Year of Call: 2000
Email Address: rachael.goodall@3pb.co.uk
Telephone: 020 7583 8055 / 01202 292 102
Rachael Goodall practises exclusively in the field of family law, with a particular emphasis on cases involving financial provision after divorce, dissolution or separation. She is also instructed in private law children cases.
Rachael was a shortlisted finalist for Junior Barrister of the Year at the Family Law Awards 2020. She is one of the few family barristers who is consistently recommended in both of the leading legal directories, Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. She sits as a Deputy District Judge (civil) and is ticketed to hear private children cases and proceedings in the Financial Remedies Court.
The legal directories describe Rachael as "robust", "tenacious" and having “superior attention to detail”. She is reported as being “an excellent and fearless advocate” and is someone who “goes above and beyond for her clients”.
Rachael lives in the New Forest and is married with two children. She enjoys running (having completed 4 marathons), cooking and the outdoors.
Rachael is Chair of the Western Circuit Women's Forum.
Finance/Property Team
Rachael’s main area of practice is in this field and her expertise covers financial remedies on divorce or dissolution, cohabitation/co-owner disputes under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 and financial provision for children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989. Most of her cases feature at least one of the following factors:
Recent cases:
Acted for the wife in a case involving how £2.1m of pension funds should be shared. Successful in obtaining equal sharing of income in retirement, despite the husband's pre-marital contributions . The case was before HHJ Hess, Deputy Lead Judge of the Financial Remedy Court.
Acted for wife in application for maintenance pending suit against husband who worked in a company run by his father. Wife successfully awarded a generous amount of maintenance with an order for costs against husband on the basis that husband was intentionally depleting his assets, transferring shares to other family members and reducing his income to thwart her claim.
Acted for civil partner (‘S’) who lacked capacity in financial remedies application where Official Solicitor instructed to act as litigation friend. Instruction of psychologist to report on effect on S of leaving the family home. Successfully negotiated a favourable settlement shortly before final hearing that allowed S to remain in the family home.
Successfully opposed an application to set aside a consent order on the grounds of an alleged ‘Barder’ event. Order for costs made against the applicant.
Acted for husband in application to downwardly vary and then terminate the order for spousal maintenance. Court allowed husband’s application in its entirety on the basis that a joint lives order was converted into a 4 year term order with reducing amounts each year until termination with a section 28(1A) bar.
Private Law Team
Rachael is frequently instructed in applications for child arrangements orders, specific issue orders and prohibited steps orders that often include one or more of the following features:
Recent cases:
Acted for maternal grandmother of a 10 year old child who had tragically lost both of her parents. There ensued a family dispute as to who child should reside with. Rule 16.4 Guardian appointed. Order for child to remain with maternal grandmother in what the judge described as an “overwhelming” case. All contact ordered with paternal family was in accordance with maternal grandmother’s proposals.
Acted for father at final hearing for a child arrangements order. Successfully secured more extensive contact than was recommended in the section 7 report following cross-examination of CAFCASS Officer and mother.
Acted for mother in successful application to relocate with children 5 hours away from father on the basis that she was moving closer to her family and support network.
Rachael Goodall is available for private remote FDR hearings. For more information on private remote FDR hearings please click here.
Rachael Goodall analyses Finch v Baker [2021] EWCA Civ 72 in which the Court of Appeal refused a wife’s appeal against the circuit judge’s decision not to permit further evidence from the pension expert following his draft judgment.
This analysis was first published on Lexis®PSL on 29 January 2021.
Rachael Goodall analyses IC v RC [2020] EWHC 2997 (Fam), [2020] All ER (D) 74 (Nov). In this case the court considered the circumstances in which an error or omission after the order has been drawn may be corrected pursuant to the ‘slip rule’ (per Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, 29.16) in circumstances where the husband argued that the order had ceased to have effect.
This analysis was first published on Lexis®PSL on 18 November 2020.
3PB’s specialist family law barrister and Chair of the Western Circuit Women’s Forum (WCWF) Rachael Goodall sets out the WCWF’s proposals to mitigate the threat of significant and disproportionate attrition of women from the Bar due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Published in Counsel magazine October 2020 edition.
3PB Family Barrister Rachael Goodall analyses the Court of Appeal's judgement in the appeal of JS v RS [2017] EWCA Civ 408, concerning the division of matrimonial assets following the dissolution of a marriage.
Rachael's analysis takes account of the jurisprudential relationship between Miller v Miller and McFarlane v McFarlane.
An expert in matrimonial finance who acts on a range of matters including issues of non-disclosure and dissipation, as well as pre-matrimonial businesses assets and pensions. She is also able to advise on private children matters and is increasingly active on cross-border mandates.
Strengths: "She provides first-class client care, goes above and beyond for her clients and is a pleasure to work with." "She is always thoroughly prepared and is an excellent advocate."
