Elaine Sum is a matrimonial and family lawyer with over 18 years of experience.  She deals with a full spectrum of matrimonial matters involving divorce, contentious and non-contentious financial issues, third party’s interests in assets in dispute, and custody, care and control, access, maintenance of children born in and out of wedlock.

In the early years of her legal career, Elaine handled general civil litigation matters such as trust, contractual and employment disputes. This experience allows her to assist her matrimonial clients with wider perspectives.  In 2013, Elaine was trained as a Collaborative Practitioner.  She has been included on the Recommended List of the Doyle’s Guide Leading Family & Divorce Lawyer Rankings – Hong Kong, 2022.

Elaine’s prior work experience in the banking industry and a Hong Kong listed company informs her work on matrimonial cases which involve complex company structures and diverse composition of assets/ liabilities.

It is Elaine’s firm belief that finding practical solutions within the legal framework for clients is important to help them and the children of the family to move forward with their lives.

In addition to the above, Elaine is fluent in Cantonese, Putonghua and English.  She also speaks Indonesian and the dialect of Hakka and understands the dialect of Shanghainese.

Experience highlights

• Represented a client in facing claims made by the other party involving dynastic overseas trusts.
• Represented several clients in resisting “Crossley” applications for setting aside settlement agreements/ orders by consent.
• Acted for a high net worth client whose family assets comprised of shares in a listed company, trust, landed properties in Hong Kong and in the Mainland.
• Represented a client in a matrimonial matter involving shareholders’ disputes in a listed company, employment disputes, and beneficial ownership disputes in a luxurious property.
• Acted for a client in a divorce case where the parties were engaged in heated arguments concerning inheritance.
• Represented a client in a divorce litigation which involved jurisdiction disputes in Hong Kong and the Mainland, and subsequently assisted the client in opposing ancillary relief claims after divorce in the Mainland.
• Acted for a party whose former spouse sought to set aside an Order made by Consent in a divorce case.
• Assisted in advising a wealthy client in contentious divorce proceedings which involved parallel litigation in Hong Kong and Singapore; and substantial assets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and the USA.
• Acted for a party in divorce proceedings who held assets on trust for a third party and who constantly encountered difficulties in access with the child of the family.
• Represented a client in a matrimonial matter which involved child abuse by the other party and issues including the appointments of psychologist and immigration experts.