The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - The Bar > Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Family: children and domestic violence

Provide Your Feedback on Barristers

Coverage By Practice AreaRegional Bar

Back to United Kingdom - The Bar

Family: Children And Domestic Violence

1
3PB
Harcourt Chambers
No5 Barristers' Chambers
St Ives Chambers
St Philips Chambers
2
KCH Garden Square
Senate House Chambers
St Mary’s Chambers

Leading Silks

Lucy Hendry KC  – 3PB ‘Lucy is an outstanding advocate. Her preparation is impeccable, and she is incredibly good with clients.’
Elizabeth Isaacs KC –St Ives Chambers ‘Elizabeth is a well-prepared and tenacious advocate who fights hard for her clients.’
Sara Lewis KC - St Philips Chambers 'Sara is an exceptional silk and has a wealth of experience, and she is extremely thorough in her preparation. She has a store of knowledge and is incredibly well thought of and respected in cases involving serious allegations of non-accidental injury. Her courtroom manner is unfaltering, and cross-examination is bespoke and effective.'
Elizabeth McGrath KC –3PB ‘Elizabeth is a tenacious and confident advocate. Her attention to detail is meticulous.’  
Vanessa Meachin KC –3PB 'Vanessa is an outstanding advocate with a confident and calm approach to extremely challenging cases. Her ability to get straight to the key points in complex matters demonstrates her extensive skill.'
Stefano Nuvoloni KC – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Stefano is a consistently impressive advocate, tenacious and robust. His preparation and attention to detail are second to none.’   
John Vater KC –Harcourt Chambers ‘John fearlessly presents his client’s position. He does so with skill and humour. His knowledge of the medicine underpinning experts’ opinions in head injury cases is phenomenal. His cross-examination never fails to produce a nugget to the client’s benefit.’ 
Aidan Vine KC – Harcourt Chambers ‘Aidan is invariably thoroughly prepared for cases and is a tenacious advocate. He is fearless in the face of judicial intervention. In court, he is thorough and determined. His advocacy is calm and quietly persuasive.’

2023 Silks

Timothy Bowe KC –St Ives Chambers ‘Timothy is an excellent barrister who is devastatingly effective. His preparation, presentation and advocacy are unrivalled.’  

