Sarah Haren - 5 Stone Buildings
King's counsel

Sarah Haren KC

Call to Bar:1999

Appointment to Silk:2021

Legal 500 2020

"Outstanding intellectual ability but is also incredibly user-friendly, which is a rare combination – she has a great tactical mind."

Sarah Haren practises in a wide-range of Chancery work, both contentious and non-contentious. Her principal areas of practice are probate and the administration of estates, including family provision, trusts, taxation and related professional negligence and real property, in particular proprietary estoppel and beneficial ownership disputes.

Sarah co-authored the fifth edition of Partnership Law (Bloomsbury) with Mark Blackett-Ord.

She regularly appears in the Court of Protection as well as in the High Court and county courts.

5 Stone Buildings - brick wall
Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2020

"She is always very thoroughly prepared and has the ear of the court."

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2020

"She makes her points in a demonstrative and hard-hitting style."

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2020

"Extremely knowledgeable, down to earth and approachable in her style."

Legal 500 2020

"Gets a good feel for the case from the get-go and is good with clients pre-trial and during settlement negotiations."

Legal 500 2020

"Outstanding intellectual ability but is also incredibly user-friendly, which is a rare combination – she has a great tactical mind."

Chambers and Partners High Net Worth 2019

"Excellent advice on high-value and complex matter."

Chambers and Partners High Net Worth 2019

"She's a very understanding but fundamentally strong advocate - she's considered and has depth."

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2018

"A safe pair of hands who has an authoritative manner that reassures clients." Her practice covers a wide variety of both contentious and non-contentious chancery matters. She is praised for her advocacy skills, and one solicitor says: "She fought her corner well in a difficult interim hearing. She was very straightforward in her advocacy; she was sensible, measured and calm. But she was tough in court when needed and doesn't give up easily."

Chambers UK 2017 Court of Protection Property & Affairs

"She's very nice and has a good, commanding presence."

Legal 500 2016: Private Client: Trusts and Probate

"Good on forgery claims."

About Sarah Haren KC

Professional Reputation

Legal 500 2020

“Gets a good feel for the case from the get-go and is good with clients pre-trial and during settlement negotiations.”

“Outstanding intellectual ability but is also incredibly user-friendly, which is a rare combination – she has a great tactical mind.”

Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2020

“She is always very thoroughly prepared and has the ear of the court.”

“She makes her points in a demonstrative and hard-hitting style.”

“Extremely knowledgeable, down to earth and approachable in her style.”

“Very straightforward in her advocacy, sensible, measured and calm. She is tough when needed and doesn’t give up easily.”

“She has an authoritative manner that reassures clients.”

“An exceptionally gifted barrister.”

“She is sensible and pragmatic.”

Chambers and Partners High Net Worth 2019

“Excellent advice on high-value and complex matter.”

“She’s a very understanding but fundamentally strong advocate – she’s considered and has depth.”

Chambers UK 2018 – Juniors 

“She is proactive, gives pragmatic advice, and is a pleasure to work with.”

Legal 500 2017 – Trusts and Probate

“She is phenomenally clever. She really cuts through things, but is very practical and sensible in trying to resolve matters for her clients.”

Chambers UK 2017 – Chancery Traditional

“She’s very nice and has a good, commanding presence.”

Chambers UK 2017 – Court of Protection Property & Affairs

“Good on forgery claims”

Legal 500 2016 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

“She is really impressive, technically very good, quick and thorough. She is enormously impressive on her feet. She is very calm and measured.”

Chambers HNW 2016

“Incredibly bright and really has a handle on the more difficult issues.”

Legal 500 2015 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

“Brings substantial experience of trust taxation, wills and the 1975 Act to her well-regarded practice…provides clear concise advice… bright and very good on the details.”

Chambers UK 2015 – Traditional Chancery

“Stand-out junior…quick and clear… gets to the heart of matter…excellent on her feet.”

Chambers UK 2015 – Court of Protection Property and Affairs

“Superb understanding of the technical and academic aspects of the law.”

Legal 500 2014 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

“Calm, unruffled and quick; her documentation and advices are exemplars of clarity and consideration.”

Chambers UK – Traditional Chancery 2014

“Impresses with her pragmatism.”

Chambers UK – Court of Protection 2014

“Thorough.”

Legal 500 2013 – Private Client: Trusts and Probate

Contentious Estates and Trusts

Sarah is an expert in challenges to wills and claims under the Inheritance (Family and Dependents) Act 1975. She regularly acts and advises in relation to disputes about trusts and estates, including claims of breach of duty and claims to remove trustees and personal representatives. She advises on the construction of difficult trusts and wills and on their rectification, and has frequently appeared in proceedings where construction and rectification are in issue.

Her notable cases in this area include:

Akyuz v Akyuz [2017] EWHC 2726 (Fam) concerning whether the court should stay or dismiss a claim to parentage, where there were parallel proceedings in another jurisdiction where parentage was in issue.

