PRACTICE AREACHILDREN - PRIVATE LAW

Our Chambers is renowned for its expertise in children private law cases. Our barristers have a wide range of experience in dealing with all areas of private law including:

• International child abduction,
• Applications for “live with” and “spend time” with child arrangement orders,
• Complex Children act cases including those involving parental alienation and intractable hostility
  (where the parent with the care of the child, and/or the subject child, is opposed to any form of contact between the child and the other parent),
• Cases where one or both of the parents raise allegations against the other of domestic abuse such as physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse or of controlling coercive behaviour, and where a fact find hearing may be required to determine the allegations,
• Cases involving substance misuse (drugs and or alcohol),
• Cases involving vulnerable clients including those with mental health
  difficulties which may require representation by the Official Solicitor or a litigation friend,
• Enforcement of such orders if they are breached,
• Applications for other section 8 children act orders, including prohibited steps and specific issues orders which may include the following:
  • Leave to permanently or temporarily remove the child from the jurisdiction,
  • Cases concerning disputes over the child’s religion, education, medical
    treatment including LGBTQ issues, parenting and surname.

Our barristers routinely represent parents and those with parental responsibility, including surrogates and and special guardians, grandparents and other family members, as well as the child via his/her appointed Guardian or separately via his/her Instructing Solicitor.

They regularly appear in all the levels of courts  from the lay justices up to the High court and appellate courts. Our barristers collaborate closely with their instructing solicitors upon each and every case and with the client to achieve the best outcome.

Our clerks consult carefully with solicitors to ensure the right barrister is allocated for each case. Our barristers also undertake direct access work in these areas.