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Family: Children And Domestic Violence

Broadway House Chambers
Crown Chambers
Dere Street Barristers
Park Square Barristers Ltd.
Parklane Plowden
Spire Barristers

Leading Silks

Gillian Irving KC  - 15 Winckley Square
Taryn Lee KC – Spire Barristers ‘Taryn is an experienced and exceptional silk; one of the key qualities of a silk is their ability to master paperwork at short notice and also place their junior at ease, and Taryn is excellent in both of these areas. Taryn has an in depth knowledge of the law and medicine that she is able to expertly weave into her cross-examination.'
Joseph O'Brien KC - St John's Buildings
Jacqueline Thomas KC – Spire Barristers ‘Jacqueline is a go-to silk; she is knowledgeable, calm and fierce when she needs to be, she is meticulous in her preparation and her cross-examination skills are exceptional. Jacqueline has brilliant client care skills and is able to build an excellent rapport with clients and has the respect of the court, and her grasp of the law is extensive and detailed and she is a published author too.'
June Venters KC - KBW 'June is an outstanding advocate who is thoroughly committed to every case she is involved in. Her clients receive her absolute attention, she works extremely hard to get results, and she prepares meticulously, which means she always knows her briefs inside out.'
Charlotte Worsley KC – Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘Charlotte is an excellent leader and communicator, and easily builds a rapport with clients both lay and professional, and garners trust. Advocacy is fluent, precise and clearly shows extensive preparation.'

2025 Silks

Naomi Madderson KC – Crown Chambers ‘Naomi is a fantastic advocate of the highest calibre (as reflected in her award of King's Counsel this year).  She is forensically brilliant, focusses in on the key issues and argues her case in a very persuasive way, and her submissions are articulate, well formulated and structured.'

