Edward Cooke is a specialist family lawyer, an accredited mediator and a collaborative lawyer. 

Edward has a national reputation as a family lawyer, mediator and campaigner on family justice issues. In 2018, he won the prestigious John Cornwell award, a national award given by Resolution, the nationwide organisation of family law professionals for his outstanding work in supporting separating families.

From 2017 to 2023, he served as a Director and National Committee member at Resolution, and from 2020 to 2023, he was Chair of Resolution's Training and Learning Committee - a key strategic committee in the organisation responsible for strategy and development of training for family law professionals across the country. During his time in office, he spearheaded the development of Resolution's Diploma Training programme, which was launched at the 2023 Resolution National Conference.

Career history

After obtaining a degree in History at Bristol University, Edward attained his Post Graduate Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London.

Having started his legal career at leading London Magic Circle firm Slaughter and May, he decided instead to specialise in family law. After working for 18 years as a family lawyer in West Sussex and Hampshire, he founded Edward Cooke Family Law in 2018.

Building on previous recognition, Edward Cooke was again ranked as a Recommended Lawyer in The Legal 500, 2025 along with his fellow Directors, Michelle Lewis and Lauren Guy and Associate Solicitor Victoria Maxwell, and the firm is ranked as a leading firm for Family Law, Family Mediation and Client Satisfaction. The firm was also recognised in Chambers & Partners 2024, with Edward Cooke ranked in band 1 of Family Lawyers in the South as well as in the mediation (ADR) rankings.

Areas of work

Edward’s work as a family law solicitor encompasses all areas of family law, including divorce, financial issues, children work and cases involving unmarried couples and civil partners. Edward is also specially trained in our Consensus approach, helping couples approach separation in a collaborative way, using one lawyer. 

He has built a reputation as a leading specialist in the area. He not only has wide experience in dealing with the full range of family cases, but also regularly handles complex court cases involving substantial assets, trusts, farms and family businesses.

He writes articles for leading legal publications, including “Family Law” and Resolution’s “Review” magazine, and has been involved in a number of reported cases.

Edward believes firmly in the benefits of non-court resolution. He is an experienced and accredited family law mediator and collaborative lawyer and is also qualified to meet with children in the mediation process.

Regardless of whether he represents clients in court, through the collaborative process or in mediation, he always seeks to find solutions which are constructive, child-focused and fair.

Professional background

Edward was a founder member of the West Sussex branch of Resolution and has sat on its regional committee since it was established in 2002. Edward was a Director and National Committee member at Resolution for 6 years, from 2017 to 2023.

Edward is a member of the Law Society Family Law panel.

Edward is a former President of the Chichester and District Law Society.

Edward is a member of the Three Counties Family Law Group and the Chichester and South Downs Collaborative Pod, groups of collaborative family law professionals.

Awards

In March 2018, Edward was awarded a Chichester City Council Civic Award for services to the city of Chichester and, specifically, for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to the city in leading a campaign to keep court provision in Chichester.

As a result of this campaign, the government suspended the closure of the Chichester Combined Court until alternative court provision was opened in the city at East Pallant House in January 2019, sitting on a number of days each month. East Pallant House subsequently became the country's first "Nightingale court" in July 2020, sitting full time during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In April 2018, Edward was presented with the John Cornwell Award by Resolution, the family justice organisation.

Named after Resolution’s founder, the John Cornwell Award recognises a Resolution member who has gone above and beyond in his or her commitment to Resolution’s Code of Practice, to resolve issues in a non-confrontational manner and keep the interests of any children at heart.

In November 2023, Edward was named Family Law Partner of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2023. In January 2024, Edward was highly commended as Family Mediator of the Year 2024 at the British Family Law Awards. The firm was named Boutique Family Law Firm of the Year 2024. Edward was a finalist in the Resolution Awards 2024 for the Children's Champion Award. 

