9 Park Place

Family

Kayleigh is a busy and established practitioner in the Family Court, specialising in all aspects of public and private law proceedings relating to children.

She acts for Local Authorities, parents, Children’s Guardians, separate representation of children themselves, and other family members, and has a vast experience of cases involving ‘significant harm’, including non-accidental injuries, sexual abuse, and chronic neglect. Kayleigh deals with the more complex of private law cases, including those involving allegations of serious domestic abuse and parental alienation.

Kayleigh is an approachable individual, who is able to form good relationships with her clients and opponents, whilst maintaining a robust and persuasive advocacy style before the Court.

Kayleigh has extensive experience of all matters concerning public law children matters. She has appeared in complex, multi-day Final Hearings to determine applications for Care and Placement Orders, and Special Guardianship Orders. Kayleigh has dealt with the full range of applications made subsequent to Final Orders being made, including discharge applications and applications for permission to revoke Placement Orders and to oppose the making of Adoption Orders.

Kayleigh is fully conversant with the law relating to secure accommodation and the deprivation of liberty, particularly in light of the immense pressures upon this system.

She has significant expertise in involving allegations of sexual abuse and has appeared, both led and as sole Counsel, in extended Fact-Finding Hearings, dealing with allegations of this nature.

Kayleigh also has particular experience acting in disputed allegations regarding non-accidental injuries to children, cross-examining expert paediatricians and other medical experts on such issues.

Across her practice, Kayleigh routinely engages with complex medical and scientific evidence, vulnerable persons (with and without capacity to conduct litigation), and also has experience of international assessments and placements of children within public law proceedings.

Kayleigh regularly represents parties in private cases, including applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Specific Issue and Prohibited Steps Orders. She also deals with Occupation Orders and Non-Molestation Orders.

She has appeared in difficult and lengthy Fact-Finding and Final Hearings, considering allegations of domestic and sexual abuse, representing and cross-examining vulnerable witnesses, including children of the family. Kayleigh well-understands the potential overlap into public law proceedings that cases of this nature often present and also has experience of cases that have led to the appointment of a Children’s Guardian.

Kayleigh has also acted in numerous cases involving both domestic and international relocation of children.

Called 2009, Grays Inn.

Crosskeys College (2002 – 2004) Cardiff University (2004 – 2007): Law LLB – First Class Honours Cardiff University (2008 - 2009): Bar Vocational Course – Outstanding (attended as a Grays Inn Bedingfield Scholar)