Graham-York v (1) York and another [2015] EWCA Civ 72 – successfully appearing for the respondent in the Court of Appeal.  The appeal concerned the principles applicable to the quantification of beneficial interests under a constructive trust of the family home and the circumstances in which the burden of a mortgage may be thrown on the share of one co-owner by virtue of an equity of exoneration

Simon v Byford [2014] EWCA Civ 280 [2014] WTLR 1097 – probate claim involving issues of testamentary capacity and want of knowledge and approval. Sarah represented the claimant at the three-day trial ([2013] EWHC 1490 (Ch)) and (with Penelope Reed QC) in the Court of Appeal

Pullan v Wilson [2014] EWHC 126 (Ch) [2014] WTLR 669 – three-day High Court action defending a challenge to trustee remuneration

Wood v Gorbunova [2013] EWHC 1935 (Ch) (with Henry Legge QC) – concerning receivers’ right of indemnity from an estate

JSC Aeroflot v Berezovsky [2013] EWHC 1210 (Ch) (with Henry Legge QC) – concerning the appointment of receivers to protect and collect in the deceased’s estate

Bennett v Petit [2013] EWHC 988 (Ch) – three-day probate action, establishing that a testator knew and approved his will despite being illiterate

Gorbunova v Berezovsky [2013] EWHC 76 (Ch) (with Robert Anderson QC) – acting for the former partner of the deceased oligarch, resisting an application to discharge proprietary injunctions

TWM Trust Corporation Ltd v Attorney-General and others [2010] All ER D 139 – construction of gift in will to unincorporated association

Re Horley Town Football Club [2006] EWHC 2356 – construction of a gift to an unincorporated association.

Court of Protection

Sarah has a well-established reputation in relation to Court of Protection work and is recommended by the directories in this field. She accepts instructions on all aspects of property and affairs applications to the Court of Protection, including applications for statutory wills and gifts, and applications for the appointment or removal of deputies and attorneys. Her expertise in partnership and in capital taxation matters is often a particular asset in this field of her practice.

PBC v JMA [2018] EWCOP 19 acting for the Official Solicitor as litigation friend for P in this leading case authorising an application for a £7m gift for the purposes of IHT planning.

Real Property

Sarah is happy to accept instructions in relation to all sorts of real property disputes and has a particular interest in claims arising out of proprietary estoppel and disputes about the co-owned family home. She appeared in an important Court of Appeal decision about the quantification of beneficial interests under a constructive trust of the family home.

Graham-York v (1) York and another [2015] EWCA Civ 72 – successfully appearing for the respondent in the Court of Appeal.  The appeal concerned the principles applicable to the quantification of beneficial interests under a constructive trust of the family home an.d the circumstances in which the burden of a mortgage may be thrown on the share of one co-owner by virtue of an equity of exoneration

Professional Negligence

Professional negligence disputes which arise out of the drafting of wills and trusts and in relation to administration of estates and tax-planning form a significant part of Sarah’s practice.

Smales v Lea [2011] EWCA Civ 1325 [2012] PNLR 8 – acting for the successful respondent at first instance and in the Court of Appeal in establishing a limitation defense to a claim for professional fees.

Partnership

Sarah has a special interest in partnership matters and is a co-author with Mark Blackett-Ord of the 5th edition of Partnership Law, published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2015.

Tax

Sarah regularly advises in relation to inheritance tax and capital gains tax, both in relation to future planning and in relation to the consequences of past transactions.

Education and Qualifications

Sarah attended Oxford University, where she obtained a first class degree in Jurisprudence and a distinction in the BCL.

Professional Memberships

Sarah is a member of ACTAPS, the Association of Partnership Practitioners and the Chancery Bar Association.

Publications, Lecturing and Webinars

Sarah co-authored the sixth edition of Partnership Law (Bloomsbury) with Mark Blackett-Ord, published in 2020, volume 31 of Atkins’ Court Forms on Partnerships and Insolvency. She also contributed to volume 31 of the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents on Partnerships.

Sarah gives talks and writes on areas of her practice.  A list of the webinars she has done for 5 Stone Buildings is here.

On 22nd June 2020 Sarah Haren and Rose Fetherstonhaugh recorded a webinar titled – Taking accounts.  A copy of the recording is available to view at your convenience by clicking here.

On 7th August 2020 Sarah Haren and David Rees QC recorded a webinar titled – Litigation friends.  A copy of the recording is available to view at your convenience by clicking here. 

On 3rd November 2020 Sarah Haren took part in the 5 Stone Buildings Careers webinar. A copy of the recording is available to view at your convenience by clicking here. 

On 19th February 2021 Sarah Haren and Simon Douglas recorded a webinar titled – Tax issues that may  arise in private litigation. A copy of the recording is available to view at your convenience by clicking here. 

Privacy Notice

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