Leading Juniors

1
Christopher Adams – St Philips Chambers ‘Christopher has extensive knowledge with a warm and sensitive approach to all matters. He is supportive and works as part of a team on behalf of the children he is representing. ’ 
Matthew Brookes-Baker – Harcourt Chambers
Kristina Brown – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Kristina can clarify large volumes of complex information and produce focused, client-friendly advice. She has a disarming and engaging cross-examination style which deals with the real issues in the case resulting in the efficient management of court resources.’  
Michelle Christie –St Philips Chambers ‘A superb advocate.’
Victoria Clifford – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Victoria has an immense eye for detail coupled with being pragmatic in her approach to care cases. She is approachable and is always on hand to answer questions and provide advice.’
Alex Forbes –Harcourt Chambers ‘Alex has a very detailed and meticulous eye when considering the evidence. His preparation for hearings is thorough, and his greatest skills lie in his advocacy. He is a formidable advocate with whom you can have the greatest confidence.’  
Michele Friel – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Michele is an exceptional barrister. She is thorough and amazingly professional. She understandably delivers advice and will give everything to each case.’  
Kirsty Gallacher – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Kirsty is a first-choice barrister. She is consistently excellent and an accomplished and persuasive advocate going above and beyond in her representation.’
Orla Grant – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Orla is a first-rate public children law barrister. Her ability to consider and analyse information is impeccable. She is a fierce advocate and perseverant and dedicated to the job.’
Tom Harrill – St Ives Chambers ‘Tom is an exceptional advocate. He is meticulous, and his preparation is second-to-none. He has a vast knowledge of both private and public law. He is good with clients, providing clear and robust advice in a clear language all can understand.’  
Carolyn Jones –St Philips Chambers ‘Carolyn is a robust forensic cross-examiner and an exceptional and well-rounded practitioner.’ 
Matthew 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.’ 
Hannah Mettam –Harcourt Chambers ‘Hannah is an excellent advocate, and her preparation of cases is of high quality. She can respond to difficult and unexpected questions during a hearing and think on her feet. She is willing to go beyond her normal duties, assisting with enquiries and drafting applications.’  
Lianne Murphy –Senate House Chambers ‘Lianne is well-regarded across the circuit and known for her depth of knowledge and cool head in complex cases. She is amiable and gentle in her approach and ability as an advocate.’  
Yolanda Pemberton –St Philips Chambers ‘Yolanda is above competent. She has a clear understanding of complex law and will work nonstop for her client.’  
Samantha Reddington  –Senate House Chambers ‘Samantha is a strong and thorough advocate who works diligently to achieve the right outcome for her client. She is robust in her cross-examination, never leaving any stone unturned. Her extensive knowledge and experience in acting for all parties in proceedings are evident in her approach to every case. She is extremely quick to think when dealing with unseen challenges.’  
Kathryn Taylor – No5 Barristers’ Chambers
Christopher Watson –St Philips Chambers ‘Christopher is a smooth and elegant advocate. He has a natural flair for advocacy and an unrivalled ability to navigate even the most complex matters. His meticulous preparation is reflected in his advocacy and written work alike.’  
2
Moira Ashton-Walsh –KCH Garden Square
Gemma Bowes –St Philips Chambers ‘Gemma’s calm and reassuring manner, with razor-sharp attention to detail and knowledge of intricate legal issues, makes her a must to instruct. She is thorough in her preparation and gets to the heart of every case quickly and with ease.’
Nicola Brown – 3PB ‘Nicola is well-organised and is good with clients.’
Nicholas Brown – St Philips Chambers ‘Nicholas is conscientious, well-prepared and determined to fight his client's corner at all costs. He is passionate about fairness. He is eloquent and measured in his oral submissions.’  
Judy Claxton –St Mary’s Chambers
James Cleary –KCH Garden Square
Kirstie Danton –St Ives Chambers ‘Kirstie is an excellent advocate - concise, thoughtful and well-respected. She is thorough and gives her all for her client. She is polite and mild-mannered.’  
Sara Davis –St Mary’s Chambers
Lucy Fairclough - Harcourt Chambers ‘Lucy is amiable and universally liked and regarded across the circuit. She is known for her thoroughness in preparing cases, realistic advice, client interaction and strong advocacy. She provides detailed and timely attendance notes following hearings.’  
Aimee Fox – 3PB ‘Aimee is thorough, well-prepared and has an excellent manner with clients. She builds trust and confidence by understanding and appreciating clients' needs and concerns. She has excellent knowledge and understanding of each case.’ 
Zoe Henry –KCH Garden Square
Claire Howell –St Mary’s Chambers 'Claire is thorough and detailed in her preparation of cases. Her cross-examination of professional witnesses. She is particularly good at thinking on her feet. She is tenacious in her ability to represent her clients, both in court and in her written advice. Her advice is thoughtful, well reasoned and practical.'
Tracy Lakin – St Ives Chambers ‘Tracy is an experienced senior-junior, well able to handle complex cases of non-accidental injury to children.’ 
Justine Lattimer –St Ives Chambers ‘Justine is a strong advocate with a keen eye for detail. She is approachable and gives clear and accurate advice.’ 
Nicola Martin – 3PB ‘Nicola is well prepared and has a great manners with clients.’   
Lawrence Messling –3PB
Matthew O’Grady –St Mary’s Chambers
David Payne –St Ives Chambers ‘David is a strong advocate. He can quickly get to grips with the complexities of the proceedings and support the client through the same. He is also extremely prompt with detailed attendance notes.’  
Heather Popley – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Heather is a very strong and passionate advocate. She is well-prepared and thorough. She has excellent client care skills and provides detailed attendance notes post-hearing.’ 
