Russell Cooke Kingston Upon Thames

About Maria

Maria specialises in all aspects of private family law including divorce, financial disputes, pre and post nuptial agreements and children matters

Maria is a member of Resolution and whilst she is committed to resolving matters outside of the court process where possible, she is also experienced in advising clients through contested litigation and other alternative dispute resolution processes. 

Maria seeks to adopt a pragmatic approach to her cases, helping clients to identify the right process for them in order to resolve their case in their best interests and as expeditiously and cost effectively as possible.

Maria trained and subsequently qualified into boutique family law firms where she worked on complex financial matters, nuptial agreements and disputes between parents. Maria qualified in August 2021 and joined Russell-Cooke in June 2023.

Experience

  • Assisted on financial remedy proceedings which had an international element with complex business structures and overseas assets.
  • Assisted on financial remedy proceedings where there is a jurisdiction dispute.

Education and Qualification

  • Read English at Nottingham University
  • Studied the Graduate Diploma in law and accelerated Legal Practice Course at BPP University.

Memberships

  • A member of Resolution, an organisation of family lawyers focused on achieving family and child focused resolutions to disputes, and Young Resolution.

Maria's highlights

News

16.09.2025

“Listen, learn, and lean in”: how to get the best out of difficult conversations

Recent amendments to the Family Procedure Rules widened the definition of non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) to include arbitration, collaborative law and...
Hannah Field, Partner in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team.
Hannah Field
4 min Read
News

15.09.2025

Russell-Cooke announces three legal assistants completing QWE towards qualification

Russell-Cooke has announced that three of its legal assistants are starting their Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) with the firm as part...
Ella Barker, Legal assistant in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, personal injury and medical negligence team. Molly Lockhart, legal assistant in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team. Oliver Ward, legal assistant in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, corporate and commercial team.
Multiple Authors
1 min Read
Ella Barker, Molly Lockhart, Oliver Ward
News

10.09.2025

Disability discrimination—how schools can get it wrong

Legal assistant Zarhine Rajabalee explains the two most common types of disability discrimination claims brought against schools...
Zarhine Rajabalee, Legal assistant in the Russell-Cooke Solicitors, family and children team.
Zarhine Rajabalee
2 min Read
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