Millie Benson
Call 2014
CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS, 2024
Millie is a specialist family law barrister with a busy and broad practice in all areas of family law.
In the field of finance, Millie deals with complex cases and those involving the enforcement or variation of orders – she is regularly instructed in high-net-worth cases, both as a junior to leading silks and in her own right. Millie’s financial cases commonly involve non-matrimonial assets, high-profile clients, pre-nuptial agreements, or international elements, and she has a particular interest and specialism in cases involving intervenors and trust assets.
Millie was the second junior, led by Philip Marshall KC, who represented Tini Owens in her appeal to the Supreme Court, and she is ranked in Chambers & Partners.
In cases concerning children, Millie’s practice includes cases where there are serious allegations of abuse, multi-day fact-finding hearings, intractable contact disputes, and concerns about parental alienation. Millie has experience of children act arbitrations and deals with children cases that involve internal and international relocation applications.
Millie has a busy matrimonial finance practice, covering financial remedy proceedings, Schedule 1 and ToLATA claims. Millie also has experience advising and acting in enforcement and variation proceedings, particularly in relation to maintenance orders. During her time at the Law Commission, Millie worked on the Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements report, which investigated the law relating to non-matrimonial property and pre-nuptial agreements, as well as on the Enforcement of Family Financial Orders project.
Millie has a head for research and is regularly instructed to advise on complex points of law arising in financial cases. She particularly enjoys the intersection between family and land law, and has developed a significant practice where there are issues relating to trusts or the beneficial ownership of property.
Reported cases:
- KA v MA (Prenuptial agreement: Needs) [2018] EWHC 499 (Fam)
- Owens v Owens [2018] UKSC 41
Millie is available to conduct private FDRs
Millie is instructed in children cases at all levels. She represents parents and other family members in disputes relating to all issues of parental responsibility. She has experience of cases with an international element, including applications to remove children permanently from the jurisdiction.
Millie has experience dealing with cases with complex safeguarding issues, including allegations of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, parental mental health concerns, domestic abuse, coercive control, non-accidental injury to a child, and parental alienation.
Millie is available to act in public law children proceedings.
Reputation & Awards
"Likeable, knowledgeable, and possessed of the perfect balance of graciousness and firmness."
CHAMBERS & PARTNERS 2021
“Everything she says sounds eminently reasonable.”…“Clients, solicitors and most importantly judges love Millie.”…“She’s so bright and her written work is perfectly prepared.” – Chambers & Partners, 2024
“Millie is a brilliant barrister. She puts clients at ease and explains things concisely in a way they can understand.”
– Chambers & Partners, 2023
“Millie Benson is a fantastic advocate. She’s extremely clear and accurate in her approach.”
– Chambers & Partners, 2023
“Gentle with clients and effective as an advocate, she immediately finds the solution to a problem.” “She is friendly and always prepared.”
– Chambers & Partners, 2022
“More confident than her year of call would suggest, she holds her own against people more senior than her.”
– Chambers & Partners, 2021
‘Millie is a breath of fresh air, knows her stuff about the law and is exceedingly calm under pressure. Clients love her.’
– Partner, Osbornes Law
Millie is always a pleasure to deal with and provides excellent support to the instructing solicitor. She is thorough in her preparation and has an excellent manner with every client’
– Partner, Hine Solicitors
Awards and Scholarships
Shortlisted for Young Family Law Barrister of the Year 2018 – Family Law Awards
Inner Temple Award for Performance on the BPTC
Bundy Scholarship for performance in university final exams
Orlando Bridgman Prize for Law – awarded by Magdalene College, Cambridge
RWM Dias Mooting Trophy – awarded by Magdalene College, Cambridge
Education
University of Cambridge – BA (Hons) Law – First class
City University – Bar Professional Training Course – Outstanding
Professional Memberships
Member of the Family Law Bar Association
Member of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple
Languages
Conversational French
Publications
Benson, M. Equal Shared Parenting Arrangements: A Research Digest – [2015] Aug Family Law 940
Harrison QC, R and Benson, M. Illegitimate claims? Schedule 1 claims for periodical payments by parents of adult children – [2019] May Family Law Journal