Daniel Sheridan – Harcourt Chambers ‘Daniel is a skilful advocate in court with an ability to communicate effectively at all levels. He is meticulously prepared and has the ability to identify the key issues quickly and provide knowledgeable and cogent legal advice and solutions.’
Margaret Styles – Harcourt Chambers ‘Margaret is a strong advocate, very experienced in her cross-examination and detail-orientated. She is very supportive and willing to assist.’  
Anita Thind –St Mary’s Chambers ‘Anita is well respected in the local area. She is comfortable in court, and her cross-examination is robust and thorough.’
Abigail Turner –St Philips Chambers ‘Abigail is a fierce advocate. Her attention to detail is flawless, and she can get a firm grip on a case instantly. She has exceptional client care skills and gives sound and practical advice.’ 
Steven Veitch –KCH Garden Square
Rachel Watkins –Senate House Chambers 'Rachel has an excellent grasp of the issues of each individual case and has a tremendous ability to put a client at ease. Her advocacy is also excellent and she is readily able to put across difficult points and get the best out of her client in a witness box.'
3
Stephen Abberley –3PB ‘Stephen is very knowledgeable on the medical side. He is robust and willing to challenge experts and court decisions alike.’ 
Amy Beddis – 3PB ‘Amy always has the client's best interests at heart. She is a delight to work with and will go over and above to assist.’ 
Poonam Bhari –3PB 'Poonam has a great eye for detail. She is empathetic with her clients and strikes up a rapport with them. She is particularly in demand in dealing with clients with vulnerabilities.'
Patrick Bowe  – KCH Garden Square
Thomas Bramall – KCH Garden Square
Nathalie Bull –3PB ‘Nathalie is well-prepared and takes a forensic approach to cases. She is a very calm advocate and a skilled negotiator.’ 
Lucy Clayton – 3PB ‘Lucy is a robust and outcome-focused advocate. She gives clear and coherent advice to lay and professional clients that has a positive end outcome in mind.’
Samuel Coe –KCH Garden Square
Suzanne Coleclough –3PB 'Suzanne is a strong, professional and competent advocate.'
Mark Cooper –St Ives Chambers ‘Mark has exceptional attention to detail and drafting skills unrivalled in the Midlands. He is meticulous in court preparation. He is a solid, persuasive and convincing advocate.’ 
Frida Dahlqvist – KCH Garden Square
Andrew Duncan - 3PB ‘Andrew has meticulous attention to detail, excellent communication with instructing solicitors and excellent client care skills.’
Samantha Dunn – The 36 Group ‘Sam is an incredible advocate.’
Matthew Fiddy –St Ives Chambers ‘Matthew is great with the client and has a very calm approach in court.’ 
Adeo Fraser – 3PB  ‘Adeo is well-regarded and an experienced and commanding advocate. His meticulous preparation outside of court enables him to have a clear grasp of the legal and practical issues to be determined. He is calm and reassuring yet appropriately robust and responsive, both in and outside of the courtroom.’
Molly Giles – St Philips Chambers ‘Molly is an incredibly robust and confident advocate and a real expert in complicated private children’s law matters. She can handle difficult clients exceptionally well. Her advocacy is exceptional, and her written work is equally fantastic.’
Martha Gray  – Harcourt Chambers
Emma Griffiths – 3PB
Charlene Henderson – 7BR ‘Charlene is an advocate who puts in the time to acquire in-depth knowledge of the evidence in the case. She can locate the evidence on any given topic with great speed. She is sympathetic to clients while retaining a gravitas in which they have confidence. Her written advocacy is of a high standard, drafted with admirable brevity and precision that some are often unable to achieve.’
Vickie Hodges – St Mary’s Chambers ‘Vickie is a very experienced and highly-regarded barrister. She is known to have exceptional advocacy skills and to be very client-focused. ’  
Jamal Jeffers –KCH Garden Square
Tom Lawal – St Ives Chambers
Laura Martin – St Mary’s Chambers ‘Laura has good attention to detail. She is well-prepared and has appropriate cross-examination. She is very good with the client and provides prompt and detailed attendance notes.’ 
Nicola McIntosh  – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Nicola is a phenomenal advocate who demonstrates excellent attention to detail. She has a brilliant level of client care and will take time to build a rapport with the client. Her knowledge is remarkable and extends across her expertise in family law.’
Katie Miller – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Katie is clear, concise and well-prepared always. Her advocacy is succinct and diligent.’ 
Simon Miller  – Harcourt Chambers ‘Simon is an accomplished and persuasive advocate. He is a safe pair of hands and is liked by the clients. He is good at cases that require a more forensic approach.’
Arrin Nouri – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Arrin is a very thorough barrister who is always very well-prepared. She is calm and excellent with clients. Her advocacy is excellent.’  
Oliver Powell – Harcourt Chambers ‘Oliver's preparation and attention to detail are second to none. He is extremely knowledgeable and always up to date with current case law. His advocacy is outstanding, measured and thorough - often picking up on points missed by others.’   
Amy Richardson –Cornwall Street Barristers
Gregory Rogers –St Ives Chambers ‘Gregory is a strong advocate who can explain the most complex legal arguments in a succinct way to support the client's understanding. He can represent and navigate through the most complex proceedings and obtain favourable outcomes for the client.’  
Louise Sapstead –KCH Garden Square
Laura Scott – 3PB ‘Laura has wisdom and knowledge and high emotional intelligence. She is supportive yet controlling and puts situations into perspective. Her preparation is first class, and she pays attention to detail.’
Hena Vissian– The 36 Group
Sian Waldron –KCH Garden Square
Stephen Williams –St Mary’s Chambers ‘Stephen always goes the extra mile. Due to his friendly and helpful personality, he can build an excellent rapport with the client and the instructing solicitor. He provides detailed and clear legal advice and is approachable and dedicated. He is a strong advocate in complex matters and can cut through the jargon to make his arguments persuasive and succinct.’  
Stuart Yeung –Senate House Chambers ‘Stuart is a sensible and measured barrister whose knowledge in this field is one of experience, and he is a safe pair of hands. He is well-prepared and competent on his feet. He has an all-around knowledge of this field and comes highly recommended.’ 

