Natalie is a partner in our highly successful divorce and family law team, helping clients on all aspects of family law, particularly, divorce, separation, financial settlements and associated issues concerning children arrangements.
Natalie is an accredited Resolution specialist in complex financial remedies and cohabitation which allows her to deal with even the most complicated situations. She is committed to adopting a non-confrontational approach and she aims to resolve issues amicably without going to court. However, if court proceedings are required, Natalie boasts a robust determination to secure the best outcome for her clients so that they can move on with their life.
Clients find her extremely approachable and she is known for her determination and ability to achieve the best results.
Natalie is a ‘Rising Star’ in The Legal 500 and ‘associate to watch’ in Chambers UK, the two leading guides to the best lawyers in the UK. She has also previously been recognised as one of the Citywealth’s Top 100 Private Client Lawyers.
Expertise
Natalie has extensive experience in the division of assets when couples separate, whether they are married, in a civil partnership or co-habiting. She represents a wide range of clients including, business owners, high profile and wealthy individuals and she regularly deals with mid-high value cases in divorce and financial matters.
She also assists individuals at the outset of their relationship and is experienced in preparing pre-nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements.
Natalie specialises in international relocation cases. She supports clients whether they are the parent seeking the court’s permission to permanently relocate the children to another country or the parent opposing relocation. She has a particular interest in representing parents locked into fraught and highly contentious child arrangement disputes.
She is a member of Jurismus, an international network of lawyers in Europe and Worldwide to assist with cross-border/Expat divorce and international children matters.
Natalie studied law at the University of Sheffield. She trained and worked in London for five years before moving to St Albans. She joined Debenhams Ottaway in 2016, was promoted to senior lawyer in 2021 and became a partner in 2023.
In Touch
Natalie is
- • an accredited Resolution specialist in complex financial remedies and cohabitation
• a member of Jurismus
• a member of Resolution and the Hertfordshire Law Society
-
Natalie Lester and Helen Clyne both do sterling work on some difficult and demanding cases.
Legal 500 UK 2023 -
Natalie Lester has been fantastic. I have found her so reassuring and knowledgeable. I’ve been confident throughout the process that she is working hard to achieve my desired outcomes with resolution at the heart of the decision making, all whilst giving very good advice.
Chambers and Partners 2022 -
Natalie Lester has been excellent as my divorce lawyer. She has been thoroughly professional throughout the process. I have found her to be very approachable and she has shared her expertise with compassion and warmth. Natalie was always resolution-focused and helped to keep perspective in the negotiations. I am very grateful for her help and advice and would not hesitate to recommend her.
The Legal 500 2022 -
Thank you again for all your support and help in this matter. Your professional, calm, structured and pragmatic manner was very much what I needed throughout the process.
Client -
I just want to say a very big thank you for your time, patience, help and support. You have made what was an unbearable situation over the last 15 months, bearable.
Client -
Thank you Natalie for your exceptional service, quick turnaround and continued support in this family matter.
Client -
Thank you again for all of your efforts in resolving my case. It was a really difficult time for me then, one of which I didn’t think would end. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am now without all of your hard work. Thank you.
-
I cannot thank you enough for all you have done. Your support, guidance, professionalism and all the rest has been invaluable in getting me through this. So, really thank you so much.
Client -
Thank you very much for your support through the last couple of years. I have appreciated your sage advice and even more your efficiency which has been such a boost for me. You made a difficult time in my life much easier than it could have been.
Client -
I want to thank you for all your work in this case and please note that I’d have no hesitation in introducing you to anyone who requests a talented lawyer.
Client -
I just wanted to say thank you for your assistance on my recent divorce proceedings. Extremely helpful, professional and I am very happy with the result. Thank you again.
Client -
Natalie was very personal, empathetic and understanding. I felt that she really cared through the difficult journey and had my best interests at heart whilst always maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Client -
Understanding, empathy and made sure that I understood everything.
Client -
Natalie Lester is excellent. She understands the psychology of cases very well and uses this to shape cases in ways that optimises client outcomes. It also helps her maintain excellent trusting relationships with difficult clients in difficult cases whilst at the same time ensuring that they are able to make fully-informed strategic decisions.
Legal 500 2024 -
Natalie Lester is incredibly dedicated, she listens to my points of view and provides sound and fair advice She is always calm and kind even under pressure and in difficult circumstances. I have no hesitation in recommending her to others seeking a family law solicitor.
Legal 500 2024 -
Natalie Lester is exceptional at looking at the bigger picture, linking seemingly separate matters together to ensure we have a holistic strategy to move forward with. I cannot recommend her highly enough
Legal 500 2024 -
I am impressed with Natalie Lester’s thoughtful and unflappable approach, her willingness to seek advice on difficult matters and her pragmatism. Natalie is intelligent, resourceful, practical and very able. Natalie deals with mediation professionally, carefully, calmly and ably and brings about a sensible compromise.
Legal 500 2024 -
Natalie is a very good team player and very keen to be forward-thinking in how a case will develop.
Chambers UK 2024 -
She is incredibly no-nonsense and is an effective litigator.
Chambers UK 2024 -
Natalie has been exceptional in her support and advice. She clearly sets out her guidance and my options, taking a holistic view of the circumstances to provide quality advice.
Chambers UK 2024 -
I have no hesitation in recommending Natalie to anyone going through divorce proceedings. She is patient, understanding, fair, practical and tenacious.
Chambers UK 2024
Natalie Lester's news
12 things for intended parents to consider before entering international surrogacy
In a recent Family Court decision, Z (Foreign Surrogacy) [2024] EWFC 304 , the judge provided crucial guidance for intended parents—particularly same-sex couples—seeking surrogacy arrangements abroad. The case involved a…
Read moreFinancial order on divorce – a cautionary tale
As family law and divorce lawyers, in a cost-of-living crisis we’re often asked by clients whether they actually need to go through the expense of getting a financial order on divorce…
Read moreHow to have a positive and legal surrogacy journey
Surrogacy is an increasingly popular option for couples and individuals who are unable to conceive a child of their own because of fertility issues, or because they are in a…
Read moreDebenhams Ottaway invests in its people – three senior lawyers promoted to partner
From 1 May 2023 Hertfordshire law firm Debenhams Ottaway welcomes three of its senior lawyers to the partnership: Natalie Lester (divorce and family law), Michael Kerrigan (employment law) and Barry…
Read moreThe Split season 3, episode 5: Freezing orders, saving relationships and second marriages
It’s another drama filled week in The Split. In this blog post, family and divorce lawyer Natalie Lester picks out some of the key storylines from episode 5 and shares…
Read more