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Frank is a founding partner of Paradigm Family Law LLP. He is a dual qualified Solicitor in England & Wales and Rechtsanwalt in Germany. He is also a qualified Judge in Germany.
He has considerable expertise in international high profile or ‘big money’ financial relief cases with complex onshore or offshore business or company and trust structures. He dealt with cases including
- inherited or pre-acquired wealth issues,
- concealment or dissipation of assets and
- He regularly advises on difficult enforcement cases with international aspects.
His areas of specialism also include
- complex worldwide freezing orders,
- cases with pre-nuptial and separation agreements or Civil Partnership disputes.
Frank regularly receives referrals from his worldwide established and experienced international network in relation to foreign divorces or application brought pursuant to the MPFA 1984 Act. The referrals also include cases with a “forum shopping” element or contested international jurisdiction disputes.
He represents regularly clients in Schedule I Children Act 1989 cases with an international aspect and he acted for fathers or mothers in International Child Abduction Cases.
He appears regularly on Television / Radio / Newspaper like BBC One, ITV This Morning, CNBC, ABC News, VOX Media, FT, Forbes, LeFigaro, FAZ (Germany) etc.
Frank has been shortlisted as Jordan’s International Family Lawyer of the Year 2015.
He also has been described by Family Law QC’s and Deputy High Court Judge in London as
- “an excellent adviser and mentor to all his clients” and
- with a “great eye both for detail and for the bigger picture, and gives the rounded service which is absolutely necessary in this sphere of practice”
He is also a member of the
- International Bar Association,
- International Society of Family Law,
- Re United,
- the German Bar at the Federal Court in Celle (“Oberlandesgericht Celle”) and
- the Family Mediator Association.
Publications
For a summary of his publications please look at his Linkedin Profile
Testimonials
“Frank, I am enormously appreciative of your support, truly, you are ‘one of the good ones’!! ” (client, Dubai)
“Absolutely tremendous service. Handled a rather convoluted international law case on my behalf. Very knowledgeable, professional and importantly human. Thank you Frank for all your help” (William, Scotland)
“Frank Arndt, was a consistent, honest, professional who enabled me to have the courage to be me for the first time in my marriage. I feel very lucky that he was referred to me through a very close friend.” (Karen, England)
“From my very first telephone conversation with Frank Arndt in a difficult international divorce case to finishing my case, Frank was personable, informative, reassuring, and professional… highly recommended.” (Andreas, Tokyo)
Recent notable cases:
MB v TB (Rev 2) [2018] EWHC 2035 (Fam) : The court had to decide whether the English or German court was first seised in circumstances where W had initially not validly served the divorce petition on H and H then served his petition (“Scheidungsantrag”) in Germany during the subsequent period. H’s legal team, Tim Amos QC (QEB) and Mark Harper, Hughes Fowler Carruthers (HFC) , failed to convince his Lordship that there had been an abuse of process on the part of the W after H claimed that she had issued her petition simply to secure the English jurisdiction in the event that a divorce was needed and in fact the marriage had not at that time irretrievably broken down. High Court Judge William ruled that H had known about W’s petition before it was validly served and before he issued his own petition and that the English court had jurisdiction.
Harris v Harris [2018] EWHC 1836 (Fam) (03 July 2018) : The husband’s appeal against the way in which outstanding spousal maintenance should be capitalised was allowed on the grounds that the judge had double counted (interest and penalty payment). The husband’s further grounds for appeal relating to the tax payable on the sums were dismissed.
E v E (Art 19 and Art 16 BII rev.) [2015] EWHC 3742 (Fam): Judgement concerning the relationship between Art. 16 (Court first seised) and Art 19 (lis pendens) of Brussels II revised. Specifically, whether a Court should simply “decline” jurisdiction, or do so by way of “dismissing” in the light of the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“the CJEU”) in A v B case C-489/14, 6th October 2015.
Jefferson v O’Connor [2014] EWCA Civ 38 (28 January 2014): Appeal hearing regarding a jurisdiction issue involving Art 3, 12, 16 and 19 Council Regulation (EC) No.2201/2003 (Brussels II Revised) and Paragraph 9 Schedule 1 Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act “DMPA”.
Lothschutz v Vogel [2014] EWHC 473 (QB) (24 January 2014) : Application by H for costs orders to be set aside after a European Enforcement Order Certificate in relation to maintenance was rescinded by the German notary.
K v K (Ancillary Relief: Deed of Appointment) [2007] EWHC 3485 (Fam) [2009] 2 FLR 936: Judgment concerning the question whether or not a non-nuptial settlement can become a nuptial one.
