Surjit Verdi studied a Law and Psychology degree and completed the Legal Practice Course at De Montfort University in Leicester. Surjit qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and joined Pinney Talfourd as a Senior Associate in May 2023 from Palmers Solicitors, a legal 500 law firm, where she was a Partner and head of the family law department. Surjit was made a Partner on the 1st October 2025.
Surjit is recommended by Legal 500 2022.
Surjit has specialised in family law since qualification. She advises on divorce, civil partnership dissolution, complex and high value financial settlements which may include pension assets, business assets and assets outside the jurisdiction. Surjit also advises on cohabitation issues, separation agreements and pre and post nuptial agreements.
Surjit has a wealth of experience in dealing with children disputes including special guardianship orders.
Surjit has acted for clients from all walks of life including doctors, police officers, teachers, small business owners and many more.
Surjit prides herself on being approachable, knowledgeable, client-focused and a go to person. Surjit has built a strong reputation and much of her work comes through recommendations. Surjit can speak fluent Punjabi.
Surjit is a mentor to junior members of staff from other departments and is also involved in supervising junior members of the family team.
EXPERTISE
Surjit’s family law expertise covers:
- High Net Worth Divorce
- Domestic Abuse
- Divorce
- Cohabitation Agreements
- Civil Partnership Dissolution
- Children Act (application for parents)
- Children Act (application for grandparents)
- Separation Agreements
- Prenuptial / Pre-Civil Agreements
- Postnuptial / Post-Civil Agreements
- Mediation
- International Divorce
- Fixed Fee Family Services
- Finances Post Divorce
BADGES & AWARDS
Surjit has been accredited as a specialist member of Resolution with particular specialisms in advanced financial provision and private law children and is a member of the Law Society’s family law panel.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
On a personal note, in her spare time Surjit enjoys cooking, keeping fit and is kept busy by her two children.
Areas of expertise
Noteable achievements
- Reported case: Critchell v Critchell [2015]EWCA civ 436. Representing a Wife in financial remedy proceedings where a final order was made sharing the marital home. Within a month of the final order being made, husband’s father died leaving him an inheritance. The Wife appealed the original settlement on the basis that the husband’s inheritance was a Barder (unexpected) event. The Wife’s appeal was allowed on the basis that Husband no longer needed his share of the family home as he had received his inheritance. Husband sought to appeal the decision. The Husband’s appeal was dismissed.
- Representing a Wife in financial remedy proceedings involving assets exceeding £4m including residential and commercial property, a property in Italy and a family business. The proceedings also involved the parties son intervening in the proceedings.
- Representing a Husband in financial remedy proceedings involving assets exceeding £5m including residential property, business valuation and inheritance (and whether this should be included as part of the assets).
- Representing a Husband in financial remedy proceedings involving pension assets outside the jurisdiction (Malta) and the instruction of a legal representative in Malta to obtain an order, allowing the pension share to be implemented.
- Acting for a mother in a long running case in which there was serious domestic violence issues and the need to have a fact finding hearing.
- Acting for a father in an application for a Special Guardianship Order where Mother was seeking to home school the parties’ son. This subsequently led to enforcement proceedings.
- Preparing a prenuptial agreement involving assets exceeding £10m
- Preparing agreements for high new worth clients and advising recipients on drafted agreements and the fairness.