Leading Juniors

1
Marisa Allman – The 36 Group 'Marisa is the archetypal iron fist in a velvet glove; her soft tones deliver a quick intellect and sharp advocacy style that gets to the core issues and appeals to judges and clients alike. She quickly understands complex issues and absorbs vast quantities of information, giving a client absolute confidence and reassurance in the case.'
Sara Anning – Parklane Plowden
Tim Donnelly – Dere Street Barristers ‘Tim is outstanding in his field, he is a tenacious and highly respected advocate, and his advocacy style is exceptional, as he is clear and concise and always meticulously well-prepared. Tim is excellent to work with and goes beyond that which is expected to achieve the best outcome for his clients.'
Justin Gray – Trinity Chambers ‘Justin is the sharpest barrister on circuit with a super brain on all matters relating to jurisdiction and a go-to for any children case with an international element. He is silk material and he is excellent at explaining incredibly complex jurisdictional issues in a way that is easily understandable.’
Iain Hutchinson – Parklane Plowden ‘Iain is an extremely approachable barrister with excellent communication skills and an adept ability to get to the core of the issue.  He is always well prepared, is an excellent advocate, and he has a kind and caring manner and ensures that the case remains child focused.'
Karen Lennon – Park Square Barristers Ltd.
Manisha Marwaha – KBW ‘Manisha is always extremely thorough in her approach and her diligent preparation enables the smooth running of even the most complex cases. She is calm and enduringly respectful with other representatives, she is able to carefully and confidently steer a case through advocacy, and she is both determined and eloquent as an advocate.'
Louise McCallum – Parklane Plowden ‘Louise is a formidable advocate who has excellent attention to detail and is quick on her feet.  Louise is very empathetic and understanding on really complex matters whilst commanding respect of her peers and getting great results for clients.'
Christopher McKee – Dere Street Barristers ‘Christopher's preparation work is exceptional and thorough, and this continues throughout a case with no stone being left unturned in respect of both legal arguments and evidence. Chris is friendly and approachable to both legal services and the relevant client, a lot of time is taken in his practice to explore the views and position of clients to advise them accordingly, and in terms of advocacy, Chris adopts a calm, convincing and steady approach whilst quickly addressing the main issues within the case.'
Pauline Moulder – Dere Street Barristers ‘Pauline's knowledge is vast and she has a keen eye for detail. She is a fierce advocate, with an authoritative style, and she will go the extra mile in her preparation and instils great confidence.'
David Orbaum – Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘David is a well-established barrister who gets on with his case efficiently. He is an effective advocate.'
Natalia Perrett – Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘Natalia is exceptional at dealing with clients who are vulnerable and she has a good balance of being clear but compassionate in her advice. She is a skilled advocate who is well prepared, well researched and meticulous in her planning of every case.’
Semaab Shaikh – Broadway House Chambers ‘Semaab is excellent. She is very calm under pressure despite dealing with challenging and difficult clients, she is technically excellent, and she is excellent when cross-examining.'
Alex Taylor – Parklane Plowden
2
Roger Bickerdike – Broadway House Chambers
Gavin Button – Wilberforce Barristers 'Gavin's paperwork is always done to a high standard and he has a good grasp of procedure in public law cases along with a good knowledge of case law. He has a style of advocacy which is well suited to family law proceedings.'
Elizabeth Callaghan – Dere Street Barristers ‘Elizabeth is always thoroughly prepared, is forensic in her cross-examination and has excellent client skills. Added to that she is a pleasure to work with on cases as she is helpful, communicative and supportive.'
Justine Cole – St John’s Buildings
Brett Davies – Spire Barristers 'Brett has extensive experience of children law, and is always very well prepared. He has an excellent understanding of the workings of the local authority and is effective in holding the statutory bodies to account.'
Daniel Foster – 33 Bedford Row
Clare Garnham – Parklane Plowden
Marie Harbin – Spire Barristers ‘Marie is an extremely hard working, meticulous and diligent barrister. It is always a pleasure to work with her and the clients are invariably reassured by her extremely professional, approachable and knowledgeable nature.'
James Hargan – Park Square Barristers Ltd.
Joanna Hawkett – Crown Chambers ‘Joanna is an extremely capable advocate in all areas. Her case management documents and skeleton arguments are well thought through and presented, she is a very competent advocate, and she engages with each of the complainants and enables them to give their best evidence.'
Zira Hussain – Broadway House Chambers ‘Zira's strengths are her attention to detail, keeping calm when discussions and advocacy becomes heated and reassuring clients as to what the key issues in the case are. She supports both the client and solicitor in difficult cases, and is on hand both before and after a hearing.'
Joanne Jenkins – Wilberforce Barristers 'Joanne is well-versed in the law with excellent interpersonal skills, attention to details and strong advocacy. She is very articulate and presents very well reasoned arguments resulting in positive outcomes.'
Natalia Levine – St John’s Buildings ‘Natalia is a standout barrister for private law children cases. She is a fierce advocate and will argue her client's case, she is tenacious, and she provides sensible and robust advice to clients from the outset and gives realistic expectations from the start.'
Huw Lippiatt – Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘Huw's knowledge and experience assists his instructing solicitors as much as it does his lay clients. He is a solutions-based practitioner who has advised on many complex cases.'
Elizabeth Lugg – Dere Street Barristers 'Elizabeth is a very experienced barrister who is great to work alongside.'
Julia Nelson – Parklane Plowden ‘Julia is a very experienced barrister and she is at her best in complex children law matters, often bringing lots of energy and experience to the table to find solutions. Judges listen to her views because she has seen and done it all, and she works very hard and dynamically to get the very best result possible for the client.'
Reagan Persaud – Spire Barristers ‘Reagan is often the first choice for instruction in difficult or unusual matters. Reagan is searingly intelligent, hard-working and dedicated to providing an exceptional service to clients, her advocacy is excellent, calm and confident, and she is robust and pulls no punches in her advice.’
