10th December 2021

Getting to know…Kate Barber

From (almost) singing in the West End to cycling in south-east Asia – life is never dull for gin-loving Kate.

 

Tell us about your work?

I joined Thrings in the summer this year as a senior associate and primarily work alongside Sally Pike and Emily Gulliver in Romsey.

I’m a Resolution Accredited specialist in matrimonial finance and private children cases and have a healthy case load in terms of protecting wealth via pre-nups, cohabitation agreements, complicated / foreign assets and income structures. I am a collaboratively trained lawyer and member of the innovative HFLS group (Hampshire Family Legal Solutions) which is the first of its kind in this country joining separating couples with lawyers/ financial and family consultants together in one constructive team

Why did you decide to follow the career you are in now?

I’d dreamed of being a singer in the West End and very nearly made it, but I was told to get a proper job by my parents!

Having said this, I absolutely love my chosen niche, particularly helping clients through a difficult time and (hopefully) setting them on a path for the future. I have a healthy mix of traditional solicitor-led cases, court litigation and dispute resolution work. I also enjoy the less contentious side of prenups and protecting (usually inherited) wealth at the start of a relationship. There is certainly never a dull day in the office.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

As a mum to Greta (3) and Freddie (7), I have very little spare time. If I did, I would like to see more shows, drink Tarquin’s Gin and sing – usually in that order. I love all types of shows, from musicals and opera to rock. You may have even seen me at a Prodigy concert about 20 years ago!

Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known?

I once cycled across Vietnam and Cambodia to raise money for Genesis Research Trust, a charity dedicated to finding answers to miscarriage and pre-term birth. It was an all-women group including Fern Britton. I knew no one on the trip before I arrived at Heathrow but have now made lifelong friends. I even had a few cocktails in a Cambodian bar with the patron Professor Lord Wilson who flew out at the end to thank us all. The group, which raised a total of £120,000, was also invited to the House of Lords. It was an amazing experience and one which I hope to repeat in the future.

Do you have any hidden talents? If so, what?

I am a classically trained singer, having been singing since the age of eight. I still try and have a weekly singing lesson if I can (Covid permitting). I think it’s so important to have a hobby outside of our daily jobs, which can at times, be so mentally demanding.

Describe yourself in three words?

Determined. Nurturing. Loyal.

 

Find out more about Kate, visit her professional profile here.


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