Elizabeth Bowden is a highly experienced barrister, specialising in family and civil law.
Elizabeth is particularly skilled in cases where family and civil law overlap, often involving complex financial issues, business assets, or property disputes following relationship breakdowns.
Ranked in Chambers & Partners (Band 3, Matrimonial Finance – Western Circuit), she is praised for her clear advice, meticulous preparation, and ability to resolve difficult disputes with a pragmatic approach.
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Family Finance
Elizabeth regularly accepts instructions in matrimonial finance matters. She appears in FDAs, FDRs and Final Hearings.
Elizabeth is regularly instructed on complex matters that require asset tracing, business, pension experts, trusts and disclosure.
In a recent case, Elizabeth secured an excellent outcome in a farming-related matter where she overcame the other sides litany of legal arguments, including matrimonial v non-matrimonial, inheritance and generational farm arguments.
Elizabeth is often instructed to act in cases involving uniform/public service pensions and has a wealth of experience advising on those more complex pension schemes.
TOLATA
Elizabeth is regularly retained in TOLATA matters, where she draws on her Family Finance and Property experience.
In a recent case, Elizabeth advised a client that what they had assumed to be a TOLATA claim was better made by a claim under the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970 (MPPA 1970) through the Family Court. The parties had been engaged, and therefore, under MPPA 1970, there was a presumption that her client had gained a share in the property or increased it.
Wills, Probate and Inheritance
Elizabeth has a growing Wills, Probate and Inheritance practice. She undertakes instructions to act on behalf of executors, beneficiaries and interested parties.
Elizabeth recently represented an association during mediation and protected the majority of the bequest to it from an Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
Elizabeth is often instructed to appear in highly complex matters before Judges and Masters in the High Court.
Court of Protection
Elizabeth is available to accept instructions from the Official Solicitor and local authorities and is competent at all drafting required for the Court of Protection.
Elizabeths experience in Financial Remedies and the Court of Protection means she is ideal in cases where these two areas co-exist and or cross over. This year, she appeared for a wife whose husband had lost capacity and was represented by a litigation friend and a deputy. Due to her experience, Elizabeth was unfazed and able to advise the lay and professional client on the case as a whole and understand the restrictions placed on the litigation friend and deputy and the impact on the financial remedy proceedings.
Where there is crossover/coexistence in property matters, Elizabeths experience is again ideal. For example, Elizabeth represented the Official Solicitor in a matter where a long leaseholder had lost capacity, and the Freeholder was seeking forfeiture. Elizabeth advised the solicitor (acting for the Official Solicitor) on how best to approach the local authority to trigger a Care Needs Assessment and intervention by the local housing team and also on the court process. Elizabeth and her solicitor, working collaboratively, were able to achieve the best possible outcome for the lay client.
Civil Litigation
Elizabeth accepts instructions to attend the County Court and High Court on a wide range of civil matters, including contract, tort, company matters, consumer rights and enforcement. She frequently attends court to appear in Multi-Track, Intermediate/Fast Track, high-value, and complex matters.
This year has seen Elizabeth instructed on several complex multi-day High Court cases involving multiple parties/witnesses and hybrid hearings.
Alongside her court practice, Elizabeth advises in writing on both quantum and prospects of success.
Property and Landlord & Tenant
Elizabeth has been instructed in respect of landlord and tenant matters (commercial and residential), injunctions, unlawful eviction claims and possession hearings.
A recent instruction was on a 7-day multi-track case involving ten claimants, over 2000 pages of evidence and a hybrid hearing. The case was a classic crossover case involving housing law, property law, and consumer rights legislation.
Recently, Elizabeth was instructed by the Official Solicitor to represent a vulnerable client who had lost capacity (without a deputy) and had a possession order granted against them. The Freeholder was seeking to obtain forfeiture of the lease and make the client homeless. Elizabeths talent for crossover cases came into its own on this one.
Elizabeth also has experience in HMO licencing and compliance.
Direct Access
Elizabeth accepts direct access work within all of her specialist areas.
Elizabeth aims to assist her direct access clients as much as possible within the identified task to ensure that they achieve the best outcome from their dispute or court case.
Practical advice is given along with guidance on the procedure, the issues, the law, evidence and likely outcomes.
Elizabeth ensures that matters are addressed in plain English and is always keen to avoid legal jargon.
Mediation
Elizabeth describes mediation as the art of un-knotting a knot (one of her superpowers). Understanding the root cause is the best way to help parties navigate to a settlement. Elizabeth's ability to understand people and how they communicate allows her to get to the root cause. When you combine that with her legal understanding, it is easy to appreciate she is an asset to any mediation.
Elizabeth can accept appointments as a mediator in civil matters and instructions to attend mediation to advise and assist a party.
Personal
In 2023 Elizabeth began hosting her podcast series Nothing But The Truth with Elizabeth Bowden. Her podcast gives a fascinating insight into what it is really like to be a barrister in England and Wales. Elizabeth aims to decode and demystify the Bar and the English Legal system for anyone who is interested. You can find it on the usual podcast platforms and here.
