David Allison

Spear’s Review

A director at Family Law in Partnership, David Allison has represented a range of HNW individuals and their partners from many different backgrounds. 

He focuses on the financial aspects of divorce, especially international marriages and unmarried couples, both same-sex and mixed. He was one of the first lawyers in the UK to be trained in collaborative practice and is a Resolution collaborative specialist. ‘Generally I think clients come to me because they know that my focus is on settlement, and as a practice we’re known for resolving things constructively,’ he says.

Despite the constructive deal-making approach, Allison is not afraid to enter into litigation when required, as seen in the Xanthopoulos v Rakshina case of 2023, one of the most widely reported cases of the year.

David is chair of the International Academy of Family Lawyers’ gender identity and sexuality committee. He was named Lawyer of the Year – Family Law at the 2023 Spear’s Awards.

Notable cases

Lazaros Panagiotis Xanthopoulos v Alla Aleksandrovna Rakshina [2023] EWFC 50