The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - The Bar > Regional Bar > Family and children law

29 Bedford Row Chambers's David Walden-Smith has a broad practice, being particularly adept at handling financial remedy work, some of which involving financial issues around children. According to one solicitor 'he is very clear, sharp and pragmatic in his advice - clients really bond with him'. His chambers, which is based in London is 'a fantastic set offering an excellent range of experience able to suit all cases'.

From its London base, Coram Chambers has a number of senior juniors such as Richard O’Sullivan and Nick O’Brien who are active in the child law space across the South Eastern circuit.

'A formidable set armed with fantastic advocates', Harcourt Chambers is a specialist family set with barristers available at all levels of call. Members of chambers, which is based in both London and Oxford (where it has 'a good strength of knowledge across its members and gets involved in the local community'), are instructed across the piece, including private law children issues with international elements, as well as complex family finance matters ('a go-to chambers for money cases' according to one solicitor) and public law child work for both parents and local authorities. Jonathan Sampson QC is a 2020 silk appointment, joining top end that includes the likes of Damian Garrido QC and John Vater QC , with the set featuring a strong junior bench including Jane Campbell, Simon Miller and Sara Granshaw for child law matters, and Fiona Hay, a notable senior junior for family finance.

Family law is a core strength of 1 Crown Office Row, Brighton, with the set having 'a good choice of counsel at all levels' undertaking the whole range of family proceedings from public and private children law matters (one solicitor praising it as 'particularly strong in Children Act work') through to financial remedies, as well as domestic violence injunctions. Underlining the strength across seniorities, one solicitor praises the set as having 'an excellent choice of barristers from Queen's Counsel down to newly called, investing wisely in its pupils to ensure they are court-ready and always an impressive asset to chambers'.

Guildford Chambers 'is a strong set of barristers, predominantly in family law, that has established a good reputation not only locally but further afield'. Members act across the entire breadth of family instructions, including financial remedy work as well as children law matters. A set comprising of juniors, head of chambers George Coates is a key senior name for financial matters, while Fiona Griffin  and Claire Shrimpton are at the forefront of child law at the set. Counsel at this set are 'all friendly and approachable and work well with solicitors and lay clients', with Coates 'a highly-regarded barrister and well-liked by his peers'.

Pallant Chambers hosts a strong group of junior tenants that are active in financial remedy cases involving farms and company assets, among other complicating factors. The set also includes members such as Sarah Earley,  who also act for guardians and local authorities in children law cases - the set is described as 'a very sound regional chambers, particularly for children law' by one solicitor, and another credits it as having 'a very strong public family law team with barristers of all levels across all areas' of the discipline.

Nicola Martin and James Legg are the key names to note at 3PB, with Martin involved in high net worth ancillary relief proceedings and care cases, while Legg's focus lies on children cases. The set, whose members are instructed by both well-respected private client and Legal Aid firms alike, has 'great depth of knowledge and a greater ability to cover matters around the country'. 

Fenners Chambers houses financial claims and private law children matters expert Katharine Ferguson, Debra Gold, who is adept at dealing with child care cases, including international cases involving children from other European countries where issues of jurisdiction arise, and financial remedy specialist Katharine Bundell - names part of a package that makes it, according to one solicitor 'a great chambers with a real depth and breadth of expertise'.

Six Pump Court is home to children law specialist Caroline Topping, who appears in public law cases involving allegations of serious physical abuse and non-accidental injury to children, and Grant Armstrong who acts in all types of family matters, primarily involving children and often exceptionally vulnerable ones.