Alexander Laing

Barrister

About

Alex specialises in children and finance law, particularly cases with an international element.

Described in the current Legal 500 as “one of the best young or junior barristers” and “A Queen’s Counsel in the making” and by Chambers and Partners as “diligent, unflappable, precise, clear and effective”, Alex was the Family Law Awards: Junior Barrister of the Year (2020), which is the top category under QC, having been the only member of the Family Bar ever twice to have won the Family Law Awards: Young Barrister of the Year (2018 and 2016).

He has appeared in four UK Supreme Court cases about family law over the past couple of years, including the Family Law Awards: Case of the Year (2020).

Alex is co-author of the leading book, Hershman and McFarlane: Children Law and Practice which is given to every family judge in England and Wales. He is also co-author of three further books on family law: Laing and Jackson: Public Children Law: Contemporary Issues (1st edn., 2018); Child Protection and the Family Court: What You Need to Know (3rd edn., 2019); and Family Law Precedents Service (46^th edn., 2020). Beyond that, Alex is heavily involved in the family justice system, sitting on the President’s working groups on standard orders, public children law, adoption and supervision orders.

Alex speaks and writes fluent Spanish. He holds a DELE Diploma C2 (equivalent to doctorate level: certifies “mastery”).

Experience

Alex studied history and modern languages at Trinity College Dublin for which he was awarded a First, an honorary distinction and the Gold Medal for receiving a First in each and every paper, essay, and dissertation (famous recipients include Samuel Beckett, Nobel laureate). As part of that, Alex spent a year at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain; subsequently, he completed a masters-level programme at the Universidad para la Paz in Costa Rica (distinction: 1st in year).

He completed the GDL (distinction) and the BPTC (outstanding) at the City Law School, London, where he won the Everard Van Heyden prize.

Before coming to the Bar, Alex worked for the United Nations in El Salvador. At that time, El Salvador suffered from the highest murder rate of any country not in open war. His primary tasks were to help investigate corruption in the justice system and introduce electoral reform; he also worked with charities assisting ex “maras” (or gang members) to reintegrate into society.

Alex was the top barrister of his Call to the Bar by Lincoln’s Inn across all areas of law. Shortly after, Sir James Munby P described Alex’s work in complex areas as “very impressive” ([2015] EWCA Civ 1112) and “illuminating” ([2016] EWHC 2271). He was then awarded the Outstanding Newcomer in the Field of Children Law: ALC (2017) and the Family Law Awards: Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2017).

By appointment of Sir Andrew McFarlane P Alex is currently on two working groups on the future of family justice (public children law; and adoption).

Practice Areas

Finance and Private Client

Private Law Children

Public Law Children

Human Rights

International Family Law

Publications

Books

Family Law Precedents Service (46th edn., 2020), with Sir Michael Keehan et al.

Child Protection and the Family Court: What You Need to Know (3rd edn., 2019), with Sir Andrew McFarlane P and HHJ Reardon.

Laing and Jackson: Public Children Law: Contemporary Issues (1st edn., 2018), with Dr Bianca Jackson.

Articles

No Exceptions to the Ongoing Involvement of the Judge Who Hears the FDR, Lexis PSL online, 9 August 2019

Outta Time, But Not Outta Luck (co-author, Greg Williams), The Review, July 2019 

Family: Update, Legal Action (December 2018 / January 2019)

A Short Note on Habitual Residence: AB v CD [2018] EWHC 1021 (Fam), Family Law Week, 22 May 2018 (read https://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed190031)

Daedalus, Ariadne and the Minotaur: Where are we now? Family Law Week, 15 May 2018 (read https://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed189940)

Villiers v Villiers: The Hammer of the Scots?: Part I (co-author, Michael Horton) The Review, May 2018

Why pro bono? [2018] Fam Law 361

Villiers v Villiers: An Update (co-author, Michael Horton) Family Law Week, 22 March 2018 (read http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed188904)

I Can’t Get No (Just) Satisfaction: Human Rights Act Claims in Family Law (co-author, Rachel Cooper), The Review, December 2017

Guidance on the Use of Professional Time to Benefit Children, The Review, September 2017

Children Giving Evidence in Family Proceedings: A Pocket Guide to the Law, Bloomsbury Law Online, 26 October 2016 (read http://www.bloomsburylawonline.com/children-giving-evidence-in-family-proceedings/)

Secure, Secure, Secure, Absconding, Bloomsbury Law Online, 5 October 2016 (read http://www.bloomsburylawonline.com/secure-secure-secure-absconding/)

Children Case Update: Public law: Part 3: Special guardianship orders; female genital mutilation protection orders; BIIa and other international care cases; inherent jurisdiction and wardship; decisions of the Supreme Court [2016] Fam Law 643

Children Case Update: Public law: Part 2: Fact finding; medical treatment; adoption and placement orders [2016] Fam Law 931

Children Case Update: Public law: Part 1: Care Proceedings, [2016] Fam Law 643

And There Lurks the Minotaur: The Interrelationship Between the Inherent Jurisdiction and Section 25, CA 1989: Part II, Family Law Week, 8 July 2016 (read http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed161670)

And There Lurks the Minotaur: The Interrelationship Between the Inherent Jurisdiction and Section 25, CA 1989: Part I, Family Law Week, 22 June 2016 (read http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed161398)

A Very Legal Playground: In the Matter of B (A Child) and the Habitual Residence Seesaw, Family Law (online), 22 February 2016

Saleem, Shivering and English Winters: Jurisdiction under Article 11 of the 1996 Hague Convention and is published on Family Law (online), 4 January 2015. (read here)

‘Calderback to the Future: A Debate on the Motion: This House Believes the Calderbank Regime Should be Restored in Family Cases’ [2015] Fam Law 1537

‘”… this can no longer be tolerated”: a short guide to the correct use of section 20, Children Act 1989’ Family Law Week, 11 November 2015 (read here)

‘Limping Infants and Article 15 BIIA: the “magisterial” judgment in In the Matter of N (Children) (Adoption: Jurisdiction)’, Family Law Week, 10 November 2015 (read here)

‘Magna Carta 800 Years On: Faded Lustre and Family Law.’ Family Law (online), 17 July 2015 (read here)

Genes or Jeans? The Importance of the Genetic Relationship when Evaluating a Child’s Best Interests, Family Law (online), 3 June 2015 (read here)

Adopting Foreign Children: Part II: A Counter-Argument; Choice of Laws [2015] Fam Law 703

Adopting Foreign Children: Part I: Jurisdiction [2015] Fam Law 565 (read here)

Re J: A Lesson on Threshold and Logic, Family Law Week, 23 April 2015 (read here)

Daedalus’s Twist? Secure Accommodation after a Child’s 16th Birthday, Family Law Week, 9 April 2015 (read here)

Ariadne’s Golden Thread: Placing Children in Secure Accommodation, Family Law Week, 9 April 2015 (read here)

Podcast and Case Summaries

Secure Accommodation Orders and Deprivation of Liberty of Children and Young Persons, 29 July 2017 (listen here http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=ed178924)

Alex writes weekly case summaries for Family Law Week. These are available to read http://www.familylawweek.co.uk/site.aspx?i=se0&s=Laing