Kate Symms > Chambers of Richard Pratt KC > Liverpool, England > Barrister Profile

Kate Symms

Work Department

Family.

Position

Call: 1990

Practice Areas

Family

• Private Law Child Cases
• Public Law Child Cases
• Financial Applications
• Financial Disputes
• Relocation Cases

Recent Testimonial:

“Kate, yesterday you took over the court room and in the words of an X-Factor judge ‘made the stage your own’! In all seriousness your professionalism and preparation was exemplary, you engaged the Court and basically ran the room. We are very fortunate that we were able to have you alongside us, thank you.” JD

Areas of Practice

Miss Symms is a specialist practitioner in family law and has extensive experience in appearing in complex matters relating to all aspects of family breakdown. In Children Act cases she acts in public law for Local Authorities , Guardians and Parents (including those assisted by the Official Solicitor) in most serious cases, and is especially used to dealing with cases involving abduction and complex psychological and psychiatric evidence.

In private law cases she has dealt with the full range of cases and has been instructed in a number of cases with an international element, appearing both for parents wishing to remove their children from the jurisdiction and those opposing such applications. Miss Symms has experience of cases involving international child abdution and the operation of the Hague Convention.

Miss Symms also practices extensively in the field of ancillary relief, acting in cases involving large claims. She has regularly appeared in cases involving school fees claims, pension division and inheritance claims and also advises in cases brought under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996. She has a large amount of experience in “big money” cases including those related to farms and farming.

Miss Symms is authorised to undertake Public Access work and appears on the Bar Council Public Access Register.

Notable Cases

Examples of Recent Cases:

G v G: Successfully negotiated outcome in case where client obtained a greater than 50% pension share in relation to pensions worth more than £1m and secured full ownership of the former matromonial home.

M v M: A very complex case where the client’s father was a very wealthy businessman who was the owner of a nationwide business with more than 350 stores and 13,000 employes. He had set up a substantial trust for the family whose beneficiaries included my client’s wife and children. Successfully avoided any claim on the trust and then negotiated a very favourable settlement.

W v W: Acted for a father whose own father had a number of businesses. There were claims in relation to the business and property which were defeated notwithstanding the apparent conveyance of them into my client’s name.

S v S: Resisted an appeal against a decision at first instance relating to 6 Spanish properties and property and businesses in England. The case involved disclosure issues in relation to hidden assets and substantial allegations of dishonesty.

J v J: Acted for a mother whose former partner had been convicted of manslaughter; a successful application for PII material relating to current police intelligence about him led to findings of fact against him.

A v K: The case involved successful first instance and appellate hearings for a teacher whose work made providing full-time care impossible.

F v H: Appeared in a five-day hearing for mother who retained residence of her children despite having significant mental health issues.

D v D: Appeared in a lengthy hearing for a father who was alleged to have committed a number of “honour-based” violent and sexual attacks whilst the couple were at a wedding in Sri Lanka.

LA v BF and others: An on-going case involving a critically ill young boy, with competing parenting claims and substantial issues of fact relating to their ability to manage the intense and technical aspects of the child’s care.

LA v M: A ten day finding of fact hearing in which the client was exonerated in relation to all allegations of sexual abuse made against her.

LA v L: A case involving multi-jurisdictional issues where the motherwished to return the children to Madeira.

LA v H: A case involving a finding of fact hearing followed by substantial arguments about adoption and placement with a fundemental disagreement between the Guardian and the Local Authority.