Ravinder Randhawa – Dere Street Barristers
Ruth Richards – KCH Garden Square
Jennie Smith – Dere Street Barristers ‘Jennie is an incredibly safe pair of hands for even the most of complex of cases. She is diligent in her preparation of a case and is able to translate the information from the documents filed to the discussions with the client with ease, her advocacy skills are exceptional, balancing the need to put across the clients case with the need to act with a collaborative approach to further the common aim of establishing what is in the child's best interests, and she can readily identify what is required to progress a case whilst managing expectations.'
Kate Spence – St John’s Buildings ‘Kate is very thorough and well prepared in all of her cases. She is very knowledgeable and approachable, she responds quickly, and her advice is excellent.'
Valerie Sterling – New Park Court Chambers 'Valerie is extremely knowledgable and always wiling to share that knowledge to assist a case, sometimes offering opinions pro-bono on particularly complex matters. Valerie is also very good at dealing with vulnerable clients and explaining things to them in ways they will understand and she also hits the perfect balance between being professional and sympathetic.’
Christopher Styles – Broadway House Chambers ‘Christopher is a thorough and highly capable advocate, and an effective forensic cross-examiner. His knowledge of the law places him on a higher plane than almost all other practitioners which means his skeleton arguments are often highly persuasive, and he is very impressive.'
Guy Swiffen – Broadway House Chambers ‘Guy is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to what he does. He brings to every matter a wealth of information and expertise, he is methodical when it comes to prep, approachable, knowledgeable, and he is heard and respected in court by his peers and the judiciary.'
Emily Ward – Broadway House Chambers ‘Emily is simply brilliant with a fantastic understanding of the law and how it should be implemented. She displays a tremendous empathy to clients and can easily stand her ground against the most experienced of barristers.'
Dornier Whittaker – Broadway House Chambers ‘Dornier is without a doubt one of the most tenacious and skilled advocates on circuit; she has the ability to work with often anxious and difficult client, making them feel at ease, while offering them frank and honest advice, which is a difficult skill to master and she can do this with ease. Dornier is able to think outside the box, suggesting resolutions which other advocates would not consider, and as well as her personal skills and advocacy, she has a wealth of knowledge in the area of the law, using that knowledge to the best of her ability and adapting that knowledge to each clients needs, while being frank and honest about the likely outcome.'
Simon Wilkinson – Parklane Plowden ‘Simon is great with clients; he puts them at ease straight away, explains the law clearly, has a quick and detailed knowledge of the facts of a case and presents to a client with knowledge and empathy. The rapport he builds with clients encourages them to quickly trust him and for them to accept, what might often, be difficult advice to hear.'
3
Olivia Bennyworth – Crown Chambers
Emily Chipchase – Parklane Plowden
Beatrice Dawson – Dere Street Barristers ‘Beatrice is a confident, strong and a persuasive advocate in the court room. She is very helpful and knowledgeable in complex care matters.’
Ami Dodd – Dere Street Barristers ‘Ami is an excellent advocate with attention to detail and a lateral perspective. She has significant experience both at the family Bar, but also having been a CPS prosecutor, and so, has a both lateral and decisive approach to evidence, and is able to navigate for clients’ best interests those two areas of complex law, where the same issues can have significant impact on clients lives, both in respect of their children and liberty.’
Lewis Donnelly  – 15 Winckley Square
Sarah Fearon – Crown Chambers 'Sarah is compassionate in conference, yet a fierce advocate in court. She is excellent and able to switch seamlessly from explaining matters in a way the client can understand, to making lengthy submissions backed with legal argument.'
Kate Fenwick – Trinity Chambers 'Kate is always well prepared and whilst she is extremely intelligent is also very much a kind and approachable advocate. She is always a pleasure to work alongside.'
Nathaniel Garner – Parklane Plowden ‘Nathaniel's attention to detail is second-to-none, he constantly impresses with his ability to absorb a complex case immediately, as if he was working on that case since day one, and his advocacy is phenomenal. He has the ability to extract the key information from even the most hostile of professional witnesses and put a client's case across in the manner the judge needs to see, rather than something performative.'
James Goodwin - Spire Barristers 'James has extensive knowledge of all aspects of family law, he is very good with challenging and vulnerable clients, and he has an excellent command of the court and is very well regarded by opponents and the judiciary. James's input and cross-examination abilities frequently change the outcome of cases, he works tirelessly in putting his clients case and can robustly address any judicial interventions, and his written advocacy is also of a very high quality and he can craft persuasive written arguments.'
Gaynor Hall – Crown Chambers
Helen Hendry - Park Square Barristers 'Helen is brilliant with clients. She provides realistic advice and gains their trust, and this helps her achieve the best result she can for the most difficult of clients.'
David Horne – Bank House Chambers 'David is assiduous in his preparation and always has an in-depth and forensic knowledge of his case and his papers. His advocacy is focused, highly articulate and assured. He has a very calm and reassuring court presence even in the most pressured of situations and displays excellent judgement and persuasiveness.'
Rachael Hughes – St John’s Buildings
Harriet Jones – St John’s Buildings ‘Harriet is a great advocate and is empathetic to vulnerable clients.  She is able to explain proceedings to the client in layman's terms, and ensures they understand, and if the instructing solicitor is not present, she updates them as soon as she can, and provides a comprehensive attendance note.'
Richard Lee – Wilberforce Barristers ‘Richard is very knowledgeable, always on top of the papers and the law, and he wins cases with his knowledge. Clients really like Richard and feel very safe in his hands.’
Ashley Lord – Spire Barristers ‘Ashley is an impressive advocate, maintaining an authoritative and courteous manner throughout emotionally charged legal discussions and complex advocacy. He is technically sharp and provides effective advice to effect problem solving between parties, and he is very pleasant to have as an opponent, even in the most acrimonious of battles.'