Rising Stars

Sarah Beasley - KCH Garden Square
Ben Chapman –KCH Garden Square
Rebecca Cross –St Ives Chambers ‘Rebecca is bright, articulate and has a good eye for detail. She is well-prepared, responsive and efficient. She is supportive of her instructing solicitor and sympathetic but honest with clients, and willing to fight their cases robustly where needed.’ 
Naomi Dean – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Naomi is a truly excellent children's barrister and very much a rising star. She is always thoroughly prepared and is a strong advocate with excellent attention to detail.’ 
Lawren Dobson - St Ives Chambers 'Lawren is always a delight and pleasure to instruct and is very well-liked by lay clients. She is empathetic towards clients at court and understands their issues and worries. She is an extremely strong advocate.'
Thomas Duggan -St Ives Chambers 'Thomas' advocacy is excellent. He is dynamic and reactive to what can unfold in the courtroom. His knowledge is top-rate.'
Charlie Fikry – St Mary’s Chambers 
Holly Hilbourne-Gollop – St Ives Chambers ‘Holly's knowledge and advocacy skills far surpass her year of call. She provides clients with clear, concise and helpful advice while ensuring they are reassured and well-represented.’ 
William Horwood –St Philips Chambers ‘William is always incredibly well-prepared and meticulous in his attention to detail. He has very good client care skills and keeps his instructing solicitors well informed of developments. His attendance notes are always of high quality. He has a very non-confrontational style of advocacy which is very effective.’  
Marie Huggins – KCH Garden Square
Malvika Jaganmohan – St Ives Chambers ‘Malvika is an extremely capable barrister, her knowledge and presentation vast beyond her years of experience. Within her advocacy, she is very clear in submissions and works well at presenting the best case for any client.’
Zara Mahmood - St Ives Chambers 'Zara is extremely professional. She explains everything to the client brilliantly, and her advocacy is well-planned, clear, and concise.'
Eleanor Marsh  – 3PB ‘Eleanor is professional and diligent and can establish strong trust with the clients. She is meticulous in her detail and can articulate her advocacy in a compelling and structured manner.’
Kathryn Moran – St Mary’s Chambers ‘Kathryn is extremely adept at working constructively with clients and ensuring their understanding of the priorities of the court. She is a very skilled negotiator and a strong and very well-prepared advocate. She is passionate and persuasive in her submissions and detailed and effective in her cross-examination of professional and lay clients alike.’
Sam Pentony – 3PB 'Sam is a very confident advocate and will fiercely fight for his clients.'
George Smith – St Ives Chambers ‘George is a very strong advocate in court. His advocacy is dynamic. His preparation for court is meticulous, and he is always very familiar with a matter when it comes to hearing. His client care is excellent for a range of clients, including vulnerable clients.’
Olivia Whitworth – No5 Barristers’ Chambers

