Nicola Martin

Year of Call: 1982
Email Address: [email protected]
CJSM: [email protected]
Telephone: 0121 289 4333 / 01865 797 700

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Clerk Details

Clerk Name: Ian Charlton
Clerk Telephone: 0330 332 0773
Clerk Email: [email protected]

Overview

Nicola (formerly Simpson) Martin, former Head of the Family Law Group, is one of a minority of experienced family lawyers who not only conducts high net worth ancillary relief proceedings but also complex care cases (involving death or serious injury to a child) and sensitive private law children matters, including abduction and relocation.

With experience over 30 years spanning from appearances before magistrates to the Privy Council, Nicola brings a pragmatic and helpful approach to her cases and is renowned for skilful cross examination, retaining an empathy with clients from all walks of life.

Expertise

Family
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Nicola (formerly Simpson) Martin, former Head of the Family Law Group, is one of a minority of experienced family lawyers who not only conducts high net worth ancillary relief proceedings but also complex care cases (involving death or serious injury to a child) and sensitive private law children matters, including abduction and relocation.

With experience over 30 years spanning from FPC to Privy Council Nicola brings a pragmatic and helpful approach to her cases and renowned for skillful cross examination, retaining an empathy with clients from all walks of life.

Private Remote FDR Hearings

Nicola is available for private remote FDR hearings. For more information on private remote FDR hearings please click here.

Recent notable cases include
- Q v R (intractable contact) [2017] EWFC B35 (28 June 2017)
- Ancillary Relief high net worth involving assets worldwide and allegations of hidden assets and non disclosure [2014]
- Care proceedings involving serious injuries, including fractures and brain injuries to a baby. Consideration of whether the extended family were implicated and if not whether the children could be sufficiently safeguarded within the family [2014]
- Contested residence and internal relocation contact proceedings with background of serious assault, alleged assault on a child with social services and Police involvement [2014]
- High value ancillary relief involving pre martial assets and disputed dissipation [2014]
- Representing young mother in care proceedings. Difficult issues in relation to extended family, history of removal of previous children, parents abusive relationship [2014]
- Representing father in relation to high net worth Sch 1 Children’s Act claims, including overseas trusts. Application to strike out and variation of child arrangements. International elements [2014]
- Complex Ancillary Relief case with allegations of hidden assets. Previous intevener proceedings. Future ownership of joint business [2014]
- Representation of a young mother in care proceedings resulting in return to her of 3 year old child and retention of unborn baby. Allegations of drug taking and chaotic lifestyle [2014]

Recommendations

A ‘robust and effective advocate’, Nicola Martin handles the most complex care, child abduction and relocation cases

'Nicola has an easy rapport with all clients. She is a good advocate and very responsive to enquiries from solicitors.'

Legal 500 2025/Family: Divorce and Financial Remedy/Leading Juniors/South Eastern Circuit

'Nicola is organised and thorough in her practice. She is clear and concise in her advice.'

Legal 500 2025/Family: Children and Domestic Violence/Leading Juniors/South Eastern Circuit - Tier 1

Nicola Martin has considerable experience handling care proceedings arising from serious injuries and abuse as well as private law children matters involving issues such as abduction, alienation, and relocation.

‘Nicola is a exceptional barrister. She is thorough, amazingly professional, sensitive to clients needs and will give everything to each case. She is a pillar of strength – robust in court and realistic and sensitive in her approach.’

Legal 500 2025/Family: Children and Domestic Violence/Leading Juniors/Midlands Circuit - Tier 1

Nicola Martin is recommended for complex care cases.
'Nicola is a tenacious advocate. She responds quickly to all queries and is happy to chat through cases where necessary. She is highly professional and able to advise on case strategy where necessary.'

Legal 500 2024/Family: Children and Domestic Violence/Leading Juniors/South Eastern Circuit - Tier 1

‘Nicola is well prepared and has a great manners with clients.’

Legal 500 2024/Family: Children and Domestic Violence/Leading Juniors/Midlands circuit

Nicola is well prepared and has a good manner with the clients. She is good at identifying the issues and offers a pragmatic and sensible approach to proceedings and is robust when needed.’

Legal 500 2023/Child Law (Public and Private)/Leading Juniors/South Eastern Circuit - Tier 1

‘Nicola is well prepared and has good manners with clients. She identifies the issues in cases well and offers a sensible, pragmatic approach to proceedings but is robust when needed.’

Legal 500 2023/Child Law (Public and Private)/Leading Juniors/Midlands circuit

‘Nicola is a wonderful barrister: robust in cross-examination, with superb analytical skills. She has good client empathy but is able to give clear, realistic advice, even if it will be unwelcome.’

Legal 500 2022/Child Law (Public and Private)/South Eastern Circuit

‘I have nothing but praise for Nicola Martin. She is truly a wonderful barrister. She has helped me with some really tricky cases and she always goes above and beyond what could reasonably be expected from her.’

Legal 500 2022/Child Law (Public and Private)/Midland Circuit

‘Dedicated, communicative and works well with solicitors.’

Legal 500 2021/Child Law (Public and Private)/Midlands Circuit

‘Her client care skills are exceptional in what can be very upsetting and stressful times for a lay client.’
"Nicola Martin [is] involved in high net worth ancillary relief proceedings and care cases."

Legal 500 2021/Child Law (Public and Private/South Eastern Circuit

‘She provides truly exceptional client care, particularly for vulnerable individuals'

Legal 500 2020/Family and children/Midlands Circuit

‘Highly competent both at advocacy and in her written work.’

