Abigail Bond > Chambers of Matthew White > Bristol, England > Barrister Profile

Chambers of Matthew White
St John's Chambers
101 VICTORIA STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 6PU
England

Work Department

Family

Career

Call : 1999

Abigail practises in all aspects of the law relating to children and is Head of the Children Law team. She has considerable experience of care proceedings in which she represents local authorities, parents and children. She handles a wide range of cases, including those involving allegations of inflicted injury and serious sexual abuse. She also undertakes complex private law work: high-conflict residence disputes, ‘intractable contact’ cases, and applications for leave to remove from the jurisdiction.

She is the author of several articles on family law matters and of the well-received Care Proceedings and Learning Disabled Parents: A Handbook for Family Lawyers (Jordans, 2014, 2nd edition). The Foreword, by Mrs Justice Pauffley, describes it as “erudite, concise and immensely readable”. The book arose out of Abigail’s experience in representing learning-disabled parents, where she strives to ensure that her clients are fairly and properly assessed, and given every opportunity to retain the care of their children.

In addition, Abigail represents parties in the Court of Protection, with an emphasis on health and welfare matters.

In 2019 Abigail was appointed as a Fee-paid Judge of the First–tier Tribunal (Health Education and Social Care Chamber), ticketed to the Mental Health Jurisdiction.

Memberships

  • Family Law Bar Association
  • Association of Lawyers for Children
  • Western Circuit
  • Bar Pro Bono Unit Family Law Panel
  • Abigail has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training

Education

  • BA Hons (Oxon), LLM (University of East Anglia)
  • Formerly: lecturer in family and property law 1993 – 1998

Lawyer Rankings

Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Family: children and domestic violence

(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1

Abigail BondSt John’s Chambers ‘Abigail is a brilliant barrister. She is completely respected by every tribunal she appears in front of and you can tell judges listen to what she says. She is articulate, intelligent, unflappable, civil to the opposition and caring with clients.’

St John’s Chambers is one of the leading sets on the Western Circuit for public and private child law work. Christopher Sharp KC is instructed by parents, local authorities, and guardians in child protection cases involving catastrophic or fatal injuries. Abigail Bond, specialising in care proceedings involving learning disabled parents, heads the practice group in chambers.