Katherine Couper > Chambers of Giles Bain and Christopher Poole > London, England > Barrister Profile

Katherine Couper

Position

Katherine is a specialist family barrister who maintains a diverse practice spanning children and finance work.

Private Law

Katherine’s practice encompasses a wide range of child arrangement disputes, internal and external relocation, Family Law Act applications (including forced marriage), specific issue conflicts, and FGM protection orders. She has had several high profile successes in securing change of residence for children who have been the subjects of parental alienation.

Katherine has particular expertise in applications under the Hague Convention concerning international child abduction. Before coming to the Bar, she worked in the child abduction team of a pre-eminent London solicitors’ firm.

Matrimonial Finance

Katherine appears and advises in cases involving a wide-range of issues, including Schedule 1 provision and disputes between cohabitees relating to Trusts of Land. She is praised for her straightforward and pragmatic advice.

Katherine is often instructed to advise on non-litigious matters, including the drafting of pre and post-nuptial agreements.

Public Law Children Disputes

Katherine has broad experience acting for local authorities, parents and children, including in the areas of non-accidental injury, substance misuse, domestic violence, and international placements. She has particular experience dealing with disputes involving international jurisdictional issues.

Notable Cases:

• Instructed as disclosure counsel to the Attorney General of the States of Jersey during the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (http://www.jerseycareinquiry.org);
• Re AB (a child) (special guardianship order) [2016] All ER (D) 91  – obtained a special guardianship order for paternal grandparents, despite a local authority care plan of placement for adoption;
• C-B v C-B [2019] – secured a finding that a litigation compromise had been reached in pre-proceeding negotiations pertaining to marital finances and obtained an order for enforcement of that compromise;
• VN v VN [2019] – secured findings of parental alienation within a complex fact-finding exercise, which led to an order for change of residence for the subject children;
• M v M [2018] – Obtained an urgent prohibited steps order to prevent the circumcision of a 4-year-old, in circumstances where there was a parental dispute about his religious upbringing.

Career

Called to the Bar 2012; Middle Temple.  Qualified to accept instructions under the Direct Public Access Scheme.

Memberships

FLBA.

Education

University of Manchester (Ba Hons, PPE).  BPP Law School (BPTC and GDL, distinction).