Family

Members of the Team advise on the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, Inheritance Act proceedings and are happy to advise on and draft bespoke pre and post nuptial agreements.

Recent work has included:

• Army pensions and war pensions
• Analysis of pension actuarial reports
• High income and high capital long marriage cases
• Family trusts
• Cases with underlying serious health issues leading to departure from equality
• Health issues affecting future earning capacity

Family – Children

We are instructed by leading family law practitioners on a nationwide basis to act for clients in the most complex and sensitive of children cases.

Our team are experienced in cross-examining consultant paediatricians, child psychologists and other independent experts in cases of physical, and emotional harm.

Recent work has included long running cases concerning:

• Non-accidental injury – skull injuries and rib fractures in infants, extensive bruising and neglect cases requiring expert paediatric and/or psychological overview
• Abusive behaviour on social media
• Factitious induced illness
• Risk of female genital mutilation associated with intended travel abroad and police involvement
• Cases involving immigration law, non-accidental injury and the instruction of independent social workers with interpreters to conduct risk assessments of extended family members
• Parental alienating behaviours
• Coercive and controlling behaviour including financial control

Family – Child Abduction

Throughout Covid and since we have acted in a range of High Court child abduction cases where clients have taken children abroad or brought children into the UK without the consent of the other parent.

Our team has experience in representing clients in Hague and non-Hague convention cases involving interpreters in urgent hearings.

Family – Public Law

In public law matters, our members act for local authorities, parents, intervenors, and guardians.

These cases often require an excellent understanding of medical evidence and detailed cross-examination of multiple expert witnesses.

Such cases can involve:

• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Domestic abuse including coercive and controlling behaviour and financial control
• Emotional harm
• Neglect
• Sexual abuse
• Infant death and non-accidental injury

Family – Private Law

Our members are skilled in representing parties (that is, parents, children, intervenors and others) in applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Special Guardianship Orders, Declarations of Parentage, etc, often involving findings of fact and/or requiring separate representation for the child(ren), Rule 16.4 Guardians, the Official Solicitor, etc.

We also accept instructions for contested and interim hearings in applications for injunctions such as Non-Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders and Forced Marriage Protection Orders.

Court of Protection

We act for local authorities and other parties in this specialist court which makes specific decisions on behalf of people who lack the capacity to do for themselves.