Nergis-Anne Mathew > Chambers of Sara Lewis KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile

Nergis-Anne Mathew

0121 246 7000 namathew@st-philips.com View profile

Position

After having completed her degree course in Manchester, Nergis-Anne completed her legal education in London. Initially, her practice included all areas of law, but she quickly decided to specialise in family law. In 1999, she relocated to Birmingham and joined St Philips Chambers. Her present practice includes all areas of family law. She represents parents, local authorities and children. She also has an extensive ancillary relief practice. Nergis-Anne has a special interest and expertise in NAI in infants and young children, to include fractures, head injuries and ‘shaken baby’. Other areas of interest and expertise include non-organic failure to thrive, sexual abuse, cases involving severe neglect and also cases involving drug and alcohol addiction. She has appeared in lengthy and complicated matters both in the High Court and the County Court and regularly represents local authorities as well as parents and children by their guardian. Her sympathetic approach to parents and her ability to assist parents in coming to terms with a process which they can often find overwhelming is well known. Nergis-Anne has represented individuals with special needs and limited understanding. She is well respected for her ability to identify issues and she relishes the prospect of cross-examining expert witnesses. She possesses the ability to assimilate information quickly in complex and lengthy matters. Nergis-Anne’s practice covers all aspects of private law. She has been instructed in lengthy finding of fact matters which have involved allegations of marital rape, incest and sexual abuse. She is also regularly instructed in intractable disputes involving contact and residence. She represents children when a Rule 9.5 guardian has been appointed in matters where there are issues involving psychiatric or psychological problems. She represents mothers against whom allegations of ‘implacable hostility’ are made and fathers against whom allegations of physical and mental abuse are made. She is also regularly instructed in matters involving the removal of children from the jurisdiction to both Hague Convention and non Hague Convention countries. Child abduction is also another area in which she is instructed. Nergis-Anne’s practice also covers all aspects of matrimonial finance, including ‘big money cases’ with assets of over £1m. She is regularly instructed in matters involving inheritance issues, pension sharing and where the analysis of business accounts are involved. Nergis-Anne has been instructed in numerous cases where the cross examination of expert witnesses with respect to business accounts has been needed and where the ‘unlocking’ of the business or farming assets has been required. She also deals with other aspects of matrimonial finance such as s37 applications, MPS, capitalisation of maintenance and applications under Schedule I of the Children Act. Nergis-Anne is a skilled negotiator, an integral part of the ancillary relief process.

Career

Called 1981; Inner Temple.

Memberships

Association of Lawyers for Children; Family Law Bar Association; British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering.

Education

University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology (BSc Hons, Psychology).