Family: children and domestic violence in Regional Bar

3PB


With physical presences in Birmingham and across the southern half of England, 3PB is a ‘very professional, approachable and friendly set’ that offers advice on all aspects of children law. Elizabeth McGrath KC  is a ‘fearless advocate’ who handles public law cases, including ones with international elements. Vanessa Meachin KC is a ‘passionate advocate’ who handles a mix of care, adoption, and private law children matters, while Aimee Fox is described as a ‘thorough and well-prepared advocate who has an excellent manner with clients’ and specialises in private law proceedings involving children in vulnerable circumstances or with special educational needs – the latter crossing over with her education law practice.

Testimonials

‘The clerks at 3PB are always very helpful and prompt in responding to any queries. Ian Charlton is a stand-out member of the team.’

‘Isabelle Lee and Ian Charlton are helpful, quick to respond and keen to accommodate continuity of counsel wherever possible.’

‘3PB is an excellent chamber with a very strong team of barristers with good strength in depth.’

‘3PB are an excellent set, prepared to accommodate urgent or specific requests as far as possible.’

‘Excellent chambers who will go above and beyond to accommodate urgent or specific requests in a polite and friendly manner.’





Harcourt Chambers


Harcourt Chambers is a ‘really good set of quality barristers’ with a strong track record of advising on the full range of children law matters.  Aidan Vine KC is a ‘fearless advocate’ who regularly acts in children cases, often with an international element. Daniel Sheridan is ‘a skilful advocate’ who has extensive experience of representing local authorities, parents, and guardians in the full range of children law cases. Alex Forbes‘ practice mainly focuses on public law matters. The team was further strengthened by the addition of public law children matters specialist Hannah Mettam.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are efficient and polite. Matthew Molloy is helpful and quick to respond.’

‘Clerks are always helpful and efficient – especially Matthew Molloy.’

‘Harcourt Chambers offers a set of highly experienced childcare barristers who exhibit extreme competence and solid legal knowledge in this area of law.’

‘Harcourt Chambers are well respected for their high-quality advocates.’

‘Harcourt Chambers has strength in depth and an uncanny ability to match the appropriate counsel to the needs of each case.’





No5 Barristers' Chambers


Birmingham-led national set No5 Barristers’ Chambers has a ‘wide range of barristers available who are excellent at dealing with private children law matters’. Stefano Nuvoloni KC has significant expertise in matters related to the death or serious injury of children, murder of a parent, and sexual abuse. Kristina Brown is an ‘expert on public children law’ and regularly appears before all levels of court, including the High Court. Victoria Clifford is praised for her ‘excellent attention to detail and phenomenal advocacy’ and has experience of handling children cases with an international element, while ‘thorough and amazingly professional barrister’ Michele Friel regularly acts as arbitrator in disputes involving children. Adreeja Chatterjee was appointed a Circuit Judge in October 2023.

Testimonials

‘The clerking team is very helpful and always trying to accommodate – particularly Adam Wadley.’

