About
Richard is a family law barrister with extensive experience in all aspects of the law relating to children.
His main area of practice lies in acting for local authorities, children and parents in public law proceedings. He is regularly instructed on complex matters including those involving allegations of serious non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, psychiatric or psychological disorders, substance misuse and parallel criminal proceedings.
He acts in cases involving the international movement children including both Hague Convention and non-Convention abduction cases and other matters with an international element.
Richard is qualified as an arbitrator under the IFLA scheme.
He is a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber. He sits in the Special Educational Needs and Disability jurisdiction.
Richard is also a fee-paid Environment and Traffic Adjudicator at London Tribunals.
Experience
Public law: Children
Richard represents local authorities, parents, interveners and children’s guardians at all stages of care and adoption proceedings.
Richard acts in cases involving non-accidental injuries and infant death, sexual abuse and chronic neglect.
He is regularly instructed in cases involving the Official Solicitor; children who are separately represented from the guardian; concurrent criminal prosecutions; mental health issues; disability in parents and children; special guardianship; contested adoptions; legal and illegal immigrant cases and placement of children outside of the jurisdiction.
Children & family: Private law: Children
Richard is frequently instructed in complicated disputes, Richard has extensive experience of cases involving fact finding hearings; implacable hostility; the separate representation of children; leave to remove from the jurisdiction; and child abduction (both Hague and non Hague cases).
Practice Areas
Children
Family
Public law
Court of Protection
Notable cases
• Local Authority v RR & Ors [2021] EWFC B14 (17 March 2021)
• M (A Child : failure to comply with Achieving Best Evidence) [2014] EWFC B141 (27 October 2014)
• ZM v AM [2014] EWHC 2110 (Fam) (26 June 2014)
• Milton Keynes Council, Re CM (A Child) [2014] EWFC B88 (05 June 2014)
• R (Mother) v Milton Keynes Council & Ors [2014] EWFC B66 (OJ) (3 June 2014)
• L (A Child) [2011] EWCA Civ 1792
• R v B [2006] EWHC 352 (Fam)
• Re R (A Child) [2005] EWHC 2018 (Fam)
Professional activities
Richard has undertaken lectures and seminars on ancillary relief (update and costs) and the Public Law Outline.
Professional memberships
ALC
FLBA
CIArb
Education
BA, LLB Monash University, Melbourne