Derek Parsons
Senior Associate
International | Children Disputes | Family | Separation & Divorce
About Derek
Specialising in International family law, including child abduction.
Derek joined the Family team in our London office in 2022, and has over 30 years of experience. Prior to joining RWK Goodman, Derek ran one of the few successful international law practices outside of London.
Derek qualified as a Solicitor in 1988 and is an accredited member of the Law Society’s Family Law Advanced Panel specialising in International Child Abduction and Children Law.
He is on the Government’s International Child Abduction and Custody Unit’s list of recognised specialists and is registered on the Reunite Directory of Solicitors. Derek is a member of the Child Abduction Lawyers Association, CALA.
He is a member of Resolution and is trained and qualified in Collaborative Law.
Derek also has a strong practice dealing with financial matters after divorce or dissolution of Civil Partnerships. He is experienced in dealing with families with modest assets as well as those with considerably more. In the past he has represented a Minister of State, a former Chief of the Defence Staff as well as partners of multi-millionaires.
As a keen musician and filmmaker, Derek has a good understanding of those working in the creative industries.
Derek specialises in:
- Finances in separation
- International family law
- Collaborative law
Experience
Reported cases for 2021:
G v K [2021] EWHC 3240 (Fam) (03 December 2021)
K & Ors v K [2021] EWHC 1846 (Fam) (05 July 2021)
AB v CD (Abduction; Undertakings) [2021] EWHC 665 (Fam) (16 March 2021)
M (Children) (Abduction: Joinder of Children) [2021] EWHC 635 (Fam) (22 January 2021)
Recent Aberdeen University Law Society podcast on Derek’s legal journey >>
Memberships
- Accredited member of Law Society’s Family Law Advanced Panel
- Recognised Specialist in child abduction law with International Child Abduction Unit and Reunite Charity
- Qualified Collaborative Lawyer
Learn more about Derek's areas of expertise
"My years of experience have convinced me of the importance of trying whenever possible to secure non court-based resolution of disputes. A holistic approach to the problems families encounter is vital and whenever children are involved, they must always be the paramount consideration. Families may change shape and form but they remain families. My role is to help manage that change."
"Your advice to me during the difficult time of the separation and the court case about being confident and less defensive has been so helpful not only in my personal life, but for my career too, and for that you have my everlasting gratitude."
“Derek Parsons is a very experienced, very senior (30 years) Solicitor with a very well-demonstrated specialist expertise in international children’s work of all kinds. His track record includes numerous landmark cases, including in the fields of international enforcement and child abduction, reflecting an established excellence in this complex field.”
Complexities in family law - thinking outside the box
Is it time that we all started thinking outside the box?
How can families in need of support continue to seek resolutions when so much is changing around them? Is it time that we all started thinking outside the box?