Paula Piquer Ruz

Paula Piquer Ruz is a Senior Associate in our Family Department, bringing extensive experience in international family law. As a dual–qualified Spanish Abogado and English solicitor, she has been practicing in London since 2009, specialising in cross-border family law matters in all aspects of family law.

Paula advises clients on a broad range of financial issues arising from marriage, civil partnerships and cohabitation, particularly those involving HNW individuals and foreign assets. Her expertise includes financial claims for children (Schedule 1 of the Children Act), financial claims after a foreign divorce (Part III of MFP Act 1984), resolving cohabitation-related property disputes (under TOLATA 1996), enforcement of financial orders (domestic and foreign), and applications for interim financial provision.

She provides strategic guidance to clients on jurisdiction choices for initiating divorce proceedings when multiple jurisdictions are involved, and she also represents clients in jurisdictional disputes when cases are pursued in England & Wales and other jurisdictions.

With a strong interest in preventive legal strategies, Paula helps clients anticipate and mitigate possible future disputes over assets and financial responsibilities. She provides tailored advice to HNW individuals on complex pre and post-nuptial agreements involving multiple jurisdictions, as well as cohabitation agreements, to minimise potential future conflicts.

Paula has extensive experience handling private children law matters, including Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders and international relocation cases. She also represents clients in child abduction cases and the enforcement of foreign court orders.

With her deep understanding of both common and civil law systems, Paula is uniquely positioned to provide expert guidance on complex cross-border matters. She frequently collaborates with lawyers from other jurisdictions to ensure protection of her clients’ interests across multiple legal systems.

Her expertise extends to preparing export reports and affidavits in both English and Spanish for domestic and foreign legal proceedings.

Paula Piquer Ruz regularly lectures at seminars and conferences and has contributed to the Spanish Chapter of the 2^nd and 3^rd editions of the Family – Multi – jurisdiction Guide and the International Relocation of Children Global Guide.

She is fluent in English, Spanish and Catalan and speaks basic French.

Memberships

Paula is a member of Resolution, the Asociacion Espanola de Abogados de Familia (AEAFA) and the Asociación Internacional de Juristas de Derecho de Familia (AIJUDEFA). She is the Deputy Chair of the British Spanish Law Association (BSLA) and is part of the international committee of the Westminster and Holborn Law Society. She is registered with the Barcelona Bar and is a member of its Family and International Law commissions.

Examples of cases Paula dealt with:

X v Y Paula acted for a husband in a complex international divorce case involving a jurisdictional dispute between England and Spain. The wife, a British national residing in England, with two other nationalities, initiated proceedings in the English courts, while the husband, living in Spain, simultaneously filed in the Spanish courts. A key aspect of the case was determining jurisdiction, given that the couple had only been married for a very short period of time and commuted between both countries. The primary asset—a jointly owned property in England —was purchased by the husband for their shared use. There were business interests in Spain and property located in South America. The wife argued that English courts should retain jurisdiction and her claims centered on her housing needs. While the jurisdiction dispute was ongoing, the wife also applied for maintenance pending suit and a legal services provisions order, both of which were successfully resisted. Paula’s advice and strategic approach led to an early financial settlement. The matter concluded without incurring the costs of a final hearing, efficiently and with an outcome welcomed by the client.

This case highlights Paula’s expertise in handling complex international divorce proceedings, jurisdictional disputes, and strategic financial negotiations to protect our clients’ interests.

P v R In this case Paula jointly drafted a prenuptial agreement considering the legal requirements for an enforceable contract that included jurisdictions such as England, Spain, and a third European country. The client, an English businessman residing in Europe, sought to protect substantial assets, including a UK-based business and a Spanish property, ahead of his second marriage to a Spanish national. Given the international nature of the case, Paula collaborated with legal experts in the third jurisdiction involved to ensure the agreement complied with the local law while remaining enforceable under English law. The strategic decision was made to draft a prenuptial agreement under the law of the third European country, that would align with the English and Spanish legal requirements should a dispute arise in the future. Key elements such as financial disclosure, independent legal advice, and formal execution before a notary public were meticulously incorporated to ensure enforceability across jurisdictions. A significant challenge in this case was also the timing, as the agreement was finalised close to the wedding date. However, through proactive legal strategy and swift coordination between jurisdictions, she successfully concluded the agreement in time.

