Biography
I am a Partner working across the London and Cambridge offices.
I deal with a wide range of children and family matters, often with an international element.
I have particular experience in resolving complicated financial disputes, often involving nuptial settlements, off-shore assets and complex trust and company structures. My expertise also includes advising on asset preservation, cohabitation matters and pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements.
I also deal frequently with children matters and disputes, both domestic and international. I have particular experience in child relocation cases, both representing the parent seeking to relocate as well as defending the relocation application on behalf of the 'left behind' parent.
I strive to achieve the very best outcome for my clients and not only do I invest a lot of time into giving pragmatic advice and guidance, I also do everything I can to support my clients through what can be a very difficult period, including doing all I can to make myself available to meet their needs. I think that building a good client-lawyer relationship is essential, and I believe that the relationships I forge assist the positive progress of the case.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?
Helping people - I like to know that I have achieved the very best outcome for my clients, and that I have helped them through the process, whatever their case and/or personal challenges may have been.
What do you like about working at Irwin Mitchell?
The benefits of working as part of a large multi-disciplinary team are vast and not only am I consistently able to call upon the skills of my colleagues from other departments, but the firm’s environment also facilitates knowledge sharing, which means I get to give the very best service to my clients.
What do you do away from the office?
When I am not in the office I love making special memories with my young children, exploring the world through their very keen and curious eyes. As a mother of three, I am very understanding of the challenges of family life.
Testimonials
"Carmel is a sharp and intelligent partner to have on your side." - Chambers & Partners 2025 (Ranked - Band 3)
"When I deal with Carmel Brown, she is fantastic as are the other members of the team that I have dealt with."
'‘Carmel Brown is a standout partner and head of Cambridge team. She is a fantastic lawyer and has meticulous attention to detail as well as a personable nature.’
"Carmel Brown is an excellent partner with a wealth of experience and excellent people skills." - Legal 500, 2025
Carmel Brown is listed as a Leading Lawyer by Wiselaw
"Carmel's willingness to go over and above what is needed makes her stand out." - Chambers & Partners 2024 (Ranked - Band 2)
"Carmel Brown in particular went above and beyond to ensure all solutions were found and covered for my case. I cannot speak highly enough of her professionalism and the time she invested to ensure I got a positive result in a long challenging case due to circumstances out of our control. I would endorse Carmel’s work, her solution driven approach and her interpersonal skills to get the right outcome, she truly is an asset to the company." - Mr V, client
“At all times Carmel was prompt in her responses, extremely thorough and very clear. I felt that every question I had was satisfactorily answered and fully explained - and in our meetings Carmel would always make the time to ensure all my points were discussed. When I needed a response by a specific deadline Carmel would always deliver - if necessary working outside normal office hours. In conclusion, at the critical moment Carmel helped me achieve the outcome that I needed”. - Client
"Thank you very much for your kind email and words. You have been a real blessing for me on this emotional journey and your continuous support and meticulous, hard work has without question made it easier for me to stay strong. I truly cannot thank you enough. " - Client
"The main lawyer throughout the two years was Carmel Brown. Our experience of working with her was extremely good. She was very sympathetic and understanding of all the many issues my daughter raised, both over child custody issues and financial issues, but was always constructive and totally realistic in her responses." - Legal 500, 2022
"Absolutely excellent" - Legal 500, 2018/19
"Carmel Brown is ‘brilliant at helping clients through the challenges faced in financial remedy litigation’." - Legal 500, 2017
Publications
I frequently comment as a family law expert in various publications and the national press, including The Times, The Guardian, The Law Society Gazette, Private Client Adviser, as well as online news sites MSN and AOL:
In addition to this, I have written articles for various journals, including:
- “Restricted Assets” - Family Law Journal, December 2015/January 2016
- “How Secure is a Trust?” - Private Client Adviser, February 2016