Rebecca Musgrove - Parklane Plowden 'Rebecca is exceptionally hard working, she takes complete ownership of complex cases, and she is practical and sensible in her approach. She is a go-to counsel when the case is complex as you know she will take control and navigate a solution, and she is simply superb.'
Andrew Pike – Dere Street Barristers ‘Andrew is a very confident advocate who has great attention to detail. Andrew is able to review the full picture of the case and provide very clear advocacy.'
Connie Purdy – Spire Barristers ‘Connie is first and foremost, prepared for everything; if a point arises before a hearing, expect a written skeleton argument filed without waiting for the court's invitation: she seizes the initiative to get her client's foot in the door first. Connie is very bright, easy-going and a strong team player, and is good at dealing with people no matter their background.'
Tory Putnam – Trinity Chambers 'Tory is exceptional and her ability to provide sound advice against a need to be understanding and be supportive is nothing short of excellent. Tory is a leading junior in the Northeast and a strong go-to when instructing counsel in this area of law.'
Jayne Pye – Broadway House Chambers
Emily Reed – Park Square Barristers ‘Emily is a very empathetic person who relates well to the client whilst at the same time tells them the reality of their situation, even when it is unpalatable, in a clear and supportive manner. She is very well prepared and courteous but firm when acting as an advocate.'
Elizabeth Shaw – Spire Barristers
Louise Stanbury – St John’s Buildings
Penelope Stanistreet-Keen – St John’s Buildings ‘Penelope is a very experienced and very knowledgeable family law barrister, particularly in the field of children's proceedings. She is always very well prepared and is measured and sensible in her advice and dealing with cases, and she is an excellent advocate and all the judges in the area really respect her and put a lot of weight on what she says in court.'
Francesca Steels – Crown Chambers ‘Francesca is hard working with excellent attention to detail.'
Margaret Sweeting – Trinity Chambers 'Margaret is a tenacious and robust advocate who is always well prepared and has a detailed knowledge of the papers, which always comes through when she is advocating on behalf of her clients. Margaret has a brilliant manner with clients, she is realistic and pragmatic and clients always respond well to her style and approach.'
Charlotte Wilce – Parklane Plowden ‘Charlotte is exceptionally thorough and well-prepared for all cases. Her written legal arguments are just as impressive as her advocacy, and she is unflappable and presents her cases in a knowledgeable and persuasive manner.'
4
Maxine Best – Parklane Plowden
Hannah Bramley – 33 Bedford Row 'Hannah is an effective communicator, very supportive of vulnerable clients, and ensures that their voice is heard in the court room. Strong written submissions supplement Hannah's advocacy and it is always a pleasure to be in a case with Hannah, even as an opponent, as she is able to assert her client's case without becoming antagonistic.'
Eleanor Fry – New Park Court Chambers
Victoria Hajba-Ward - Dere Street Barristers 'Victoria has the instinctive inquisitorial ability required of a barrister.  She navigates conferences and contested hearings with the clear authority that both clients and colleagues alike respect and appreciate, and she is tenacious, honest and sympathetic in her conduct of cases for clients.'
Georgina Hey - Dere Street Barristers 'Georgina is keen and diligent in her preparation, she easily gets clients on side, and she is great in cross-examination, putting the witness at ease and then putting the necessary difficult questions to them. She is not fazed and rises to the challenge well.'
Phillipa Hildyard – Park Square Barristers Ltd. 'Phillipa has very strong rapport with clients and gives clear and concise advise. She is sympathetic and understanding with clients, very approachable and helpful to work alongside on cases, and she is a highly skilled advocate who is extremely well prepared in court with concise, focused and effective cross-examination.'
Sarah Hopkinson  – KBW ‘Sarah has a very attractive advocacy style that is persuasive and reasoned, whilst remaining true to her client’s instructions. She is always clear and concise, makes good points and fights her client’s corner.’
Alyssa Howard - Broadway House Chambers 'Alyssa is an amazingly caring barrister and she really listens and shows great empathy whilst being very clear and concise. She makes herself available and is flexible in order to be able to give her clients the best outcome, and her incredible knowledge of the legal system is paramount to the positive outcomes she has.'
Neelam Mall – Crown Chambers
Naomi McLoughlin – Park Square Barristers
Ayshea Megyery - Park Square Barristers 'Ayshea is very thorough, diligent, and has a good way with the client. She is very calm in highly stressful situations and this provides the client with confidence in her abilities.'
Claire Middleton - Dere Street Barristers 'Claire is an excellent advocate; calm and measured and a favourite of judges. She is known for undertaking serious and difficult cases.'
Chloe Ogley – Wilberforce Barristers 'Chloe is a strong, confident advocate who is able to help reassure clients and put them at ease. She is very quick to provide updates following a hearing and her notes are detailed so that you have a comprehensive overview of what has occurred.'
Emily Ross – Parklane Plowden
Caroline Shields - Park Square Barristers 'Caroline has incredible skill representing local authorities.'
Lucy Sowden – Parklane Plowden ‘Lucy's preparation and diligence to detail are second-to-none. She is swift to respond and goes out of her way to ensure her availability throughout proceedings, and her communication with clients is excellent.'
Shona Upton – Dere Street Barristers ‘Shona is always meticulously prepared, she goes above and beyond to ensure she fully understands all aspects of the case and researches thoroughly, and she is a fearless advocate who can make clear and concise submissions on complex areas of law. Shona is able to assist clients in understanding difficult issues and is pragmatic and realistic with her advice, and she is also very proactive and provides regular updates to those who instruct her. ‘
Lorena Veale  – KBW
Philippa Wordsworth – Parklane Plowden
Angela Wrottesley – Bank House Chambers ‘Angela has a wealth of knowledge about the applicable law and relevant up-to-date case law. She has the steely grit and determination to succeed in cases, she is unafraid to challenge decisions, where others might not be so inclined, and she conducts thorough preparation of her cases.’

