Sarah Richardson > Russell-Cooke LLP > Kingston upon Thames, England > Lawyer Profile
Russell-Cooke LLP Offices
Riverview House 20 Old Bridge Street Hampton Wick
KINGSTON UPON THAMES
KT1 4BU
England
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Sarah Richardson
Work Department
Family and children
Position
Sarah is a partner in the children and education law team.
She specialises in complex cases involving vulnerable adults and children during care proceedings and family disputes such as children spending time with and or living with one family member. In this changing world of how families develop and are formed, Sarah has the ability to adapt and change as well as take on new challenges to meet her clients changing needs.
Sarah is particularly experienced in advising and representing children, parents and family members in difficult and sensitive cases which are often life changing for families – for example, where there are issues of parental drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence and or a mental health difficulty. Sarah has a reputation for being able to tackle a difficult area in a case such as mental health without being phased by the added complexities. Many cases often involve allegations of sexual abuse or physical harm to children. She handles these highly emotional cases with sensitivity and kindness.
Sarah is also experienced in international and domestic adoption and surrogacy and advising LGBTQ+ families.
Career
- Moved from Australia 1989;
- trained at Levenes and qualified in 2002;
- Christian Khan Solicitors;
- Joined Russell-Cooke in 2007, made partner in 2014
Memberships
- Member of the Law Society’s Children Panel;
- Member of the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC) and Resolution (formerly the Solicitors’ Family Law Association);
- Member of the National Association of Guardians ad litem and Reporting Officers.
Education
Royal Melbourne University of Technology (BA in Journalism and Public Relations); Middlesex Guildhall University (Law Conversion Course); College of Law London (2000 Final Exam).
Lawyer Rankings
London > Private client > Family
(Leading partners)As ‘a truly excellent firm‘, Russell-Cooke LLP‘s family team is ‘always at the forefront of developments’ from a range of non-court dispute resolution options, including mediation and arbitration, to international surrogacy arrangements. James Carroll, managing partner, is ‘a brilliant strategist‘ with experience of complex financial disputes, leading the central London team alongside Kate Hamilton, who is ‘second to none‘; Katie Longmate, who joined the team in January 2024 from AFP Bloom; and Jemma Pollock, who is a go-to for cohabitation disputes. Arbitrator Fiona Read
and financial specialist Hannah Minty co-head the Putney team. Sarah Richardson leads the children team, handling serious child protection matters and with a growing practice in alternative family law, where Jade Quirke, a fertility law specialist, is a particularly experienced. Samantha Little and Rachel Donald are also recommended.
London > Public sector > Education: individuals
Russell-Cooke LLP is equipped to handle a wide range of matters for neuro-divergence and parenting children with SEN, alongside other education related matters such as school admissions and exclusion appeals, complaints to the local authorities and securing interim education options and school transport. The children and education department is jointly headed by Eva Akins, the head of education law, and Sarah Richardson, the head of children law. The firm’s reach was extended through the arrivals of associate Erin Smart and of legal director Victoria Federico who joined from Shoosmiths LLP in July 2023.