‘The clerking team are excellent and responsive. Adam Wadley is go-to and extremely knowledgeable.’

‘No5 Barristers’ Chambers is a strong set with excellent options in all areas.’

‘No 5 Barristers’ Chambers is a go-to  set of chambers, particularly for private Children Act cases.’

‘No 5 Barristers’ chambers have great strength in children’s matters and are very approachable.’





St Ives Chambers


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.

Testimonials

‘The clerks at chambers are very helpful and efficient. Scott Goodison is very personable, extremely helpful, and always accommodating.’

‘All the clerks are incredibly helpful. Nick Burdon will go above and beyond and endeavour to ensure that you have just the right counsel for the instruction.’

‘St Ives Chambers has the strongest offering of barristers in Birmingham.’

‘St Ives Chambers are go-to barristers. They always provide a quality and timely service.’

‘St Ives Chambers are excellent, particularly for children matters (both public and private).’





St Philips Chambers


In Birmingham, St Philips Chambers is ‘an excellent family set with a number of exceptionally talented and experienced counsel available at all levels’. Sara Lewis KC is ‘an exceptional silk’ who handles the most serious children law cases before the High Court, while Christopher Adams ‘is a very knowledgeable and sensitive advocate’ who regularly acts on behalf of local authorities, parents, and children in cases involving serious and medically complex injuries, as does Yolanda Pemberton. Michelle Christie and Abigail Turner joined the team in September 2023.

Testimonials

‘Kelly Fullwood, Anthony Burgess and Mark Mansell are efficient, friendly and accommodating.’

‘Kelly Fulwood and Mark Mansell are excellent and always quick to respond to queries.’

‘St Philips Chambers is a strong set with an excellent reputation on complex cases.’

‘St Philips family team are excellent. The barristers are extremely competent.’

‘St Philips is a go-to chamber for care matters. The barristers are excellent.’

 





KCH Garden Square


In Nottingham and Leicester, KCH Garden Square’s team has a solid track record in representing parents, guardians, and local authorities across a wide range of children’s law matters, including care, adoption, placement, contact, residence, relocation, parental alienation and deprivation of liberty. Moira Ashton-Walsh handles a broad spectrum of public and private law cases involving child arrangements, parental alienation and welfare findings. James Cleary‘s expertise in public children’s law matters includes handling cases involving serious violence against children, sexual abuse and fabricated or induced illnesses.





Senate House Chambers


In Northampton, the ‘excellent set‘ Senate House Chambers stands out as ‘exceptional in the field of care‘, and is home to ‘barristers at the top of their game‘. The ‘tenacious advocate‘ Lianne Murphy regularly acts for guardians, parents and intervenors in cases concerning serious injuries and fabricated or induced illnesses. Samantha Reddington is ‘an incredibly hard working and insightful barrister‘; ‘her advocacy skills are of the highest quality‘.

Testimonials

‘The clerking team are second to none – special mention to Sue Crook, who always goes above and beyond. She can work magic with the diary.’

‘The clerking team are helpful, efficient and knowledgeable. Sue Crook is patient, knowledgeable and responsive.’

‘A strong child care-centered set.’





St Mary\'s Chambers


Nottingham’s St Mary’s Chambers is a ‘specialist family set with good depth of counsel’ that handles private child law matters for a diverse set of clients, including local authorities, parents, and guardians. Judy Claxton’s practice focuses on public law cases related to serious, life-threatening, or fatal injuries, while Anita Thind has expertise in cases involving complex medical or scientific evidence. Claire Howell has extensive experience of handling fabricated illness and sexual abuse cases.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are very helpful. Kamla Chall-Bang, in particular, goes to great lengths to assist in ensuring that the right counsel for the job.’

‘Kathryn Clarkson is extremely well organised, proactive and friendly. She is a credit to chambers and is always very good at chasing and assisting in ensuring counsel have everything they need before a hearing.’

‘St Mary’s Chambers’ is a first port of call as there is genuinely a strength in depth with a good range of experienced counsel and a good record of bringing through pupils.’