Rising Stars

Chloe Branton - Parklane Plowden 'Chloe is an exceptional barrister whose meticulous approach to case preparation ensures that every detail is carefully considered, resulting in excellent position statements that strengthen her advocacy in court. She consistently goes above and beyond in every case, demonstrating a deep commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes, and her ability to manage difficult client expectations with professionalism and empathy sets her apart, as does her calm and confident demeanour, even in high-pressure situations.'
Jess Butterell  - Spire Barristers
Gemma Carr – Spire Barristers 'Gemma always fights her corner, and shows a great degree of tenacity in her work. A confident and approachable advocate.'
Annabelle Coakley - Crown Chambers 'Annabelle is a fantastic advocate and deals well with parents with learning needs and limited understanding. Her cross-examination of witnesses is thorough and effective, her submissions are also very effective during contested final hearings, and she puts her client's case forward in a compassionate and robust manner.'
James Howard - Dere Street Barristers 'James a great advocate to work alongside, he is informative and friendly, and he provides clear advice and has good communication with instructing solicitors.'
Oliver Latham – Park Square Barristers Ltd.
Francesca Massarella - Spire Barristers 'Francesca is personable and knowledgeable, she is able to adapt easily to the individual client's needs and brings a sense of calm and reassurance when needed most, and her advocacy is well prepared and she often looks at ease before the court, whilst remaining respectful and not appearing over confident. During cross-examination it is clear she has prepared well and knows the case, which gives clients the reassurance they need when having met her for the first time.'
Olivia McGeeney - Crown Chambers 'Olivia is a calming influence with clients and is able to engage with them and put them at ease to get the best out of their instructions. She is able to assimilate information and think on her feet, and you would never be able to tell if she were feeling under pressure, as she is calm and confident within the court room, and incredibly persuasive.'
Bede Porter – Crown Chambers
Connor Stuart – Wilberforce Barristers 'Connor is a good and solid junior in children cases as he strives to do his best for his clients whilst being polite, ethical and courteous to his opponents and the court. He is a reliable and considerate advocate and he is a pleasure to appear against.'
Eleanor Suthern – Spire Barristers ‘Eleanor is a fantastic advocate, her communication skills are very good and she is always willing to assist between hearings when needed. Eleanor is empathetic but firm with the more difficult clients, including those with language barriers, mental health difficulties, or both, and her preparation for hearings is always second-to-none meaning she knows her case inside out.’
Hannah Whitehouse – Coram Chambers
Harriet Williams – Parklane Plowden

