Professional Practice

Mark Ablett has a specialist practice in private family law, appearing at all levels of the Family Court and High Court. 

He is frequently instructed on family finance cases (including Schedule 1 applications) with a complex element, often involving asset-protection structures and third parties. He is also instructed on international cases, having drafted pleadings and written opinions for multiple foreign courts. His private law children practice particularly focuses on high acrimony cases and children with complex needs. He continues to handle Family Law Act injunctions alongside his main practice and also specialises in TOLATA claims in a cohabitation context. Mark is at the forefront of legal developments, sitting on the Resolution Pensions, Tax and Financial Remedies committee.

In all practice areas, Mark is sensitive to the benefits of settlement where achievable but does not hesitate in taking a robust approach where necessary. Profiling his expertise, Mark regularly provides talks and case updates at national conferences and to leading law firms as well as writing articles for key publications (both online and in print), and has been published in the Guardian. Mark’s first book was published in June 2024 along with a chapter in the Resolution Spousal Maintenance Handbook. He is a contributing author to Lexis Nexis’ International Trust Laws. Mark was also proud to achieve early recognition in his career when awarded the IBA Family Law Committee scholarship in 2017, enabling him to attend and speak at the IBA annual conference in Sydney (2017).

He is a founding donor and assisting barrister for the legal charity Not Beyond Redemption, assisting mothers in prison or recently released from prison with re-establishing and regenerating the fundamental relationship between mother and child.

Mark accepts instructions to act as an evaluator in Private FDRs.

• Recommendations

  "Mark consistently demonstrates an extraordinary ability to navigate cases with exceptional legal acumen." "Mark is my go-to choice for matrimonial finance matters, including those with an international element." "Mark is astute and reliable as counsel. His demeanour with clients is exceptional and his preparation and advocacy skills are excellent." "Mark is a calm, collected and excellent barrister. He is knowledgeable and always willing to help." "Mark handles complex matters expertly and gets great results."

  Chambers and Partners 2026

  "Mark is calm and sensible in the all-to-often hostile environment of family law. As an advocate, he is easy on the ear and persuasive. He has the stamina and ability to fight when necessary."

  Legal 500 2026

• Publications and Lecturing

  • “The Lugano Convention 2007: why rejoining needs to be higher on the public agenda (the family law perspective)”, Private Client Business [2025]
  • “Non-Matrimonial Property and the Family Home”, Private Client Business [2024], issue 5. Co-author.
  • “Child Maintenance”, The Resolution Spousal Maintenance Handbook (2024)
  • A practical guide to Barder events in financial remedy proceedings in family law (2024, Law Brief Publishing)
  • “Child Maintenance in Cases of Equal Shared Care”, Financial Remedies Journal (Winter 2023). Co-author.
  • “Step-children and half-siblings in family proceedings” Family Law Journal [2021] Fam Law 976. Co-author with Samara Brackley.
  • “Without Notice applications in Children Act and Family Law Act: tips, pointers and warnings” Family Law Journal [2021] Fam Law 553. Co-author with Samara Brackley.
  • Brexit and Family Law, The Review, Issue 199
  • “Costs in fact-finding proceedings against the legally aided litigant” – [2019] Fam Law 407. Co-author
  • “The without prejudice rule in children proceedings: myth or reality?” Family Law Journal, [2018] Fam Law 208
  • “Costs: Reassessing the Starting Point”, Family Law Week, 27 January 2017
  • “Why it pays for the wealthy to divorce in Singapore (and not Hong Kong)”, Trusts & Trustees, Vol. 22, No. 5, June 2016, pp. 525–530 (co-author)
  • “Ordering the would-be undertaker: the equitable reach of the Family Court”, Family Law Week, 8 July 2016 (co-author)

• Personal Information

  Mark is a food fanatic and when not in court can be found in his garden smoking sides of salmon and roasting coffee beans (although not simultaneously), to the mild irritation of his long-suffering neighbours. Mark is also an avid follower of the travails of Liverpool FC and devotes his time to ensuring his young daughter shares his loyalties.