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Matthew is a partner at Le Gallais & Luce and is head of our Family Law and Litigation teams.
After qualifying as a collaborative family lawyer in 2008 and a Jersey Advocate in 2009, he joined Le Gallais & Luce in 2012, becoming a partner in 2014.
Matthew specialises in all areas of family law work, including complex matrimonial finance work, pre and postnuptial agreements and public and private children’s’ law matters. He aims to offer clear and pragmatic advice on relationship-generated issues and always seeks to find a sensitive and family-focused solution and promote alternative dispute resolution solutions wherever possible.
He is a member of the Jersey Family Law Association Committee and the Family Mediation Jersey Committee, is accredited to the Children’s Panel and frequently appears before the Royal Court.
E-v-F (Matrimonial) [2024]: Represented a party in complicated proceedings for the variation of contact arrangements and associated issues.
In the matter of YY (Secure Accommodation Order) [2024]: Represented the child in proceedings where the Minister sought a secure accommodation order. The child and mother contested the application and the Court agreed that the threshold for such an order was not passed at this stage.
In the matter of EE (various orders) [2023]: Represented the child in a case where the Royal Court approved the child’s placement at a bespoke residential home under its inherent jurisdiction. The proposed placement and regime was deemed necessary and proportionate in meeting the child’s needs, welfare, education. This was the first case in jersey where such an order was made.
U v W (Family) [2023]: Successfully represented the father in proceedings where he sought sole residence.
F v E (Matrimonial) [2021]: Successfully represented the father in children’s law proceedings where the mother was refusing to allow the child to have the MMR vaccine. The Court held that there was no reliable evidence that there was a medical contraindication to the child having the vaccine and a specific issue order was made for the MMR vaccinations to be had.
In the matter of CC (Recovery Order) [2022]: Represented the child in proceedings where a recovery under was sought, this being the first authority in Jersey to consider the use of recovery orders.
K v L (Matrimonial) [2020]: Represented the wife in proceedings where spousal maintenance and division of capital were contested.
Minister for Children and Housing v B (the mother) and NN [2020 (2) JLR 167]: Represented the mother in care proceedings where the court “found this a very difficult case and one that was demanding on an emotional level” however whilst the mother had made significant efforts to change her lifestyle, the Court held that she was not currently in a position to care for the child and further delay to see if she could provide suitable care was not in child’s best interests.
In the matter of Linda (Care proceedings) [2019]: Successfully represented the child in an appeal to the Court of Appeal against a decision of the Royal Court to approve an application for the Child to be placed outside Jersey.
E-v-F [2018 (2) JLR 42]: Successfully represented the father in proceedings where the mother applied to stay the proceedings in Jersey on the basis that England was a more appropriate forum. The Court concluding that the mother had not established that the stay was appropriate or shown that Jersey was not the natural or appropriate forum, or that there was another available forum which was clearly or distinctly more appropriate.