About
“Outstanding” barrister John Paul is highly regarded for his professionalism in cases with sensitive issues. An experienced and adept trial advocate, he is effective in presenting and pursuing his client’s case. A busy practitioner predominantly appearing in Central London and the South-East he also accepts instructions further afield. John Paul is accessible and approachable and happy to advise both lay and professional clients. He particularly welcomes being consulted early in proceedings to guide clients through all stages of what is often a stressful and anxiety-provoking process.
Experience
John Paul Cregan has practised exclusively in family law throughout his career at the Bar. He specialises in disputes concerning children.
He acts for parents, relatives and children in public law proceedings. This work often involves serious and complex cases involving physical and emotional abuse and neglect as well as finding of fact hearings including non-accidental injury and FII (fabricated and induced illness). He appears for parents and other relatives who have found themselves accused of harming a child. Experienced in representing clients with cognitive and communication limitations, and cases involving intermediaries or the Official Solicitor, he is mindful and sensitive to their particular needs.
In private law proceedings, he often acts for parents to resolve intractable contact disputes. He also represents parents in cases involving disagreements over living arrangements, international relocation and child abduction. He is frequently instructed by the National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) to represent children who are joined as parties in complex and protracted private law proceedings which feature issues of implacable hostility and parental alienation.
He represents grandparents and other relatives seeking child arrangements orders and/or special guardianship orders so that children can either live or spend time with them.
He welcomes instructions for such cases through the Direct Access Scheme.
Practice Areas
Public Law Children
Private Law Children
International
CoP
Education and Professional Memberships
BCL University College, Cork, Ireland
MA Text and Performance Studies, RADA, London
Called to the Irish Bar at King’s Inns, Dublin
Family Law Bar Association
Middle Temple
Testimonials
The client (a mother) and the client’s relative wrote to thank John Paul “for the very professional way you worked X’s case with its many delicate issues …thank you for your excellent work and strong efforts of achievement throughout the whole day and beyond usual court functioning time…“. The client’s relative noted that through John Paul’s efforts, the mother was allowed to continue to exercise her parental responsibility to her children through contact, contact that had been interrupted and sporadic for years until John Paul’s representation of the mother at court.
A solicitor who wrote to John Paul to thank him for his representation on behalf of a client seeking a private law order saying “the client was very happy and said you were outstanding”.
Cases
R (No order for contact after finding of domestic abuse) [2020] EWFC B57
T (A Child) [2019] EWFC B26
Re M (Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order: No Order on Application) [2019] EWHC 527 (Fam)
S (wardship), Re [2016] EWFC B1
Redbridge v S (Article 15 Transfer) 2015 EWFC B122
P (A Child: use of s.20 CA 1989) [2014] EWFC 775
Re: M Children [2014] EWHC 667 (Fam)