Max Davies

Practice Overview

Max is a Family Money specialist. He is a member of the Family and Civil practice groups in chambers and is primarily instructed in matrimonial finance and chancery cases involving property, probate or inheritance act disputes. 

He is ranked in Chambers UK and as a Leading Junior in the Legal 500. He is a qualified Collaborative Lawyer and a STEP affiliate with certificates in the Administration of Estates and the Administration of Trusts.

An understanding and compassionate barrister, Max is straight talking, clear in his advice and a committed and persuasive advocate. He enjoys working as part of the lay client’s legal team focused on achieving the desired outcome.

Max sits as a Deputy District Judge and a Fee Paid Judge of the First Tier Tribunal.

Notable and Reported cases

• E v E

  Multi-million pound financial remedy application involving a large ancestral estate with 18th century manor house in Powys

• B v B

  Multi-million pound financial remedy application representing a former Chief Executive of Guernsey State.

• S v S

  Multi-million pound financial remedy application relating to a successful business, large matrimonial home and substantial asset base.

• B-H v B-H

  An application for a financial order with an estate in the United Kingdom and a farm in upstate New York. Against Senior Junior Counsel instructed in London.

• K v K

  An application for a financial remedy with an international element in the Family Division of the High Court.

• S v B

  Representing the Wife of an international athlete and Olympic medallist in an application for a financial order.

• V v V

  Representing a sole practitioner solicitor with three offices.

• A v A

  Representing an encumbent polititian in a trusts claim in respect of commercial property.

• Chancery & Commercial

  Max has undertaken work in Chancery since qualifying. This was exclusively in the field of trusts and estoppel in respect of property owned by a cohabitee until the last few years. More recently Max has also been instructed in contested probate, applications under the Inheritance Act, Insolvency and other property law matters becoming a STEP affiliate in 2016.

• Cohabitee & Matrimonial Finance

  Max has particular experience of cases involving businesses, farms, trusts, partnerships, disputes over property owned by 3rd parties and enforcement of orders. Max has lecture on the deferred sale of property, matrimonial contributions, nuptial agreements, 3rd party interests, insolvency in divorce, spousal maintenance and schedule 1 to the Children Act.

• Family Dispute Resolution

  Max is a trained Resolution Collaborative Lawyer and has been since 2011. He has been the Treasurer of the Collaborative Law in Wales and is a keen advocate for non-confrontational resolution of areas of disagreement where possible.

  Max is probably the only barrister to have represented clients in the Collaborative Law process in South Wales and, similarly, was probably the first barrister to represent a client in Family Law Arbitration in Wales in respect of a financial remedy upon divorce.

• Public Access

  Max has been qualified to represent members of the public directly under the Bar Council Public Access scheme since 2010. 

• Appointments

  Recorder (2022)

• Career
  • Daily Telegraph 1997-2000
  • RedEye International 2000-2001
• Education & Qualification
  • Cardiff Universtity 2004-2005
  • University of Glamorgan 2003-2004
  • Bournemouth University 1993-1997
  • Malvern College 1987-1992 
• Awards
  • Blackstone Entrance Exhibition – Middle Temple
• Related Publications

  Jordan Publishing - Practice Plus – Contributor

  Jordan Publishing – Family Law (News & Comment) link here

• Recommendations
  • "Max is a very skilled practitioner who is always thorough in his preparation and practical in his advice." (Chambers UK, 2022)
  • "Approachable, knowledgeable and tenacious." (Chambers UK, 2021)
  • 'A financial remedy specialist.' (Legal 500, 2021)
  • 'He is very thorough and very committed." "He is excellent counsel for financial remedy cases and prenuptial agreements, and has a wonderful way with clients backed up by astute legal knowledge.' (Chambers UK, 2020)
  • 'A financial remedy specialist' (Legal 500, 2020)
  • 'Collaborative in his approach, calm, measured and reliable.' 'Very well prepared. He has excellent client care and excellent attention to detail.' (Chambers UK, 2019)
  • ‘A reflective barrister with a superb intellect.’ (Legal 500, 2018)
  • 'Experienced in matrimonial finance cases.' (Legal 500, 2017)
  • ‘Experienced in multimillion-pound family finance cases.’ (Legal 500, 2016)
  • 'He has a wonderful manner with clients.’ (Legal 500, 2015)