‘Excellent set’ Harcourt Chambers garners praise from instructing solicitors for ‘offering a great number of talented and skilled counsel of varying levels of experience’. Nick Goodwin KC is ‘phenomenal with complex cases where there are contested scientific or medical issues’. Sara Granshaw and Alex Forbes focus on public law children cases, while Simon Miller specialises in matters involving medical issues. Rising star Natasha Miller handles cases involving alleged physical child abuse, among others, and in some matters has represented interveners.
Family: children and domestic violence in
Regional Bar
Harcourt Chambers
Testimonials
‘The clerks room is the best. The team is friendly, professional, and very responsive. Matt Molloy and Laurie Amron particularly stand out.’
‘Matt Molloy, in particular, is always helpful and friendly.’
‘First-rate clerking team. Matt Molloy particularly bends over backwards to provide counsel at competitive prices and resolve issues with availability immediately and practically.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set. They have a great number of very experienced and talented barristers.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set of barristers. They offer counsel at various levels of experience so that one can tailor the case to the council and have many talented and skilled counsel to choose from.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an outstanding set as a whole, offering much talented and skilled counsel at different levels of experience, allowing one to tailor cases well to the counsel available.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set producing advocates of the highest standard.’
Work highlights
1 Crown Office Row, Brighton
1 Crown Office Row, Brighton is praised as a ‘go-to set when it comes to children matters’, with expertise in both private and public law matters. Eleanor Battie specialises in handling matters related to child arrangement, domestic abuses and parental alienation and is ‘able to get across a difficult point to emotional clients without losing their confidence’. Rising star Anogika Souresh counts public law child work as part of her practice.
Testimonials
‘David Bingham leads a great clerk team. The clerks go the extra mile to help local solicitors.’
‘The clerks are truly excellent. They are extremely responsive and go out of their way to help. They do go the extra mile and are friendly, polite and professional. David Bingham, head clerk, is particularly great to deal with.’
‘The set is an excellent choice of really good family barristers.’
‘A fantastic set with great strength at all levels of experience. The set does a lot of work within the local family justice community, which is appreciated.’
‘The set is flexible and accommodating and will always do its best for you. The set often delivers courses.’
Work highlights
Guildford Chambers
Guildford Chambers is ‘a strong set with a range of counsel with varying call years and the clerks who go above and beyond to utilise counsel and provide availability wherever they can’. Fiona Griffin is instructed in cases involving serious child injuries, sexual abuse and domestic abuse, while Christine Julien similarly is active in public law child work.
Testimonials
‘Gavin Street is a shining star and will do his utmost to assist clients when needed, particularly when needing urgent cover or when cases have been listed at short notice. He is always able to help and is extremely flexible, which assists given the nature of the work.’
‘Simon Morris and Gavin Street work hard to provide an excellent service within chambers as the first point of contact.’
‘Guildford Chambers always tries to accommodate clients’ requests for representation (even at short notice) and has a good quality range of advocates. They do offer training courses as well.’
‘Excellent set with a good mix of counsel.’
‘The chamber has a good range of barristers with expertise in different areas of family law.’
Work highlights
3PB
3PB is home to specialist practitioners across the spectrum of this area, including care proceedings and private child law. Nicola Martin is recommended for complex care cases, while James Legg garners praise for having a ‘fantastic eye for detail and the issues which matter in cases’.
Testimonials
‘Dan Tidman is proactive in trying to help find the right counsel for the case.’
‘Patrick Robson and Patrick Steptoe deserve a special mention. All around, the clerking team remains very hard to equal.’
‘3PB is a go-to chamber with a good selection of counsels who are very knowledgeable, capable and personable.’
‘3PB is an excellent family set with widespread expertise and knowledge.’
‘3PB is a very strong set with strong counsel in this area. It makes a tremendous effort to find counsel if a hearing is at short notice.’
Becket Chambers
Becket Chambers‘ members are adept at advising across the full range of both private and public children law issues. Specific areas of expertise include physical and sexual abuse, parental alienation, relocation of children and child arrangement orders. Louisa Adamson is highly regarded for her excellent track record in advising on complex care cases. Nicole Jennings is often instructed in cases involving parental alienation and allegations of serious abuse.
Testimonials
‘Paul Eaton and Arron Smith are very helpful and efficient.’
‘Aaron Smith and Paul Eaton are always on hand to provide suitable barristers wherever possible.’
‘Becket Chambers is a brilliant set of barristers and offers barristers covering all aspects of family law.’