Chambers UK 2021/Family: Matrimonial Finance - Western (Bar) - Band 2
‘Rachael is always thoroughly prepared and excellent with clients. Rachael is always available to assist on existing cases as and when the need arises. Rachael is an excellent advocate and makes the clients feel at ease.’
Legal 500 2021/Divorce and Financial Remedy/Leading Juniors/Tier 2/Western Circuit
Primarily works on financial remedy and TOLATA disputes, especially those arising from relationship breakdown.
Strengths: "Rachael Goodall is particularly impressive. She's a fierce advocate when needed, but also a steady and calming hand. She's excellent with clients and is always available to assist on existing cases as and when the need arises." "She's a fantastic barrister, and is always thoroughly well prepared."
Chambers UK 2020/Family - Matrimonial - Western (Bar) - Band 2
‘She sets clients' expectations and delivers upon them.’
Legal 500 2020/Family and children law – Leading juniors
"Rachael has a solid work ethic. Her preparation is excellent and her representation at court is thorough and on point. She has an engaging, supportive and positive attitude towards any given case." "She is an excellent advocate with exemplary client care skills."
Chambers UK 2019/Family - Matrimonial - Western (Bar)
‘A fearless advocate who takes no prisoners.’
Legal 500 2018/19/Family and children law – Leading juniors
Strengths: "An excellent advocate with exemplary client care skills. She is extremely good at helping clients feel supported and getting their voice heard. Rachael is also able to adopt a robust and tenacious approach when required." "She has a direct approach which the clients appreciate. She is frank but also very affable."
Chambers UK 2018/Family - Matrimonial - Western (Bar)
‘She has exemplary client-care skills.’
Legal 500 2017/Family and children law – Leading juniors
Strengths: "A great all-rounder, whose manner with clients is commendable as she is sensitive yet strong. Her advice is top class." "Offers excellent knowledge of matrimonial financial law and proceedings, thorough and prompt preparation, superior attention to detail, and great empathy with clients in difficult circumstances."'
Chambers UK 2017/Family - Matrimonial - Western (Bar)
'She has superb manner with clients and a detailed knowledge of papers.'
Legal 500 2016/Family and children law – Leading juniors
'Handles the financial aspects of family law and has a focus on TOLATA lawsuits. She is also proficient in dealing with arrangement orders and removal from jurisdiction disputes.'
Chambers UK 2016/Family - Matrimonial - Western (Bar)
'She provides pragmatic and sensible advice in a sensitive manner'
Legal 500 2015/Regional Bar - Western Circuit, Family and children law – Leading juniors
'...handles a variety of cases within family law, with noted expertise in financial resolutions following the breakdown of a relationship. She has considerable experience in dealing with multifaceted cases involving concealed assets and third party claimants. She is also noted for her work in private children law issues involving domestic violence allegations and international relocations.'
Chambers UK 2015/Family Law - Matrimonial – Western (Bar)
‘highly competent and well prepared’.
Legal 500 2013/14/Western Circuit - Family.
'...highly praised for her preparation, advocacy style and lovely manner with clients. She specialises in financial proceedings after relationship breakdown and the related children matters.
Expertise: “She is always very clear with her advice and very knowledgeable. She is also extremely efficient and friendly with clients.”'
Chambers UK 2014/Family - Matrimonial – Western (Bar)
Rachael Goodall is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public and professional clients under the Direct Public Access scheme.
More InformationWelcome to the 3PB family newsletter In our fourth family group newsletter, we bring you a round up of our brunch talks and topical articles, news, and details of our forthcoming events. We hope you enjoy reading this and please do contact us if we can help with further information or enquiries. Details of upcoming events here Lucy Hendry QC enjoys her first days as newly-appointed Silk Family barrister Lucy Hendry QC started her first day as Queen's Counsel...
Continue readingCounsel magazine featured an article from 3PB’s specialist crime and regulatory barrister Sunyana Sharma, alongside Anjali Gohil of Guildhall Chambers, about the lack of ethnic diversity on the Western Circuit. The article which appeared in Counsel magazine in November states that ‘‘no full-time circuit judge on the Western Circuit appears to be from an ethnic minority. To break that down – there are 12 crown court centres on the Western Circuit, comprised of between one...
Continue readingCounsel magazine has featured 3PB’s specialist family law barrister - and Chair of the Western Circuit Women’s Forum (WCWF) - Rachael Goodall has set out the WCWF’s proposals to mitigate the threat of significant and disproportionate attrition of women from the Bar due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In Back to the Bar 2019, the Western Circuit’s Women’s Forum (WCWF) published evidence showing that two-thirds of those who left the Bar over a six-year period were women....
Continue readingChambers & Partners 2021 UK Bar directory attributed a record 17 barrister rankings to our Family Silks and Junior barristers, across the Midlands, Western, London and South Eastern circuits in its latest edition, covering both finance and children work. The Directory ranked the team in Band 2 in the Midlands and in the Western Circuits. Meanwhile, the Legal 500 elected to rank 24 of our members across the same four circuits. The Directory gave the...
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