Iwona Durlak

Senior Partner

Iwona Durlak is a highly regarded family law specialist and the Co-Founder and Senior Partner of IMD Solicitors LLP. She leads the firm’s individual client services, ensuring that every case is approached with precision, care, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of high-net-worth individuals facing complex family law matters. Iwona is dedicated to providing strategic, tailored legal solutions for clients dealing with intricate international family law issues, often involving substantial cross-border financial interests.

As an expert in international divorce, high-net-worth financial settlements, and cross-border child relocation, Iwona regularly advises clients whose marital assets span multiple jurisdictions. She has successfully represented entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals in high-value divorce proceedings, ensuring the protection of their wealth and financial interests. Her expertise extends to complex cases involving offshore assets, trusts, business valuations, and international enforcement of financial orders.

Iwona also has a strong track record in international child relocation disputes, representing clients in cases where one parent seeks to move a child abroad. She provides strategic advice to both parents looking to relocate with their children and those opposing international moves, ensuring that her clients’ rights and the child’s best interests are effectively safeguarded.

At the heart of Iwona’s practice is her commitment to delivering bespoke, discreet, and results-driven legal representation. She carefully selects her team for each case, collaborating with top-tier family law barristers and international legal experts to secure the best possible outcomes. Understanding the emotional and financial complexities of family law, she ensures that her clients receive first-class legal advice while navigating some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Leadership and Industry Recognition

Iwona’s leadership extends beyond her work with clients. Under her guidance, IMD Solicitors’ Family Law team was shortlisted for Law Firm of the Year at the prestigious LexisNexis Family Law Awards 2024, competing alongside some of the UK’s largest and most well-established firms. Her ability to build a high-performing team and implement innovative legal strategies has positioned IMD Solicitors as a leading firm for international family cases.

In 2025, Iwona’s achievements as a leader in the legal profession were further recognised when she was jointly awarded Managing Partner of the Year at the Modern Law Awards alongside Marcin Durlak. This accolade reflects her success in driving growth, fostering a progressive workplace culture, and redefining legal services for international families.

Further cementing her leadership in the legal industry, IMD Solicitors was included in the prestigious global Legal 500 ranking in the Family Law category as a “Firm to Watch” in the 2024 edition. This recognition highlights the firm’s growing reputation as a leading provider of international family law services, with a team that delivers exceptional legal expertise and client-focused solutions for high-net-worth individuals.

Beyond her role at IMD Solicitors, Iwona plays an active part in shaping family law in the UK. She serves as the Chair of the Family Law Committee at the Manchester Law Society, where she advocates for advancements in family law practice and supports legal professionals in navigating complex family law matters.

A Trusted Adviser to High-Net-Worth Individuals

Iwona is widely recognised as a leading international family lawyer in the UK, sought after by high-net-worth individuals dealing with sensitive, high-stakes family matters. She works with clients who:

Require expert legal representation in international divorce and complex financial settlements, often involving substantial assets, business interests, and offshore holdings.
Need strategic guidance in cross-border child relocation disputes, whether seeking to relocate a child abroad or opposing an international move.
Are navigating multi-jurisdictional family law matters, ensuring their legal and financial interests are protected in the UK and internationally.

With her meticulous, client-focused approach, Iwona provides the highest level of service, discretion, and legal expertise. Her deep understanding of international family law allows her to craft sophisticated legal strategies tailored to the complexities of global wealth and cross-border family dynamics.

Whether advising business leaders, entrepreneurs, or individuals with international ties, Iwona ensures that her clients’ rights and interests are protected at every stage, providing world-class legal representation in the most complex family law cases.

Example of cases Iwona dealt with:

F v F – Iwona acted for a German Husband in a complex financial remedy matter. H decided to instruct IMD Solicitors after he has lost trust in his previous solicitors and lost confidence that he can receive anything substantial as a result of the proceedings. Assets in this case were located in the UK (including a business of a value of around £15 million) and in Giblartar, Spain, Dubai, Poland. The overall value of assets was circa £25 million. The Husband was cut off from the matrimonial assets and lost control of the business initially set up by his family. The case involved instructing of various experts (business valuations, CGT reports, issues with enforcement of orders in foreign jurisdictions), and dealing with various applications including applications for orders to freeze assets, stop disposition of assets, joinder applications, and conduct issues. The case finished with equal division and the result exceeded Client’s expectations

L v L – Iwona was instructed on a complex international children matter by a Mother required by the orders of the UK courts to return the child to the UK. The Mother travelled with the child to Poland and following unsuccessful application to extend her stay there in August 2017, she decided not to return to the UK as the child disclosed sexual abuse by grandfather and the Father. In September 2018, the Polish court dismissed the father’s Hague Convention application for the child’s return on the basis of Article 13(b), a decision which the father appealed. In March 2019, the father applied to the UK High Court for a child return order pursuant to the procedure set out in Article 11(6) – (8) of the Brussels IIA Regulation. Regardless of the Father’s unsuccessful Hague convention application in Poland, the UK court ordered return of the child. Article 11 does not allow the court of the returning country much discretion. The Mother instructed IMD Solicitors to apply to discharge the orders of the UK Court for the return of the child. We managed to succeed with the application. We understand that not many applications for a return of the child were ever successful in the UK under Article 11 and potentially no applications to discharge such orders (that we did) were ever made as a consequence. We are currently awaiting decision on a further application for the transfer of jurisdiction to the Polish courts where mother resides with the child.