Family: children and domestic abuse in Regional Bar

Broadway House Chambers


Broadway House Chambers is a ‘go-to chambers in the north of England and beyond‘, and its family law team represents a variety of clients in children law cases, including parents and other family members, children, and local and health authorities. ‘Exceptional advocate‘ Semaab Shaikh is a go-to member of the set for cases involving international elements, including child abduction and removal from the jurisdiction; she is also experienced in representing parents who are subject to the UK Protected Persons Service. ‘Gifted in the court arena‘, Christopher Styles is a sought after practitioner for the representation of parents and children in public law matters. Deputy head of the family law team Emily Ward has experience before the Court of Appeal with ‘a fantastic understanding of the law and how it should be implemented‘. Ward’s practice focuses on private children law, as does that of ‘first-class advocate‘ Dornier Whittaker; the former’s practice includes cases surrounding allegations of domestic and sexual abuse and controlling and coercive behaviour, and the latter has expertise in international relocation.

Les références

‘The clerking team is outstanding. Robin Slade and Rebecca Clayton are excellent, helpful and organised.’

‘Robin Slade is excellent. Always manages to solve a problem in a crisis.’

‘Robin Slade and Rebecca Clayton are fantastic.’

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Crown Chambers


Crown Chambers is praised as ‘a well-respected set of chambers‘ that is home to ‘many outstanding advocates’. One such barrister is 2025 silk Naomi Madderson KC, who is lauded as ‘a fantastic advocate of the highest calibre‘; she appears across all levels of court with a strong focus on public law proceedings surrounding injuries to children and sexual abuse. Gaynor Hall is sought after to represent local authorities, CAFCASS, and parents in a range of public children law proceedings. Deputy head of the family law team Francesca Steels has a varied public and private law practice that encompasses applications for injunctive relief under the Family Law Act 1996. Joanna Hawkett specialises in public law work, with expertise in work concerning child neglect and domestic abuse.

Les références

‘Rob Winship and Hayley Rodgers are extremely accommodating and friendly. They will always go above and beyond to assist. Hayley Rodgers works tirelessly to obtain a KC when required.’

‘Rob Winship and Hayley Rodgers are professional and respond to any communication in a very timely manner.’

‘The clerks at this chambers are fantastic, in particular Hayley.’





Dere Street Barristers


The family law members housed at Dere Street Barristers conduct cases across all levels of the family court system, and it is lauded as ‘a brilliant set’ that ‘stands out in the region for its team of barristers and clerks‘. Tim Donnelly is highlighted as ‘outstanding in his field’  and he represents local authorities, family members, and children and their guardians before the Family Court and the High Court in cases surrounding allegations of inflicting fatal injuries to children, sexual abuse, and shaking-related injuries. Pauline Moulder is highly adept at handling public law cases involving conflicting medical evidence, and she is also experienced in cases involving jurisdictional issues. Elizabeth Callaghan is especially skilled in acting for vulnerable clients, and she has experience in case surrounding fatal injuries to children, the murder of a parent, and poisoning; she is praised as a ‘tenacious advocate’. Ravinder Randhawa is another key junior at the set with notable expertise in cases surrounding FGM, forced marriage protection orders, and parental alienation. Christopher McKee‘s ‘preparation work is exceptional and thorough‘, and he practices in public law, with experience in case concerning radicalisation and serious injuries to children.

Les références

‘The clerks are all very good to deal with. They are responsive to enquiries about availability. They assist with arranging advocates meetings which is most welcome. Liam Branch, Jack Gibson and Kevin Mordue and they are all excellent at what they do.’

‘All of the clerks are very helpful. Neil Gibson provides excellent service.’

‘The clerks extremely helpful with excellent communication and will often go out of their way to help, particularly in emergency situations. Liam Branch, Kevin Mordue and Neil Gibson are especially helpful.’

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Park Square Barristers Ltd.