Pallant Chambers
Pallant Chambers' team has a solid track record in representing parents, guardians and local authorities across a wide range of cases involving allegations of serious physical and sexual abuse, poisoning and neglect, among other areas. Colin Morgan, who heads up the team, has established strength in advising on complex cases of alleged serious child abuse, in which Graeme Harrison is also singled out for his experience. Dylan Morgan is also recommended.
Pump Court Chambers
Pump Court Chambers - which boosted its South Eastern circuit presence following its absorption of Stour Chambers as its Canterbury office - has a strong group of family law juniors, who continue to represent a range of parties in complex cases across the region across the full range of public and private law matters. Simon Johnson is praised by clients as ‘an exceptionally thorough and diligent barrister’ while Amy Connell is known for providing ‘clear and robust advice’ and is an ‘extremely competent advocate’.
Testimonials
‘Pump Court Chambers is efficient and will assist in any way that they can. They are very organised and ensure that all paperwork is provided to assist the barrister.’
‘Pump Court Chambers is a very good set with a range of seniority and all areas of law covered.’
‘Pump Court Chambers is a go-to set for local hearings. It has several experienced counsellors. It always endeavours to ensure continuity of counsel when possible.’
‘Marc Goddard knows his barristers’ strengths and is very helpful in suggesting people the right call for particular cases.’
‘The set provides a great service of the clerks, flexible and helpful. Marc Goddard is very good.’
Trinity Chambers
Trinity Chambers is ‘a go-to set’, with barristers praised for having ‘skills and knowledge required for all aspects of a family case’. The team regularly instructs clients on child law cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and fabricated or induced illness. A ‘formidable advocate’, Stefanie Wickins is ‘extremely thorough with case preparation, and provides clear and concise advice’. Alice Newton is ‘very knowledgeable and hardworking’, and her ‘advocacy is tenacious and determined’.
Testimonials
‘Keith Willmore and Ben White are always extremely helpful.’
‘James Adcock is always incredibly helpful in arranging conferences or moving matters to try and assist me.’
‘Trinity Chambers has a number of reliable and extremely competent family law barristers. They commit to their clients’ cases making themselves available whenever possible. They offer an annual seminar providing very valuable updates.’
Westgate Chambers
Westgate Chambers team is very experienced in handling the full range of public and private child law matters, including physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and factitious inducted illness. Maria Hancock leads the family department and regularly acts for clients in complex cases involving serious life-threatening injuries and sexual abuse, while Sarah Taite regularly acts for parents in care proceedings.
Harcourt Chambers
Testimonials
‘The clerks room is the best. The team is friendly, professional, and very responsive. Matt Molloy and Laurie Amron particularly stand out.’
‘Matt Molloy, in particular, is always helpful and friendly.’
‘First-rate clerking team. Matt Molloy particularly bends over backwards to provide counsel at competitive prices and resolve issues with availability immediately and practically.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set. They have a great number of very experienced and talented barristers.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set of barristers. They offer counsel at various levels of experience so that one can tailor the case to the council and have many talented and skilled counsel to choose from.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an outstanding set as a whole, offering much talented and skilled counsel at different levels of experience, allowing one to tailor cases well to the counsel available.’
‘Harcourt Chambers is an excellent set producing advocates of the highest standard.’
Work highlights
1 Crown Office Row, Brighton
1 Crown Office Row, Brighton is praised as a ‘go-to set when it comes to children matters’, with expertise in both private and public law matters. Eleanor Battie specialises in handling matters related to child arrangement, domestic abuses and parental alienation and is ‘able to get across a difficult point to emotional clients without losing their confidence’. Rising star Anogika Souresh counts public law child work as part of her practice.
Testimonials
‘David Bingham leads a great clerk team. The clerks go the extra mile to help local solicitors.’
‘The clerks are truly excellent. They are extremely responsive and go out of their way to help. They do go the extra mile and are friendly, polite and professional. David Bingham, head clerk, is particularly great to deal with.’
‘The set is an excellent choice of really good family barristers.’
‘A fantastic set with great strength at all levels of experience. The set does a lot of work within the local family justice community, which is appreciated.’
‘The set is flexible and accommodating and will always do its best for you. The set often delivers courses.’
Work highlights
Guildford Chambers
Guildford Chambers is ‘a strong set with a range of counsel with varying call years and the clerks who go above and beyond to utilise counsel and provide availability wherever they can’. Fiona Griffin is instructed in cases involving serious child injuries, sexual abuse and domestic abuse, while Christine Julien similarly is active in public law child work.
