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Call: 1992

Nicholas Sproull

Albion Chambers

Broad Street Bristol BS1 1DR

Email
  • Overview

    Nick has been a member of Albion Chambers for 32 years and is the Head of the Matrimonial Finance Team.  For each of the last 10 years both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 have ranked him in the highest band of leading practitioners in the South West.

    Nick is focussed on achieving the best outcomes for his clients, settling cases where that is possible and representing them robustly where it is not.

    Nick typically represents high net worth individuals, and his cases often involve the fairness of pre-nuptial agreements; family businesses, where issues may concern valuation, liquidity and tax; farms and landed estates; and cases concerning inherited assets, trusts, property portfolios and pensions.

    Nick also represents those who may not be as wealthy, but simply need the reassurance of being represented by one of the most experienced practitioners in the field.

    As well as appearing at every stage of the court process, Nick drafts pre-nuptial agreements and advises both in writing and in conference, and regularly attends round-table meetings and private FDRs.

    Nick’s practice is based in Bristol, but in the last 12 months he has appeared in courts as far afield as Truro, Swansea, Brighton and Chester.

    Nick has conducted several private FDRs as the judge, where he adopts a user-friendly no nonsense attitude and has a high success rate.

    Nick regularly writes articles, the most recent of which can be found here – Standish and its application so far

Nicholas Sproull

Recent cases

  • O v O – August 2024 – this was a three day final hearing in Coventry.  The issue in the case was whether or not a consent order should be set aside in circumstances where the wife had concealed from the husband negotiations for the sale of the family business which completed shortly after the order was made.  Nick represented the husband and the order was set aside.
  • F v B – July 2024 – this was a three day final hearing in Bristol before Her Honour Judge Cope.  The issues in the case concerned the health needs of both parties; the reasonableness of their retirement plans and the effect of those on the appropriate pension share; and the provenance of certain assets and whether they had been matrimonialised.
  • G v S – June 2024 – this was a two day final hearing in Truro.  This was a farming case where the issues concerned were the extent to which the farm was matrimonial, how to recognise the interests of other family members, and the value of the husband’s sharing claim, along with the level at which his needs should be met.
  • B v B – March 2024 – this was two day final hearing in Bristol.  The issues in the case included the valuation of a family business; the extent to which allowance should be made for it pre-dating the relationship; and the appropriate deduction to be made for tax, bearing in mind the method likely to be adopted for the extraction of funds to pay a lump sum.
  • W v W – April 2024 – this was a two day final hearing in London before Her Honour Judge Evans-Gordon.  The main issue in the case was the wife’s earning capacity and housing need, looked at in the light of the husband’s exceptionally high earnings.

Recommendations

“Nicholas is a powerful advocate who is authoritative, persuasive and measured. He has an excellent ability to deal with the most complex of cases.”

Legal 500 2025 

“Nicholas is a very reassuring person to have on your team; his advocacy is standout. He is a very calm and a very effective advocate.”

“Nick Sproull reads cases very well in terms of the outcome.”

Chambers and Partners 2024 

“Nicholas is a brilliant judge of a case who will fight in a very persuasive style if required but will always seek a fair settlement if it can be found. He is a go-to barrister in Bristol and the South West.”

Legal 500 2024

“Nicholas is amazing with clients; nothing is too much trouble.”

“Nicholas has huge amounts of gravitas in court advocacy and conduct before the court and clients alike.”

“Nick is my go-to counsel for complex cases. He is a commanding presence with strong presentational skills and a deft touch with clients.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“A methodical junior and a smooth operator. He remains calm under pressure and provides measured advice. A silk in the making.”

Legal 500 2023 

“Nick is an excellent advocate with a real presence and gravitas in court. Clients appreciate his down-to-earth and measured approach. He is quick to grasp the fundamental issues of a case which always puts him in good stead when in front of clients.”  “He is intelligent and has a gentle nature but extremely effective in court and in talking to clients.”
Chambers and Partners 2022

“An imperturbable barrister who has the court’s ear. With him you get silk quality representation without the silk price tag attached” “‘simply outstanding and provides enormous value to any case'”
Legal 500 2022

“Head of the matrimonial finance team, Nicholas Sproull is highly experienced acting for high net worth individuals in financial remedy matters. He offers considerable expertise in cases with a cross-border component. He is especially experienced on cases involving issues of non-disclosure and liquidity of assets.” “He has a wonderful way with clients and can get straight to the heart of the case quickly. He stays calm and collected under pressure and has a wonderful reputation.” “You know the preparation will be outstanding and his judgement spot-on.”
Chambers and Partners 2021

“Nick is very experienced and always calm, even in the most stressful of cases. He has the ability to cut through the detail and simplify a complex case, tailoring his approach to the Judge in front of you. Clients trust him and we work well as a team, he always asks my opinion and we hammer things out together which is good.”
Legal 500 2021

“Head of the matrimonial finance team, Nicholas Sproull is highly experienced in acting for high net worth individuals in financial remedy matters. He offers considerable expertise in cases with a cross-border component. He also assists with prenuptial agreements.” “He’s an effective advocate with a calm and confident manner, and grasps technical financial matters with ease. He also has a supportive manner with clients.” “He’s a very composed and persuasive advocate.”
Chambers and Partners 2020

“His attention to detail is incredible and his advocacy is absolutely first class. You have complete confidence that he has prepared thoroughly.” “A fantastic advocate who is really good with clients.”
Chambers and Partners 2019

“Practical and robust, with assiduous attention to detail.”
Legal 500 2019

“He offers considerable expertise in cases with a cross-country component.” “He is a highly regarded money specialist.” “He gives very considered advice and he is very eloquent in court.”
Chambers and Partners 2018

“A specialist in financial remedy matters.”
Legal 500 2017

“Highly experienced in acting for high net worth individuals on financial remedy matters.” “Amazing advocate, incredibly approachable for clients.” “Excellent with clients and a joy to watch in court. His attention to detail is second to none and he never fails to impress.”
Chambers and Partners 2017

Education

  • LLB Bristol

Professional memberships

  • Western Circuit
  • FLBA