Charmaine Hast

Spear’s Review

Wedlake Bell’s Charmaine Hast is a specialist in family law cases that have the potential to attract a lot of interest and often cross borders, but privacy is always paramount. ‘If it’s a particularly high-profile case, we pride ourselves on confidentiality during this stressful time and even take the client out through a separate entrance to avoid the press,’ she said.

Hast established the firm’s family department in 2011, and it has quickly gained an impressive reputation. ‘More than a few billionaires have come by with very complex cases,’ she added. Notable reported cases include Richardson v Richardson [1996], Armstrong v Armstrong [2003] and RW v RH [2019]. 

Hast is also one of a handful of family law arbitrators, allowing her to hand down binding judgments in financial matters. Her favourite part of the job? ‘Winning,’ she said.