Park Square Barristers has a ‘a very strong set of barristers dealing with all aspects of children matters, both private and public law‘.  Specialist family law silk Charlotte Worsley KC is an ‘excellent leader and communicator‘ and boasts extensive expertise in both private and public children law matters. On the private law side, her offering includes representation in cases surrounding abduction, international and internal relocation, and fertility laws, and on the public side, she is well-equipped to handle cases regarding serious and fatal injuries to children, honour-based violence, and sexual abuse. Turning to the juniors, David Orbaum is a ‘well-established barrister‘ with substantial experience in the cross-over between criminal and family law, as well as cases involving various jurisdictions and care proceedings surrounding serious allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Huw Lippiatt practices exclusively in public children law, and he is a key port of call for local authorities, parents and grandparents, and children. Joint head of the set's family law team Natalia Perrett ‘is exceptional at dealing with clients who are vulnerable‘ - her practice has a strong focus on care and adoption proceedings and can often involve complex genetic history and jurisdictional disputes. Karen Lennon handles both public and private law matters, including cases arising from baby shaking-related injuries and fabricated and induced illnesses.

Les références

‘Claudine Cooper, Paul Foster, and Lucy Peacock are a great team to assist even when dealing with urgent or last minute matters. They are a whizz at the diary and the clerks know who will be the best fit for a case.’

‘The family clerks at PSQB are one of the greatest strengths of the set. Claudine Cooper, Paul Foster, and Arnela Siranovic make instructing a barrister so easy. They really are the beating heart of that set.’

‘The clerks here are brilliant, especially Claudine Cooper who is really helpful, clear and will always try to solve the situation.’

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Parklane Plowden


Parklane Plowden boasts ‘a strong family team at all levels‘ and is home to Louise McCallum, ‘a formidable advocate who has excellent attention to detail and is quick on her feet‘; she practises in both private and public children law, and she often appears before the High Court in cases surrounding injuries to children and allegations of sexual abuse. Child law specialist Iain Hutchinson is another go-to name at the set, with particular expertise in representing local authorities, parents, and children in cases regarding induced illness and care proceedings. Simon Wilkinson is praised as a ‘highly effective and unflappable advocate‘ and he has appeared before the Court of Appeal; he is skilled in matters pertaining to complex mental capacity issues. Sara Anning‘s practice exclusively focuses on family law, and she regularly appears against silks in cases regarding allegations of induced illness and serious injuries to children.

Les références

‘Callum Byrne is always on hand to pick up enquiries when needed.’

‘Callum is great – he responds quicker than the speed of sound!’

‘The service from the clerks room is amazing. Always ready to help and often having to find counsel at short notice to cover urgent hearings, happily swapping diaries around to facilitate finding counsel and really do provide an excellent service. Callum Byrne, Lucy Sowden and Chloe Branton are all amazing.’

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Spire Barristers


Spire Barristers is praised for having numerous practitioners ‘who specialise across children’s care proceedings, deprivation of liberty cases, and Court of Protection’ work, ‘bringing exceptional service in difficult cases where young people with disabilities transition into adulthood‘. Taryn Lee KC is an ‘exceptional silk‘ who boasts an incredibly broad-ranging practice encompassing a wide array of family law issues; her expertise includes parental alienation, adoption law, and surrogacy-related disputes, as well as same sex parenting, fabricated and induced illnesses, and the disclosure of HIV status. Jacqueline Thomas KC is another ‘go-to‘ silk of note at the set with particular expertise in serious cases surrounding the death of a child, sexual assault, or injuries inflicted on a child; she is also well-equipped to handle family law proceedings that overlap with Court of Protection work. Among the set’s strong bench of juniors, head of the public law group Brett Davies has ‘extensive experience of children law‘, while Reagan Persaud is lauded as ‘searingly intelligent, hard-working and dedicated to providing an exceptional service to clients‘ - she handles cases with LGBT elements, as well as ones featuring individuals with learning difficulties.

Les références

‘The clerks at Spire are extremely helpful, all of them, but in particular Leigh Royall and Donna Gaughan.’

‘Jenn Bridgeman is very helpful, highly organised and friendly.’

‘The clerks at Spire are second-to-none. All of the clerks are extremely helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Donna Gaughan and Jenn Bridgeman are a pleasure to work with.’

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