Elizabeth's desire to make the bar open and accessible stretches beyond her very funny podcast, she also volunteers with Bridging the Bar, as well as volunteering to speak a schools and universities, and she often forms part of Chambers pupillage process.
Elizabeth also teaches advocacy skills to Bar students and new pupils through the Western Circuit and Middle Temple.
Elizabeth loves being outside; every day involves a dog walk; every week involves at least one run. If there is a Chambers sporting event, Elizabeth will be there.
A copy of Elizabeth's privacy policy can be found here.
Elizabeth Bowden is regulated by the Bar Standards Board, holds professional indemnity insurance with Bar Mutual and is VAT registered.
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First-Tier Tribunal Judge (2025)
(2001) Inns of Court Law School - Very Competent
LLB (Hons) (1st Class Honours)
Mediator
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple Member of the Western Circuit Member of the Family Law Bar Association
Elizabeth represented my case very admirably in court, and I would have no hesitation in recommending Elizabeth to anyone seeking a knowledgeable, intelligent, astute, patient, client-centred counsel.
OKI met Elizabeth one hour before my first Court Hearing. She was calm, friendly, understood the case against me. Being in the Witness Box terrified me. Having Elizabeth there grounded me. She was fabulous.
OKElizabeth represented me in my FDR hearing and was outstanding. Went well and beyond what was expected of her. I was so nervous, Elizabeth met me outside and never left my side. Elizabeth has a very calming attitude but is straight to the point and very direct. I would highly recommend Elizabeth, her whole persona made an awful day completely bearable. Thank you so much.
OKElizabeth is now one of my go to barristers within Chambers on contested probate and trust issues
OKThank you for all you have done on this matter. I feel you went above and beyond with all of your assistance with the hearing both with the offering to aid the claimant to join the hearing and helping the judge with the link
OK"Thank you ever so much for all your hard work and professionalism couldn't of wished for a better result thanks to you"
OKI have instructed Elizabeth on landlord and tenant disputes. Her advice, despite the complex nature of the dispute, was clear and concise and provided the client with reassurance in respect of the claim. I am most impressed by her attention to detail and ability to explain complex legal issues in a way that lay clients can understand.
OKWhilst we hope not to require your services again (!), we wouldn't hesitate to seek your support or to recommend you to others
OKI was recently represented in court by Elizabeth Bowden who handled my case brilliantly. I would love the chance to place on record how fantastic I thought the service of Elizabeth was. I always felt treated as an individual in all correspondence, both in person and via phone/email. It's really important not to underestimate the human side to each case and Elizabeth clearly feels that too. I'm so very grateful to Elizabeth for everything that she helped me with.
OKWe were very impressed. Elizabeth was responsive and user-friendly, quickly getting to the heart of the case and her advocacy and cross-examination secured us a favourable outcome at Court.
OKI’d like to take this opportunity to thank you again for your support and amazing work throughout the case; you definitely give me hope that the system isn’t fully broken with people like you helping to do the right thing.
OK"I have recently instructed and worked with Elizabeth on a couple of financial matters, one [of] which we were able to resolve through arbitration, and [I] cannot speak highly enough of how Elizabeth dealt with the cases. She was incredibly helpful in helping prepare and present the client’s cases so that we were able to achieve a positive outcome for the client in arbitration. Elizabeth was always on hand and willing to assist and discuss matters and both clients have spoken incredibly highly of Elizabeth and her representation. I would certainly recommend Elizabeth for her calm and clear advice, attention to detail, and also [her] ability to work with the solicitor in discuss[ing] and ensuring the client’s case is prepared and presented in the strongest possible way."
OKFrom my first interaction with Elizabeth, I noted a level of professionalism which was equally matched with her personable character. She was very thorough and transparent in her approach and managed to make a serious and unfamiliar circumstance seem much less daunting. Not only did I feel confident that she could help me achieve my desired outcome, I felt empowered within myself because I had been heard. Thank you Elizabeth for helping me with my case, I was elated with the outcome.
OKElizabeth represented me in a breach of contracts claim recently in which I was not only successful in my claim but awarded indemnity costs for the unreasonable conduct of the other party. Being an in house solicitor myself, I was very much impressed by her meticulousness in examining every single aspect of the matter as well as her patience and perseverance in continuously providing me with legal advice and assistance at various stages of the matter.
OKI would like to once again extend my thankfulness to your help, support and guidance at the hearing, which resulted in the best outcome and to me this has no price tag ever.
OKI consider Elizabeth to be a lucky find. She acted for me on a civil matter that was relatively complicated and included some interesting legal issues and quite considerable paperwork. I was impressed with her preparation, research, and hard work, her very clear grasp of the legal issues, and thorough understanding of the facts and history. Her commitment and tenacity on my behalf was quite extraordinary and she certainly went the extra mile.
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