Edward and the firm have been shortlisted for several national and local awards, including:

Child Inclusive Mediator of the Year Award - National Mediation Awards (2024)
Children's Champion Award - Resolution Awards (2024)
Family Law Firm of the Year - South - Family Law Awards (2024)
Family Law Workplace of the Year - Family Law Awards (2024)
Best Place to Work - The British Family Law Awards (2024)
Employer of the Year Award - Chichester & Bognor Business Awards  (2024)
Family Law Partner of the Year - Family Law Awards (2023)
Children’s Champion Award - Resolution Awards (2023)
Child Inclusive Mediator of the Year Award - National Mediation Awards (2022)
Family Law Partner of the Year - Family Law Awards (2022)
Family Law Firm of the Year (South) - Family Law Awards (2022) 

Client & Professional Feedback

"I was extremely pleased with the effectiveness of your service and the way in which Edward was able to seamlessly manage my case to a successful conclusion."

"I cannot thank you enough Edward for all your hard work. I am so glad that I got in touch with you. I could not have completed this journey without you."

"Thank you so much for your time, patience and tolerance, Edward. I found your mediation to be extremely helpful, and your documentation for the basis of the financial settlement for the dissolution of our marriage reasonable, fair and equitable."

Chambers & Partners 2025

"Nobody embodies the spirit of ADR more than Edward. He lives and breathes mediation and rightly has a very high profile in this space."

"Edward provides an excellent level of service. He is knowledgeable, experienced and provides precisely the right sort of client support and management."

"Edward really goes above and beyond and is enormously supportive as a solicitor."

"Edward Cooke is a leading light for ADR work. He is good at coming up with creative solutions and is empathetic but knows his stuff."

"I can't sing his praises highly enough - he is extremely calm and reassuring with clients."

Legal 500 2025

‘"Edward Cooke is quite simply brilliant. He is really personable and clients trust him. He is, in addition, an extremely experienced mediator and will try to divert cases into a more amicable process if possible which is very valuable for clients."

"This is a justifiably award winning firm, led by a truly decent man in Edward Cooke. He has carefully chosen a team of specialist lawyers that are dominating this market. If you are going through the terrible stress of divorce proceedings, you will be well served by this firm of first rate family lawyers."

‘"Edward Cooke is fantastic to work with - extremely pleasant and bright. He is pragmatic and sensible and a joy to be instructed by."

"Great reputation and client care. Edward is go to Child Inclusive mediator, and as a team they are very collaboratively minded and supportive.’"

Chambers & Partners 2024

“He is committed and very dedicated to everything he does.”

“Edward Cooke is an impressive hybrid mediator. He is considerate and measured and achieves great results.”

“Edward's client service has been exceptionally good. It has been delivered professionally and with kindness. Edward's extraordinary level of technical knowledge and professional sophistication is immediately obvious in all dealings with him.”

Legal 500 2024

"Edward Cooke has incredible emotional intelligence, which combined with his legal expertise and pragmatism on difficult cases, make him stand head and shoulders above others in his area."

"The firm has a strong reputation for doing high quality work and providing a good service for family law clients, which stems primarily from Edward Cooke, who is the driving force. They take a constructive approach to resolving family law matters in the interests of the parties."

"I think Edward's City background combined with his focus on local issues makes him a go-to solicitor mediator in his area. His firm and team are excellent and always put the client first in my experience."

"Edward has built up a cutting edge practice which has made heads turn on the south coast and beyond. He is quite unique in that he has built a solid reputation in London as well as locally, and I know several leading family lawyers in London who refer their mediation and conflict work to him.  He continues to build up the team, which has grown great strength in depth."

Legal 500 2023

"Edward Cooke has become a name associated with excellence in a very short period of time since its founding. There is a dedication to the client and a professionalism with the service offered that is unmatched in the area.”

“Strong team in this family boutique firm that goes from strength to strength under the calm and capable Edward Cooke.”

“The thing I particularly like about Edward Cooke is that he really listened and understood what I wanted. He gave me really good advice, explained everything clearly and patiently to me. He gave me excellent advice and whilst he guided me in what approach to take, he also respected my views and what I did or did not want to do. We worked together to decide what approach to take in my divorce negotiations.”

“He has a real calm, reassuring style and clients really like having him in their camp.”

“He is known for high-quality work. Edward is the nicest and most down-to-earth person, but tenacious, driven and passionate about family law.”

Outside work

Edward grew up in Chichester. He enjoys all types of music, walking his golden retriever, running and spending time with his family.