When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to go to the desired page. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures.

Call: 1988 | Silk 2006

Charles Hyde KC

Albion Chambers

Broad Street Bristol BS1 1DR

Email
  • Overview

    Charles has practised exclusively in family law for over 30 years. He has been based at Albion Chambers for the majority of the time although he spent five years in London at QEB Chambers (2009-2014) where he remains a door tenant.

    He was head of Albion Chambers from 2015 to 2019.

    Charles is recognised as a leading practitioner in his field (Band 1 in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories – see below) and is one of only a few King’s Counsel to practise in matrimonial finance and child law. He has an outstanding reputation in both and as a facilitator of ADR, being regularly instructed to act in, and adjudicate upon, private FDRs.

    The recommendations below highlight his dedication to being fully prepared for every case. He has developed a stellar reputation as a result of his innate ability, experience and the results he has achieved.

    Charles welcomes instructions as an Arbitrator in family finance.

    Solicitors and lay clients are attracted to his ‘no-nonsense’ and focused approached, designed to achieve the best outcome at the least possible emotional cost. The pragmatism for which he is recognised reflects years of high-quality work at the Bar and experience sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice as a Deputy High Court Judge, where he has authority to hear the most complex financial and children cases. He also sits as a Recorder in the Financial Remedy Court and in Private and Public Law cases across the West of England. Charles also regularly conducts Private FDRs where his extensive judicial experience and expertise in practice come into their own.

    He was a founder member of the Family Procedure Rules Committee in 2004 and served on the committee for ten years (the statutory maximum).

  • Matrimonial Finance

    Considered to be ‘intellectually in a class of his own’; as having an ‘enviable practice as a smooth operator in high-value money cases’ (Chambers and Partners), and brilliant, inclusive and charming’ (Legal 500), Charles has appeared in many reported and well-publicised cases.

    Solicitors and lay clients are attracted to his ‘no-nonsense’ and focused approached, designed to achieve the best outcome at the least possible emotional cost. His pragmatism reflects years of high-quality work at the Bar and also his experience sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice as a Deputy High Court Judge, where he has authority to hear the most complex financial and children cases. He also sits as a Recorder in Private and Public Law cases across the West of England. Charles also regularly conducts Private FDRs where his judicial and extensive expertise in practice comes into its own.

    He was a founder member of the Family Procedure Rules Committee in 2004 and served on the committee for ten years.

    Non-court Resolution:

    Charles combines his skill as a practitioner with his experience as sitting as Deputy High Court Judge and as a Recorder in the Financial Remedy Court to provide a first class dispute resolution service. He is in high demand in this field, is happy to travel and has received instructions from across the country. He has achieved a very high settlement rate in the PFDRs that have come before him.

    Reported cases:

    • Finch v Baker [2021] EWCA 72
    • R v F [2011] 2 FLR 99
    • SW v RW [2011] EWCA Civ 703
    • T v B [2010] EWHC 1444
    • Sandler v Sandler v Lloyd Platt [2010] Fam Law 1266
    • Re M [2010] 2 FCR 236.
    • Re W and M (2010) All ER (D) 77
  • Child Law Public

    Charles regularly leads Senior barristers in public law children cases featuring the death or serious injury of children, allegations of sexual abuse or very significant emotional harm. He acts for Local Authorities, parents, children and intervenors. He has particular skill in acting for, or in cases involving, vulnerable people.

Charles Hyde KC

Lectures

Charles lectures extensively. He has spoken at the IAFL Conference (Salzburg 2013) and in 2010 he addressed a workshop at the European Parliament, which was considering the extent to which there might be scope for a unified European approach to Matrimonial Law.

He has provided many local seminars, and has lectured for Jordans and Butterworths at their National events. He is very happy to provide “in house training” to individual firms solicitors or societies.

Recommendations

  • “Charles knows the law inside out; he’s just extremely intelligent and down to earth. He makes the complicated understandable.” Chambers and Partners
  • “Charles Hyde is absolutely fantastic. He is calm and has a really good understanding of a case. He is a really good advocate.” Chambers and Partners
  • “Charles is amazing; he is just so thorough and so approachable. He definitely has the ear of the court; he’s calm, unflappable and very articulate.” Chambers and Partners
  • “Charles remains one of the best financial remedy barristers in the South West.” Chambers and Partners 

  • “He is very strong on finances and grasps complex matters.” Chambers and Partners

  • “Charles is great advocate and his knowledge is superb. He gets to grips with cases with ease, while also putting the client at ease. He really listens and understands their priorities.” Chambers and Partners

  • ‘Charles is an exceptional advocate. He has the ear of the court. A strategic silk in a class of his own. Legal 500
  • “Excellent client care, he immediately puts the client at ease and with that his instructing solicitor. He is bright and forensically clever, considering all angles both for and against. His greatest accolade however must be his advocacy skills. He has the court in the palm of his hands. He commands a great presence and the ear of the court.”
    Legal 500
  • “He has a wealth of experience, which enables him to have a confident and assured approach to the most complex of issues.” “He’s an excellent barrister – he’s very calm, has superb judgement and has seen every scenario. Clients respect the measured way in which he works and the constructive but firm approach he uses to achieve the outcome needed.” Chambers and Partners
  • “Very adaptable to the needs of specific clients and technically brilliant. Very skilled in the courtroom. Very well respected, he has got a lovely, easy-going manner and his style appeals to judges.”
    Chambers and Partners
  • “Head of chambers who has over 25 years’ experience acting for clients in complex matrimonial finance disputes, and is also able to advise on private children cases. Known particularly for his pragmatism, he is described by more than one source as a class act. Expert in high net worth financial matters, well liked by clients, a very smooth operator.”
    Chambers and Partners
  • “He understands the most difficult scenarios and translates them into plain English for others.” “He prepares meticulously, is responsive to work with and has an excellent client manner.”
    Chambers and Partners
  • “Combines exceptional advocacy with total approachability”.
    Chambers and Partners
  • “Intellectually in a class of his own”
    Chambers and Partners
  • “Wins over the court with his eloquence and detailed preparation”
    Chambers and Partners
  • “Brilliant, inclusive and charming”
    Legal 500

Education

  • LLB (Hons) Manchester

Professional memberships

  • Western Circuit
  • FLBA
  • Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
  • Member of the Institute of Chartered Arbitrators
  • Member of the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (IFLA)
  • Past Member of the Family Procedure Rules Committee

Appointments

  • KC 2006
  • Deputy High Court Judge (Family Division) 2011
  • Recorder 2005 (Family and Crime)