P v P – Iwona acted for the Respondent Husband in relation to the financial remedy proceedings in the UK. The parties had various assets in the UK and Romania consisting mainly of the portfolio of properties but conduct issues were raised by the Wife due to a business of the Husband over which she had lost control and her allegations of dissipation of assets. The value of assets excluding the business were in a region of £3 million.

G v P – Iwona represented a Spanish Mother in respect of an urgent application for a Child Arrangements Order and Specific Issue Order filed to ask for the relocation of the child to Spain after the return of the child to the UK under a Hague convection proceedings were lost by the Mother in Spain.
The mother was seeking an order for the relocation of the child back to Spain and an urgent interim Child Arrangements Order to provide for contact with the child pending the final order. We successfully argued that regardless of the return of the child to the UK under the Hague convention, the Mother should be allowed unsupervised overnight contact with the child. We were delighted to be able to secure Mother’s contact with the child for Christmas and the Mother said it was the best Christmas gift she could have wished for. The application for the relocation is pending.

K v K – Iwona acted in financial remedy proceedings for the Polish Wife. The matter’s complexity mainly comes from a dispute between the parties around a land in Poland, value of which was initially in dispute but then assessed by joint expert at about half a million pounds. The total assets in this case are estimated to be over £1 million. The land in Poland is a subject to contract with a third party and is being leased as a photovoltaic farm. The division of the land to achieve equal split of assets is complex due to the contract in place and plans for the future use of the land. Although currently the parties are awaiting a final hearing, efforts are made by both sides’ legal representatives to conclude with the aid of alternative dispute resolution.

S v V – Iwona currently represents the Father in Child Arrangements proceedings issued by the Mother in relation to variation of a UK order made further to various international proceedings.
The Father is an Italian National who has been living in France for the past 20 years and the Mother is a Lithuanian national. The child is now 11 years old and proceedings concerning the child have been ongoing in various Jurisdictions for the majority of the child`s life. Contested divorce proceedings including child arrangements took place in Monaco. French Court and Authorities were also involved and various proceedings were ongoing between parties since 2013 in France and Monaco.
Parties’ Divorce was pronounced in Monaco. In December 2020 the Mother submitted an application to relocate to England with the child, the relocation took place in June 2021.
Further to the relocation, the M lodged child arrangement order application to register the Monaco Judgement and vary the same in respect of contact between the Father and the child. Due to the parties’ mutual allegations and international elements, various authorities and courts have been involved in the case. At present, the proceedings in England are at early stages but the court had appointed the guardian. pending the outcome of the local authorities investigations and application for relocation back to Monaco will be considered by the Father.

R v O – Iwona acted pro bono and worked together with a law firm in Poland to ensure that the Costa Rican Mother regains access to her child. The Mother’s only child was abducted from the UK in 2014. The Mother was successful with the abduction case and the UK family courts ordered the return of the child. The orders were recognised in Poland but unfortunately due to various issues with the Mother’s immigration status and court’s delays in Poland, the orders were never enforced. The Mother was facing removal from the UK and prospects of never seeing her child again.

We have corresponded with various courts in Poland dealing with international abduction matters and we decided that an application for contact should be issued rather than any proceedings for further enforcement of the orders, as the Mother had not seen the child for around 7 years. At the same we secured the Mother’s stay in the UK making successful outside of immigration rules application to extend her stay. We now receive regular weekly photos from the Mother with her daughter, as face to face contact is taking place. We helped to secure an order of the Polish courts for the Mother to see the child regularly in person, whilst when she instructed us she was facing a prospect of never seeing her child again and being deported to Costa Rica.

Clients’ testimonials:

“Amazing Company Fair and open Charge Policy. Just had a complex divorce with a very challenging partner. IMD great team steered me out of the toxic situation with big success. Iwona Olex and Marcin are fair and very professional. Full hearted approach and extremely professional. IMD not the problem they are the SOLUTION to simple and complex legal problems. Top ranking. Very Grateful the best firm I ever deal with.”

“Wonderful prompt service couldn’t fault it on any level. Ms Iwona worked miracle providing us with everything within hours! Very friendly staff too made the whole experience exceptional. Thank you so much from the bottoms of our hearts. L & E”

“Working with Mrs Durlak and her assistants was really good. They were able to explain, advise, support and help to go through my difficult case. The end result was a win for us and this is what I am very grateful for. Full professionalism, excellent communication and support during the worst moments. Really recommend!!!”