Mr Matthew Maynard > Chambers of Elizabeth Isaacs KC > Birmingham, England > Barrister Profile
St Ives Chambers Offices
St Ives Chambers
1-3 WHITTALL STREET
BIRMINGHAM
B4 6DH
England
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Mr Matthew Maynard
Work Department
Matthew is a specialist family practitioner with a wide children law practice, encompassing public and private law children matters across a vast spectrum of cases.
Position
Matthew is a specialist children practitioner with a particular emphasis on complex public law proceedings.
Matthew is a qualified Arbitrator under the IFLA Financial Scheme and sits as a Recorder in children matters and within the Financial Remedies Court.
Matthew regularly lectures on a broad range of family law topics, to solicitors, barristers, expert witnesses and social work professionals. He is a published in a range of family law periodicals and publications.
He is recommended as a leading junior by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.
Career
Year of Call: 2003
IFLA Arbitrator: 2016
MCIArb
Recorder: 2018 (Western Circuit)
Midland Circuit
Western Circuit
Public Law Children
Matthew is regularly instructed in complicated public law proceedings. He has specific experience of cases involving allegations of:
- Death of children
- Catastrophic inflicted injury, including brain injury
- Non-accidental fractures, including multiple fractures
- Serious sexual abuse
- Fabricated/Induced Illness
- Suffocation
- Human trafficking (involving both parents and children)
- FGM
Matthew represents parents (including through the Official Solicitor), local authorities, children (either through guardians or separately) and interveners at all stages of proceedings, including lengthy fact-finding and disposal hearings. He is recognised as being particularly sensitive when dealing with vulnerable clients. He has a particular interest in cases involving brain injury.
Matthew has been led on numerous occasions and regularly undertakes cases in which he appears against Queen’s Counsel in his own right.
Private Law Children
Matthew’s private law practice is focused on cases involving allegations and issues of the utmost severity, particularly where there are allegations of domestic abuse.
Arbitration
Matthew has extensive experience of dealing with financial disputes between separating spouses, and civil partners.
His practice at the bar spanned cases with more modest resources, and those with significant assets, including cases of significant legal and/or factual complexity. Matthew is able to bring this expertise to the Arbitration process, ensuring that participants can benefit from a high quality and cost-effective form of dispute resolution.
To view Matthew’s profile on the Institute of Family Law Arbitrators’ website please visit www.ifla.org.uk/arbitrator/matthew-maynard
Summary of reported cases (public law)
Re YY (Children: Conduct of the Local Authority) [2021] EWHC 749 (Fam)
Re P (Sexual Abuse: Finding of Fact Hearing) [2019] EWFC 27
Birmingham City Council v MM, FF [2018] EWFC 94
Wolverhampton City Council v JA & Ors [2017] EWFC 62
S Local Authority v UN and others [2016] EWFC 41
Re L (a child) Re Oddin [2016] EWCA Civ 173
Re V-Z (Children) [2016] EWCA Civ 475, [2016] All ER (D) 15 (Jun)
Re R (A Child) [2015] EWCA Civ 1581
S-P-H-O-S (Children) [2015] EWCA Civ 1131
Re W (Children)(Adoption Proceedings: Leave to Oppose) [2015] EWCA Civ 403, [2015] All ER (D) 208 (Apr)
Re T (Children) [2013] EWCA Civ 1836
Re M (A Child) [2011] EWCA Civ 1161
Summary of reported cases (private law)
C1 and C2 (Child Arrangements), Re [2019] EWHC B15 (Fam) (01 August 2019)
C3 and C4 (Child Arrangements), Re [2019] EWHC B14 (Fam) (01 August 2019)
Re X (A Child) (Surrogacy: Time Limit) [2014] EWHC 3135 (Fam), [2015] 1 FLR 349
Recommendations:
Chambers & Partners 2022: “He’s very issues-focused, always well prepared and has a great manner with clients.” “Matthew is straight-talking and gets straight to the point rather than making things more complicated than they need to be.”
Legal 500 2022: “He is a silk in the making.”
Chambers and Partners 2021: “He is one of the top barristers on the circuit. He is a true gladiator in his command of the courtroom. Not only is his written work impeccable, he is also a fearless advocate.”
Legal 500 2021: “A commanding presence in court whose attention to detail and preparation are always excellent.”
Chambers & Partners 2020: “He’s a great advocate with a real court presence, and is good with clients.” “He is extremely experienced and very calm.”
Legal 500 2019: “A charismatic and technically able barrister.”
Chambers & Partners 2019: “Always well prepared and able to make the most complicated of matters seem straightforward.” “A true giant in terms of the stature and quality of his work. He is calm and confident in his approach to cases.”
Legal 500 2018: “He has a reassuring client manner.”
Chambers & Partners 2018: “His expertise belies his years as a barrister. He is always well prepared and able to make the most complicated of matters seem straightforward. “The next star in children law and a brilliant advocate.”
Legal 500 2017: “Efficient at representing all parties in a care case.”
Chambers & Partners 2017: “Very robust, no nonsense and straight-talking.” “Good on his feet but also caring with wonderful client skills.”
Legal 500 2016: “He provides excellent advocacy and adopts a sympathetic approach with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2016: “He is incredibly prepared, thorough and authoritative in the way he comes across.” “He is junior but punches above his weight – I can give him a heavyweight case and know he has the gravitas to deal with it.”
Legal 500 2016: “A strong and versatile advocate.”
Chambers & Partners 2015: “Matthew is destined for great things. A breath of fresh air.”
Legal 500 2015: “He never disappoints.”
Chambers & Partners 2014: “Noted by peers as a rising star in family law, handling both financial and children matters. Sources are quick to identify his client-facing skills and attention to detail.”
Legal 500 2014: “Junior Matthew Maynard has ‘excellent client skills’, and is noted for his ‘forceful advocacy’ and ‘thorough preparation’.”
Languages
English
Memberships
Midland Circuit
Western Circuit
Inner Temple
Family Law Bar Association
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Resolution
Liberty
Education
LLB (Hons): 2:1
BVC: VC
Public Access Accredited
Pupil Supervisor
Advocacy Trainer: Inner Temple
Advocacy Trainer: Midlands Circuit
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Family: children and domestic violence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Matthew Maynard – St Ives Chambers ‘Matthew is a very diligent and thorough advocate. He is always extremely well-prepared and provides detailed analysis of the evidence. A calm but forthright advocate on his feet.’
Birmingham’s St Ives Chambers is a ‘fantastic set for family law’ with ‘unrivalled strength in depth’ and offers advice across both public and private law children work. Elizabeth Isaacs KC is a ‘highly experienced and focused advocate’ with particular expertise in child death, serious physical injury, and sexual abuse cases, while Tom Harrill has handled a number of cases involving especially vulnerable parties. Other key members of the team include the ‘thorough and diligent’ Matthew Maynard, who regularly handles cases touching on issues of surrogacy and assisted reproduction. Timothy Bowe KC was appointed silk in the 2023 round.