Testimonials
‘Gavin Street is a shining star and will do his utmost to assist clients when needed, particularly when needing urgent cover or when cases have been listed at short notice. He is always able to help and is extremely flexible, which assists given the nature of the work.’
‘Simon Morris and Gavin Street work hard to provide an excellent service within chambers as the first point of contact.’
‘Guildford Chambers always tries to accommodate clients’ requests for representation (even at short notice) and has a good quality range of advocates. They do offer training courses as well.’
‘Excellent set with a good mix of counsel.’
‘The chamber has a good range of barristers with expertise in different areas of family law.’
Work highlights
3PB
3PB is home to specialist practitioners across the spectrum of this area, including care proceedings and private child law. Nicola Martin is recommended for complex care cases, while James Legg garners praise for having a ‘fantastic eye for detail and the issues which matter in cases’.
Testimonials
‘Dan Tidman is proactive in trying to help find the right counsel for the case.’
‘Patrick Robson and Patrick Steptoe deserve a special mention. All around, the clerking team remains very hard to equal.’
‘3PB is a go-to chamber with a good selection of counsels who are very knowledgeable, capable and personable.’
‘3PB is an excellent family set with widespread expertise and knowledge.’
‘3PB is a very strong set with strong counsel in this area. It makes a tremendous effort to find counsel if a hearing is at short notice.’
Becket Chambers
Becket Chambers‘ members are adept at advising across the full range of both private and public children law issues. Specific areas of expertise include physical and sexual abuse, parental alienation, relocation of children and child arrangement orders. Louisa Adamson is highly regarded for her excellent track record in advising on complex care cases. Nicole Jennings is often instructed in cases involving parental alienation and allegations of serious abuse.
Testimonials
‘Paul Eaton and Arron Smith are very helpful and efficient.’
‘Aaron Smith and Paul Eaton are always on hand to provide suitable barristers wherever possible.’
‘Becket Chambers is a brilliant set of barristers and offers barristers covering all aspects of family law.’
Pallant Chambers
Pallant Chambers' team has a solid track record in representing parents, guardians and local authorities across a wide range of cases involving allegations of serious physical and sexual abuse, poisoning and neglect, among other areas. Colin Morgan, who heads up the team, has established strength in advising on complex cases of alleged serious child abuse, in which Graeme Harrison is also singled out for his experience. Dylan Morgan is also recommended.
Pump Court Chambers
Pump Court Chambers - which boosted its South Eastern circuit presence following its absorption of Stour Chambers as its Canterbury office - has a strong group of family law juniors, who continue to represent a range of parties in complex cases across the region across the full range of public and private law matters. Simon Johnson is praised by clients as ‘an exceptionally thorough and diligent barrister’ while Amy Connell is known for providing ‘clear and robust advice’ and is an ‘extremely competent advocate’.
Testimonials
‘Pump Court Chambers is efficient and will assist in any way that they can. They are very organised and ensure that all paperwork is provided to assist the barrister.’
‘Pump Court Chambers is a very good set with a range of seniority and all areas of law covered.’
‘Pump Court Chambers is a go-to set for local hearings. It has several experienced counsellors. It always endeavours to ensure continuity of counsel when possible.’
‘Marc Goddard knows his barristers’ strengths and is very helpful in suggesting people the right call for particular cases.’
‘The set provides a great service of the clerks, flexible and helpful. Marc Goddard is very good.’
Trinity Chambers
Trinity Chambers is ‘a go-to set’, with barristers praised for having ‘skills and knowledge required for all aspects of a family case’. The team regularly instructs clients on child law cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and fabricated or induced illness. A ‘formidable advocate’, Stefanie Wickins is ‘extremely thorough with case preparation, and provides clear and concise advice’. Alice Newton is ‘very knowledgeable and hardworking’, and her ‘advocacy is tenacious and determined’.
Testimonials
‘Keith Willmore and Ben White are always extremely helpful.’
‘James Adcock is always incredibly helpful in arranging conferences or moving matters to try and assist me.’
‘Trinity Chambers has a number of reliable and extremely competent family law barristers. They commit to their clients’ cases making themselves available whenever possible. They offer an annual seminar providing very valuable updates.’
Westgate Chambers
Westgate Chambers team is very experienced in handling the full range of public and private child law matters, including physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and factitious inducted illness. Maria Hancock leads the family department and regularly acts for clients in complex cases involving serious life-threatening injuries and sexual abuse, while Sarah Taite regularly acts for parents in care proceedings.