Legal 500 2020/Family and children/South Eastern Circuit

Nicola is 'A robust and approachable advocate' and is also described as 'A vigorous advocate, and a very safe pair of hands'.

Legal 500 2018/19/Family and children law/Western Circuit
Legal 500 2018/19/Family and children law/South Eastern Circuit

‘She is pragmatic and excellent with clients.’

Legal 500 2017/Family and children law/Western Circuit

‘Known for financial relief and complex care cases.’

Legal 500 2017/Family and children law/South Eastern Circuit

'An extremely experienced and impressive advocate, who is skilled at fighting her client's corner.'

Legal 500 2016/Family and children law/Western Circuit

'An excellent negotiatior and a robust advocate'

Legal 500 2016/Family and children law/South Eastern Circuit

'She can navigate very quickly through a jungle of documents to find the answer.'

Legal 500 2015/Family and children law/Western Circuit

'She is approachable, good with clients, and flexible in her approach.'

Legal 500 2015/Family and children law/South Eastern Circuit

"3PB’s Nicola Martin ‘never disappoints’."

Legal 500 2014/Family and children law/Western Circuit

Nicola Martin is an experienced junior barrister with expertise in both private and public family law proceedings. Her cases range from complex children matters concerning serious injuries to financial remedy disputes.
Strengths: "She has the ability to undertake any matter."
"Nicola is a solid and dependable advocate with a very good client manner."
"She has always impressed and can be relied upon in particularly challenging cases."

Chambers UK 2025/Family/Children/Midlands Bar
Chambers UK 2025/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Midlands Bar

Strengths: “Nicola Martin is always very helpful and professional. She gives very solid and sound advice and always argues the case well.”
“Nicola Martin is graceful in her advice to clients. Her advocacy style is calming and understanding, with precise efficiency.”
“Nicola Martin is graceful in her advice to clients.”

Chambers UK 2024/Family/Children/Midlands Bar
Chambers UK 2024/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Midlands Bar

Nicola Martin is an experienced junior barrister with expertise in both private and public family law proceedings. Her cases range from complex children matters concerning serious injuries to financial remedy disputes.
Strengths: “Nicola provides an excellent service and she has an extensive knowledge of the law.”

Chambers UK 2023/Family/Children/Midlands Bar
Chambers UK 2023/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Midlands Bar

Strengths: "She can build a rapport with clients very quickly and can empathise with them even when delivering something they won't want to hear." "She is a good communicator, very thorough in her preparation and has sound knowledge of the law relating to local authorities."

Chambers UK 2022/Family/Children/Midlands Bar
Chambers UK 2022/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Midlands Bar

'Highly thought of for her work taking on difficult childcare cases, including those involving serious injury or death. She is additionally well respected for her work in matrimonial finance cases.'

Chambers UK 2021/Family/Children/Western Bar
Chambers UK 2021/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Western Bar

Highly thought of for her work taking on difficult childcare cases, including those involving serious injury or death. She is additionally well respected for her work in matrimonial finance cases.
Strengths: "She's fabulous with clients: very clear and sympathetic, but also firm. She's also an extremely good advocate, and puts the client's case in the best possible way. on top of that, she's highly approachable to lawyers. I can't fault her - she's truly excellent."

Chambers UK 2020/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Western Bar

"Experienced, professional and confident in court." "A very strong advocate who is also very easy to work with. She is always well prepared and has an excellent relationship with clients."

Chambers UK 2019/Family/Matrimonial/Western Bar

Strengths: "She is very experienced and she fights her client's corner."

Chambers UK 2018/Family/Matrimonial/Western Bar

"Highly thought of for her work taking on difficult childcare cases, including those involving serious injury or death. Additionally well respected for her work on matrimonial finance cases. "

Chambers UK 2017/Family/Matrimonial/Western Bar

Recognised for her work on Schedule 1 applications and care arrangement proceedings. She is an expert in financial relief, as well as child abuse matters.
Strengths: "An excellent advocate. She is formidable in cross-examination."

Chambers UK 2016/Family/Matrimonial/Western Bar

Nicola Martin covers the full range of family law, with particular strengths in challenging financial remedy matters, serious child welfare cases and private children's proceedings.
Expertise: "She is an excellent advocate who is formidable in cross-examination."

Chambers UK 2015/Family/Matrimonial/Western Bar

Nicola Martin of 3PB Barristers continues to draw praise for her family practice and is particularly well respected for her work in complex financial proceedings with demanding clients. She is held in very high regard for her client-handling skills, and is known for her supportive manner.
Expertise: “She is able to get a firm grasp of the case, be clear in her advice and deliver it firmly where necessary whilst still maintaining empathy with the client.”
Recent work: Instructed on complex financial proceedings, including TOLATA claims, and sensitive childcare cases, including child death.

Chambers UK 2014/Family/Matrimonial Finance/Western Bar

Nicola has also been recommended in several previous editions of both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners directories.

"......I would like to say how very very impressed I have been about the work that I have seen you do in this case.

Your contribution to the hearing last week, your factual knowledge of the case and your legal commitment to the welfare of the children were all of the very highest order."

Expert Testimonial - 2017

"I should just like to say thank you for your support over what has been a very difficult and stressful few days… (The solicitor) said you were the best there is and he was absolutely correct”.

Client testimonial - 2014