‘Sarah is a passionate advocate. She is a quick and articulate thinker – she puts forward strong arguments.’
Legal 500, 2025“An amazing barrister, who goes the extra mile for clients.”
Chambers & Partners, 2025
About
Described as ” very good and not afraid of putting forward a difficult view if that’s what’s called for” Sarah Branson is an accomplished, award-winning family law barrister. She specialises in acting for children, parents and local authorities in the most complex public law proceedings. These can include non-accidental injury, sexual abuse and serious violence, involving the death of a parent or a child. Sarah also has a thriving private law practice representing parents and children in the most complex disputes.
Sarah is also a qualified mediator.
Experience
Sarah Branson is a barrister with a thriving practice in public and private law, specialising in working with children, parents, and local authorities. An exceptional talent, Sarah won the Family Law Awards Junior Barrister of the Year 2018 on her first nomination. She is ranked as a leading junior in both the UK Bar 2023 editions of The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Clients say ‘Sarah’s oral advocacy has to be her primary strength. ..she has an exceptional knowledge of the law and keeps up to date with recent case law developments. She has amazing ability to think on her feet, and her knowledge and experience is evident from talking to her. She is able to explain complex legal concepts and advise clients in a way which enables them to understand the case.’
Straightforward, friendly and approachable, clients trust her. Sarah understands the responsibility she bears in helping people face traumatic family issues in the courts. A qualified mediator, Sarah has excellent negotiation and conciliation skills and has successfully mediated agreements in Iran and Afghanistan.
With experience working on cases in interjurisdictional work, including trafficked children and modern-day slavery, as well as situations where there are concurrent criminal proceedings, Sarah has a particular specialism in acting in cases where one parent has killed another.
Other cases include complex non-accidental injury cases including shaking baby NAI, fictitious illness by proxy, bruising and very serious sexual abuse.
Sarah has a particular expertise in the science of hair strand testing and has written articles on the subject and presented papers at conferences including Cumberland Lodge.
Sarah has worked in legal protection for UNHCR in Iran and Afghanistan, and as an English teacher in China, Japan, and Taiwan. She has vast experience in the rights of children across diverse cultures.
Sarah will make herself available out of hours and at weekends if her services are required.
Practice Areas
Public Law Children
Private Law Children
International Family Law
Dispute Resolution
Court of Protection
Alternative Families
Local Authority
Cases
Re Q (Children) (Hair strand testing), [2023] EWFC 314
F (A Child) (Care Order : Deprivation of Liberty) [2021] EWHC 3527 (Fam) (09 December 2021)
Re R (Children) (Control of Court Documents) [2021] EWCA Civ 162
Y (disclosure to MPS) [2021] EWFC B33
X & Y & Anor (Final Abridged Judgment) [2020] EWFC B66
Hertfordshire CC v K (Deprivation of Liberty) [2020] EWHC 139 (Fam)
A Child (Welfare decision following finding of NAI), Re [2020] EWFC B72 (18 September 2020)
F (A Child) (Care Order : Deprivation of Liberty) [2021] EWHC 3527 (Fam) (09 December 2021)
London Borough of Waltham Forest v FC & Anor [2014] EWFC 13
London Borough of Waltham Forest v FC & Anor [2014] EWFC 14
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham v SS [2014] EWHC 3338 (Fam) (15 October 2014)
LB of Barking & Dagenham v SS
[2014] EWHC 3338 (Fam)
A Local Auth v DG & Others
[2014] EWHC 63 (Fam)
RS v SS
[2013] EWHC B33 (Fam)
Sevketoglu v Sevketoglu [2003] EWCA Civ 1570; The Times, November 27, 2003
Education and Professional Memberships
BA (Hons) – University of Liverpool
Graduate Diploma in Law (merit) – University of Westminster
Bar vocational course (very competent) – Inns of Court School of Law, City University.
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Middle Temple
Training
Sarah has undertaken the Bar Council specialist Vulnerable witness training.
Speaker on ‘The Use of Intermediaries’, a highly successful event co-hosted with a representative from Communicourt on July 14th, 2015.
Testimonials
“Sarah is a passionate advocate. She is a quick and articulate thinker – she puts forward strong arguments.” Legal 500 2025, Ranked: Tier 4
“She really does go the extra mile for all of them.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“She is loved by my clients for her ability to explain things in a way they can understand.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“Brilliant in court and ready to take on any challenge.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“A fierce advocate.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“She relates to people and makes them feel comfortable.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“An amazing barrister, who goes the extra mile for clients.” Chambers and Partners, 2025, Band 4
“She is very experienced in representing clients where mental health is a key issue. She knows the law and arguments for vulnerable clients with mental health issues.” Legal 500 2024, Ranked: Tier 4
Described in Legal500 as having an “amazing ability to think on her feet, and her knowledge and experience is evident from talking to her. She is able to explain complex legal concepts and advise clients in a way which enables them to understand the case” Legal 500, 2023
“Sarah’s oral advocacy has to be her primary strength and has an exceptional knowledge of the law and keeps up to date with recent case law developments.” Legal 500, 2023
“Sarah Branson is very good and not afraid of putting forward a difficult view if that’s what’s called for.” Chambers and Partners 2023
Languages
Chinese – basic
Japanese – basic
