Family Law Team
From a leading Queens Counsel to experienced and flexible juniors covering all aspects of family law, we provide an expert advisory and advocacy service.
Our Family Team is headed by Iain Goldrein QC. He foresaw very clearly over two decades ago, the fundamental changes that are now unfolding in the provision of legal services. His extensive bibliography, his training of many thousands of solicitors together with his practice over that time are testimony to the steps he has taken to address the challenges of a very new era.
Under his leadership, coupled with the professional standards maintained at 7 Bell Yard, we are in a position to work with these changes.
Chambers has a very strong family/criminal team, with cross-over work and cross fertilisation of experience.
“Shaking Baby” issues are the focus of our Criminal Team as much as our Family Team.
We have extensive experience of criminal charges flowing from investigations into child care, Members of the Criminal Team have the inter-disciplinary experience to prepare and present these cases, with the delicate handling of children as witnesses through television screens.
We have extensive experience of all types of Ancillary Relief case, including trust assets abroad, dissipation of assets and pensions. We have a particular expertise in freezing and seizing orders.
Public law cases are a speciality of Chambers, acting for local authorities, guardians and of course, parents. The range of work covered includes Non-Accidental Head Injury [“NAI”, sometimes refered to as “Shaken Baby Syndrome”] and Sudden Infant Death Syndrom [“SIDS”].
We are pioneers of the inter-face between the developing knowledge about genetics and SIDS, and we are at the forefront of knowledge and experience of the “triad’ and the challenges to that thesis, arising in NAI cases, through the extensive experience that Iain Goldrein QC has in the field of medical expert evidence in all its facets [he was appointed a Companion of the Academy of Experts by Lord Slynn and is a fellow of the institute of Advanced Legal Studies; he has also lectured and published extensively in the medico-legal field]
We have a wide range of experience, from intractable hostility “contact” cases to the inter-action of domestic violence and contact.
We also cover issues of sex and other abuse in the context of private law proceedings.
The clerks’ room works closely with all Chambers instructing solicitors to ensure that they are able to meet their needs in an ever changing and demanding area of law.
We cover all aspects of family law at all levels and the clerks room will always work to ensure that the best person is available to deal with the case.
Chambers has a realistic approach to fees and will agree fees with solicitors for all required work in advance.
Chambers are delighted that we are at the forefront of changes in Family Law. This is demonstrated not least of all by the publication in September 2009 of a new work by Iain Goldrein QC
“Media Access to The Family Courts” is a guide to the new rules and their application.
also published in 2009
“Child Case Management Practice” the editors of which are Mr. Justice Ryder and Iain Goldrein QC. this work is intended to address the demands of the new Public Law outline.
Practice guidelines recently published cover the inter-action of domestic violence and split hearings; and applications for secure accommodation orders.
This evidences a continuing drive by Iain Goldrein QC and the entire family team, to provide ongoing product development in relation to the legal services we provide.