Home office: Birmingham
Adam advises clients regarding all aspects of private family law including cohabitation, separation, divorce and related financial issues, disputes concerning children and nuptial agreements.
Adam is a Partner in our Family Team. He joined Clarke Willmott in 2022 following just over five years at national law firm Shoosmiths where he latterly headed their Birmingham Family Team. Before that he spent five years at a regional law firm. Adam has specialised exclusively in divorce and family law for over a decade.
Adam has been recommended in leading independent industry directory, the Legal 500, since 2017. He was recommended as a key lawyer in both the Birmingham and London 2020 editions, named a “Rising Star” in family law in the 2021 and 2022 editions and, from the 2023 edition, a “Next Generation Partner”. In addition, he was ranked as an “Associate to Watch” and, subsequently, “Up and Coming” in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the other leading independent directory, Chambers and Partners, moving up to Band 3 in Birmingham and the surrounding area from 2023.
Adam’s particular area of expertise is advising on the complex financial issues arising out of divorce. He is regularly instructed in cases which involve significant wealth. Adam has considerable experience advising clients in cases which involve businesses, trusts, pension arrangements and arguments relating to nuptial agreements, third party interests in land, and pre-marital and inherited assets. He has also been instructed on cases involving applications to enforce and vary existing orders.
In addition, Adam is often instructed to deal with disputes between unmarried cohabitees or family members and he has experience of private adoption proceedings.
Adam is highly commended for his technical ability and expertise. He was shortlisted for Assistant/Associate Solicitor of the Year at the Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards 2015 and Partner of the Year in 2024. He is the Chair of Resolution West Midlands. Resolution is the national organisation of family lawyers whose members subscribe to a code of conduct and promote a constructive approach to family law issues. He is a regular public speaker and has written various articles on the topic of family law.
Adam studied Law at the University of Birmingham and also completed his post-graduate qualification in Birmingham.
How Adam can help you
Adam is known for his swift, concise and commercial communication with both clients and those on the other side, providing realistic, early strategic advice and identifying the key issues with a view to settling cases sensibly and cost-effectively. Adam’s reputation is as a no-nonsense practitioner who takes a smart and strategic approach to cases. He regularly deals with:
- Divorce – fair financial provision
- Dissolution of civil partnerships and nullity proceedings
- Financial provision following divorce/dissolution
- Variation or set aside of existing financial orders
- Cohabitation rights and separation agreements
- Pre and post-nuptial agreements
- Family businesses
- Disputes about care or education of children
- Applications for parental rights
- Child residence, contact and relocation disputes
- Applications for permission to resettle overseas with children
- International child abduction
- Complex pension structures
- Parental alienation
- Complex domestic abuse, including controlling and coercive behaviour
Recommendations
He has an excellent mind, a great eye for detail and handles complex family finance cases with ease. He has a calm and thoughtful manner, dealing with challenging cases (and clients) with sensitivity, and is easily able to communicate complex arrangements to them in a simple and digestible fashion.
Legal 500 2022
Adam Maguire primarily acts on matrimonial finance matters, including those that concern complex property, pension and business aspects. He also assists with Children Act applications.
Chambers and Partners 2025