Private Law Children

Private Law Children

Coram is dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for our clients when it matters most.

Coram is a recognised leader in all aspects of family law. Our private children law barristers are skilled at guiding clients through a wide range of disputes, including child living arrangements, contact disputes, serious allegations of abuse, schooling, education, permanent moves abroad, adoption, and surrogacy. We can also help with complex jurisdictional disputes and applications under the Family Law Act 1996. We have legal specialists at all levels of seniority (including Queen’s Counsel), with an unparalleled depth and breadth of experience.

For more information on our members or to discuss a particular case, please contact our clerking team.

Our approach

Our barristers can provide written advice, or advice in direct meetings with clients or representation and advocacy in court and in arbitrations. We also regularly support clients engaged in mediation and settlement conferences. We can host these events in our Central London chambers (two minutes from the Central Family Court), where we have private and comfortable conferencing facilities. We have qualified IFLA arbitrators able to undertake arbitrations on children matters.

Areas of expertise

The separation of parents can affect all aspects of parenting. Our private children law barristers are skilled at guiding clients in a range of legal matters, including:

  • Child arrangements orders covering ‘lives with; and ‘spends time with’ arrangements
  • Specific issue orders relating to names, education, religion, school, and other aspects of parental responsibility
  • Prohibited steps orders
  • International and internal relocations
  • Parental alienation and intractable hostility
  • Cases involving fact finding, with serious allegations of domestic abuse including serious physical and sexual violence, coercive control, and economic abuse
  • Enforcement of orders relating to child arrangements
  • Disputes which have significant local authority involvement, drawing from our extensive experience in public children law matters
  • Instruction of r.16.4 guardians representing the views of children in proceedings
  • Cases which involve complex jurisdictional issues including those under Brussels II revised and the 1996 Hague Convention
  • Family Law Act 1996 applications including non-molestation orders and occupation orders.

Additional services

Coram provides a full and bespoke out of court Dispute Resolution service which utilises the expert skills of our family barristers as mediators, arbitrators and through neutral evaluation (private FDR hearings). The expertise of several of our members is recognised by the most prominent directories, Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.

Team Members

Add to shortlist

Martha Cover

Call 1979
Add to shortlist

Kate Hudson

Call 1981
Add to shortlist

Meena Gill

Call 1982
Add to shortlist

Gill Honeyman

Call 2011
Add to shortlist

Neil Bullock

Call 1989
Add to shortlist

Joanna Youll

Call 1989
Add to shortlist

Neil Fry

Call 1992
Add to shortlist

Sima Kothari

Call 1992
Add to shortlist

Alison Easton

Call 1994
Add to shortlist

Dermot Casey

Call 1994
Add to shortlist

Judith Pepper

Call 1999
Add to shortlist

Sarah Branson

Call 2001
Add to shortlist

Helen Harper

Call 2002
Add to shortlist

John Thornton

Call 2002
Add to shortlist

Sophie Hill

Call 2003
Add to shortlist

Hala Mustafa

Call 2004
Add to shortlist

Anna Walsh

Call 2013
Add to shortlist

Rosina Aman

Call 2005
Add to shortlist

Amanda Bewley

Call 2005
Add to shortlist

Lucinda Wicks

Call 2006
Add to shortlist

Ella Shaw

Call 2006
Add to shortlist

Sarah Haworth

Call 2006
Add to shortlist

Ramanjit Kang

Call 2007
Add to shortlist

Sarah Tyler

Call 2009
Add to shortlist

Matthew Shaw

Call 2011
Add to shortlist

Sharin Diegan

Call 2013
Add to shortlist

Kyle Squire

Call 2013
Add to shortlist

Julia Queen

Call 2015
Add to shortlist

Sophie Kay

Call 2016
Add to shortlist

Rachel Cooper

Call 2017
Add to shortlist

Sam Watts

Call 2018
Add to shortlist

Jake Walker

Call 2022
Add to shortlist

Jack Harrison

Call 2015