Julia Nelson is noted for her ‘supportive way with clients’.

Legal 500 (2012) - "Sensible and incisive with a good eye for detail"

Legal 500 (2011) - "Julia Nelson comes "highly recommended"

Legal 500 (2010) - "Julia Nelson has a "refreshing no-nonsense approach".

Family Law Bar Association (FLBA)

CZ (Human Rights Claim: Costs), sub nom AZ and Others v Kirklees Council [2017] EWFC 11; [2017] 1 WLR 2467; [2018] 1 FLR 23; [2017] 1 Costs LR 201 Acting for the child, through the children's guardian, before Cobb J. A child removed from his mother's care in hospital, giving rise to a claim for damages under section 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998. Significant because it is reported in the Weekly Law Reports and settles how damages and costs interact with public funding and the LASPO statutory charge in care proceedings. Julia appeared alone against leading counsel.

Re TJ (Relinquished Baby: Sibling Contact) [2017] EWFC 6 Acting for the child, through the children's guardian, in the High Court. A baby relinquished for adoption whose adoption agency sought a declaration that it need not tell his birth family he existed. Significant as part of a developing line of High Court authority on relinquished babies, and because I was the only counsel instructed – neither the mother nor the prospective adopters appeared.

Re J (A Child) (Non-accidental Injury) [2014] Lexis Citation 255 Acting for the mother. A four-day finding of fact hearing in care and placement order proceedings about a metaphyseal fracture in a three-month-old, on contested paediatric and radiological evidence. Significant for the medical complexity and because adoption was the alternative outcome.

R (on the application of Barrett) v Kirklees Metropolitan Council [2010] EWHC 467 (Admin); [2010] 2 FLR 405 Acting for the local authority in the Administrative Court. Judicial review of a policy setting the special guardianship allowance at two-thirds of the fostering allowance. Significant as a public law challenge to how special guardians are supported financially, and it followed my introductory article on special guardianship orders written before the regime came into force.

http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed175770  Barrett v Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council [2010] EWHC 467 (Admin) Application by special guardian for a fresh assessment of the allowances payable to her. A new assessment backdated to March 2006 was ordered.

Re H (A Child) (Contact: Domestic Violence Guidelines) [2005] EWCA Civ 1404; [2006] 1 FLR 943 Acting for the appellant mother in the Court of Appeal, before Wall LJ. Significant because the appeal was allowed on all four grounds argued and Family Law described the decision as "a classic reminder of what a court should not to do" where a primary carer's objection to contact is founded on domestic violence.

Re S and P (Discharge of Care Order) [1995] 2 FLR 782 Acting for the local authority in the High Court before Singer J. Significant because it established the burden on a party applying to discharge a care order.

Re G [2004] Represented the mother (in care proceedings) who was convicted of selling her unborn baby over the internet.

R -v- Jennison [1998] Represented devoted daughter charged with the murder of her Alzheimer's suffering mother after assisting in her suicide. The defendant was acquitted.

H – financial remedy. A long marriage with substantial assets here and abroad, an intervenor's claim founded on constructive trust and proprietary estoppel, pensions and costs, before a circuit judge.

G – appeal, private law children, 2026. Acting for the appellant father against a final order on choice of primary school and the division of term-time care. The appeal was allowed because the judge's reasons were insufficient on both issues and both were remitted for rehearing before a different judge.

J – private law children and Family Law Act proceedings. Long-running and repeatedly relitigated, involving a proposed relocation, police disclosure and ABE material, and Practice Direction 12J.

D – private law children. Serious allegations requiring a fact-finding hearing, expert psychological and safeguarding evidence, an orthodox religious and cultural context, neurodiversity and special educational provision, with a rule 16.4 guardian. I appeared against leading counsel.

W – financial remedy and Children Act proceedings for the same client on a Direct Access basis, involving contact difficulties and enforcement, safeguarding, neurodiversity and Cafcass.

Ranked in Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500, 2010 to 2025.

Arbitrator, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, since May 2022 (MCIArb).

Private FDR Judge since January 2023.

Founding member of Northern Resolve.

Leeds and Yorkshire Lawyer Issue 104 - False Economy - Click to view article

Family Law Journal, June 2021, Issue 204 - Domestic Abuse: What do we do now? - Click to view article

The New 'House Rules' and Standard Family Orders", [2023] Family Law 1351, November 2023, In Practice. Written with Katherine Goss and Lucy Sowden.

Chambers podcasts on surrogacy and on alternative and non-court dispute resolution. 

Regular speaking on artificial intelligence and technology in family proceedings - deepfakes, AI-generated evidence, hallucination and fabricated material. 

BA (Hons), University of Manchester

Julia is a qualified arbitrator and is available for arbitrations in all aspects of children law and is a member of the Chartered institute of arbitrators and the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators http://ifla.org.uk