This case exemplifies Paula’s ability to provide bespoke solutions for high-net-worth individuals navigating cross-border family law matters. By ensuring compliance with multiple legal systems, she secured her client’s financial interests and provided peace of mind for his future.

Z v S Paula successfully represented the wife in a highly complex financial dispute following the breakdown of a long-term marriage. The couple had accumulated a large property portfolio over the years, primarily in the UK, with two additional properties in Spain. Their business, managed by the family, generated rental income that supported their lifestyle. The case presented several complications. Initially, the proceedings were clouded by multiple non-molestation applications filed between family members. Furthermore, the husband’s financial dealings were opaque, requiring us to apply for the joinder of third parties to uncover relevant financial information. The case did not settle at the FDR due to unresolved questions regarding a trust set up in favour of other family members. The validity and implications of this trust were crucial, as its recognition would significantly alter the value of the matrimonial assets. Following the FDR, Paula facilitated a round-table negotiation with the involvement of a specialist barrister experienced in complex financial disputes and international elements. This collaborative approach allowed the case to successfully settle.

This case underscores the importance of thorough financial investigations, strategic use of expert advice, and collaboration with leading counsel to achieve the best outcomes for our clients. Paula’s ability to navigate both English and Spanish legal implications ensured a comprehensive resolution tailored to the client’s needs. 

SW v SH and others [2021] EWFC 126

https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewfc/2021/126?query=SW+v+SH+and+others+%5B2021%5D+EWFC+126

Paula was part of the team who acted for the applicant wife in this complex international financial case under Part IIII of the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, following a Moroccan divorce obtained by the husband in breach of a Hemain injunction. The case concerned a very short marriage with one child and was determined against the background of very serious findings against the husband in related child arrangements proceedings, including sexual assaults and other conduct aimed at controlling the divorce and financial remedies application, and intimidating and harassing the wife to cease the proceedings. The husband owned a £6m multi-jurisdictional property portfolio. The husband took steps to try evade the wife’s financial claims, including placing a charge on the family home in favour of his brother and entering into a lease agreement in respect of all the rental income from his UK property portfolio. This meant that the rental income was diverted to a newly incorporated company, the sole direction and shareholder of which was his adult daughter from a previous relationship. We applied on behalf of the wife to set aside the charge and the lease agreement, and the husband’s brother and his daughter and the company were joined to the proceedings for this purpose. The judge ruled in the wife’s favour, finding the Moroccan award insufficient to meet the wife’s and child’s needs; that the husband had failed to give full and frank disclosure of his assets and income; he had failed to abide by both the Moroccan order and English interim maintenance orders; that he deliberately was in breach of the Hemain injuction; and that the charge in favour of his brother and the leas in favour of the company were intended to defeat the wife’s claims, so they were successfully set aside.

In addition to the financial provision made to partially meet the wife’s and child’s housing needs and capitalised spousal maintenance, the judge ordered the husband to pay the wife’s litigation loans, inclusive of interest accruing which had been significantly high due to the husband’s misconduct and unhelpful approach to the litigation, which was intended to make the litigation as difficult as possible for the wife to discourage her from pursuing her claims.

The court’s decision marked a significant victory for the wife, ensuring that the child would be provided for in the long term. This case underscores the importance of strategic legal intervention in securing the best possible outcomes for children too, especially in complex international divorces.

W v K Paula acted in a case involving a national of a EU country whose former partner relocated to England with their children. The father, a high-earning professional was previously paying maintenance under arrangements made by the EU country where the children were previously living. However, following the mother’s move to England, the case was brought before an English court. England’s jurisdiction over financial claims including maintenance in international relocation cases is a key area of family law, and it remains an important consideration for clients facing similar circumstances. In this instance, the relocation of the children to England allowed the English courts to retain jurisdiction over financial claims for the benefit of the children, despite the initial assessment made under the law of the EU country where the children were previously living. The mother, who was not married to the father, sought a lump sum and ongoing maintenance for the children. The father had already provided a substantial financial settlement in the previous jurisdiction. Despite this, the English court indicated that the financial needs of the children in their new country of residence required further support, but was favourable to the father in that no further lump sum provision for housing was appropriate. The result in this case demonstrates the strategic advantages of Schedule 1 applications in cases where children relocate internationally.