Vardags

Vardags is a divorce and family law firm for high and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Alongside its family practice it handles reputation and privacy, corporate, commercial and civil litigation, criminal defense, fertility and surrogacy, wills and trusts and domestic abuse cases, and an in-house forensic financial team works on the money side of divorces. Its head office is at 10 Old Bailey in London, with offices in Cambridge, Manchester, Milan and Florence.

Ayesha Vardag founded the firm in 2005 and is its founder and president. Dr Stephen Bence is chief executive and David Lister is senior partner and head of London family. Vardag is the firm’s sole person with significant control, holding 75% or more of the shares, according to Companies House.

Revenue and fee earners up

Turnover rose from £18.3m to £21.2m in the year to 31 March 2025, according to Vardags Limited’s accounts at Companies House, and operating profit increased from £1.5m to £2.6m. The directors reported turnover growth of 15%, after 9% the year before.

The firm grew its legal team faster than its support functions. The average number of people employed, including directors, rose from 102 to 112, with fee earners up from 71 to 84 while non-fee earners went from 31 to 28. Wages and salaries rose from £7.4m to £9m.

A practice built on high-value divorce

Vardags acts for clients whose divorces involve substantial and often international assets. It pairs its lawyers with an in-house forensic financial team, led by former KPMG accountant Katharine Danby, and runs an international desk from London. Its offices in Milan and Florence extend the practice into Italy, and its Cambridge and Manchester offices serve clients outside the capital.

The firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 535955. For individuals going through a high-value divorce, it offers family lawyers and financial investigators under one roof. Its fee-earning headcount reached 84 in the year to March 2025.