Julie McNamara

Video Introduction of Julie McNamara

I am a Director in the Family Department at Duncan Lewis Solicitors and have been with the company for 6 years as a solicitor. I am based in the Birmingham office, and I also attend to clients across the West Midlands including Wolverhampton. My primary areas of expertise are divorce, private children matters and domestic abuse. I have a wealth of experience in divorce and civil partnership dissolution and also in financial disputes that can arise from divorce or dissolution including high net worth financial and property matters. I prepare both pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and I also have experience in representing clients after a co-habitual relationship has broken down.

I am a member of Resolution which is a Family Law Association for solicitors committed to resolving family matters fairly and amicably. I favour Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) as a means of communication between a separating family. This allows the family to avoid court proceedings and the subsequent fees but still receive relevant compensation. I am also very experienced and equally as comfortable dealing with matters in court.

I am ranked in the Legal 500 2023 for my work across the West Midlands. I am an accredited specialist in international child abduction and domestic abuse, with Resolution. I am a fully trained Mediator which helps me to resolve disputes between families and partners on a more amicable basis.

• View Julie McNamara’s "High Net Worth Divorce" profile

• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC)
• LLB Hons

• Duncan Lewis Solicitor (Director) - June 2023
• Duncan Lewis Solicitors (Solicitor)- December 2017
• Family Law Group - 2013-2017
• Adams Moore Family Law - 2010-2013
• Bedford Family Law (Partner) - 2005-2010
• Heald Mellows - 2000-2005
• Admitted as a solicitor 2000

• "Julie McNamara was extremely knowledgeable. She was approachable and accessible and flexible regarding fees. She acknowledged the challenges of my situation and went the extra mile to support me" - Legal 500 UK 2023


• ‘Excellent communication and service provided. I couldn’t have asked for more!! A job well done. A huge thank you to Julie.’ - Leanne, 2016


• ‘I have no hesitation in instructing or recommending Julie McNamara who specialises in divorce, finance and private children issues and is also a trained Mediator. Throughout my immensely emotional journey I was treated wonderfully…and always advised accordingly at every step of the way. Being impressed with all aspects of my case and how my case was dealt with was a huge weight off my mind and knowing that things were in hand and being dealt with helped me no end.’ - Nick, 2017


• ‘Just wanted to thank you so much for everything that you did for Nicola and myself. I wish you much good fortune and happiness and once again thank you.’ - Jenny, 2016


• ‘This firm have been an integral part of my legal representation for several years, handling both family and divorce cases. In each instance we got the result we wanted, due to no small part to skill and representation. While there are many people at the firm to thank, honourable mention goes to Julie McNamara who was instrumental in the success of both cases.

• Recommended Lawyer - The Legal 500 UK 2023 edition

High Court

• Dennis v Dennis [2000]2 FLR 231 - I was the lead solicitor for the wife in the Dennis v Dennis [2000] 2FLR 231 case.
  
  A decree nisi of divorce was granted on the wife’s petition. Less than 2 months after the wife, as the petitioner, could first have applied for the decree absolute, the husband’s solicitors sent the county court an application for the decree absolute, mistakenly using the form intended for use by a petitioner.
  
  The court treated the application as though it were made by the petitioner, and made the decree absolute the next day. Because the husband was in fact the respondent, he was not entitled to apply for decree absolute until 3 months after the date on which the wife could first have applied.
  
  The court failed to send copies of the decree absolute to either party, and the wife remained ignorant of the decree having been granted until after the husband had remarried abroad and his new partner was relying on her status as his wife in order to enter the UK.
  
  When it was discovered that the court had processed the application incorrectly and prematurely, the county court referred the case to the High Court on the issue of whether the marriage was void, or merely voidable.
  
  The husband argued that it would be a breach of his human rights to declare the marriage void, being a clear interference with his right to a private and family life, and that of his new wife. Although neither party wished the decree absolute to be set aside, the petitioner sought clarification of her marital status, and Wall J invited the intervention of the Queen’s Proctor because of the potential implications of the Human Rights Act 1998.

• The Law Society
• Resolution
• Accredited in International Child Abduction
• Accredited in Domestic Abuse
• Trained Mediator

• Walking my two dogs
• Going to the gym
• Listening to music

• New Navigating Family Law Podcast Episode: Understanding Prenups and Postnups in Divorce - out now! (31 July 2024)
• Arbitration: Effective Family Dispute Resolution without a Court of Law (13 May 2024)
• Understanding Property Disputes During Separation When Traditional Family Law Does Not Suit You (25 March 2024)
• Congratulations to Julie McNamara on her Well-deserved Promotion to Director of Family and Child Care (4 July 2023)
• Is your overseas divorce recognised in the UK (13 June 2023)
• Duncan Lewis Now Offers Specialist Advice in High Net Divorce Matters (26 January 2023)
• Will the latest court protections for domestic abuse victims break the barriers to coming forward? (12 September 2022)
• Breakthrough Ruling for Victims of Domestic Abuse seeking Legal Aid (9 February 2021)