Cases
St John’s Chambers is one of the leading sets on the Western Circuit for public and private child law work.”
- Client Quotes
“St Johns Chambers is one of the fore-front chambers offering counsel for Public Childcare. The clerks are particularly helpful and will go above and beyond to find cover for hearings at short notice.”
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Voted ‘Regional Family Law Chambers of the Year’ at Family Law Awards 2023
St John’s Chambers boasts an established and large Family Law team, which allows us to offer strength and depth of experience in all areas of children public law, advising and representing not only local authorities, parents and Guardians, but also competent children, adopters, foster parents, interveners and other interested parties such as health trusts or police forces.
Members of the team have vast experience across the full spectrum of public law and related matters, ranging from applications for care and supervision orders, placement and adoption orders, leave to apply to revoke placement or to oppose adoption orders, applications for foreign and domestic adoptions, forced marriage, FGM/c and radicalisation cases.
A large part of our work involves cases where there is a need for a fact-finding hearing and consequential applications between the criminal and family jurisdictions, and many of our cases involve complex medical and other expert evidence or international issues. Across the team, we are used to representing vulnerable people and acting for those with mental health difficulties and learning disabilities, whether directly or through the Official Solicitor.
We represent clients at all levels of tribunal covering the Western Circuit and beyond.
Public Access
Some members of the team are also available to act, where appropriate, for members of the public, under the Public Access scheme. Read more.
Publications and training
The team includes published authors, members who run their own Family Law blogs, and members who write regularly for Family Law Week, the Family Law journal and for other legal publications.
The team also offers a series of free CPD-accredited training events in Chambers, and members regularly conduct bespoke seminars at solicitors’ offices, or at other venues throughout the UK. Keeping up to date with family law and sharing knowledge is really important to us. For more information, please contact our family clerks on 0117 923 4720 or email [email protected].
Children Public Law Team
Christopher Sharp KC
- Call: 1975
- Silk: 1999
Lucy Reed KC
- Call: 2002
- Silk: 2023
Susan Hunter
- Call: 1985
Sarah Phillimore
- Call: 1994
Judi Evans
- Call: 1996
Abigail Bond
- Call: 1999
Delia Thornton
- Call: 1999
Zahid Hussain
- Call: 2001
Caroline Elford
- Call: 2002
Julia Belyavin
- Call: 2003
Olivia Pike
- Call: 2008
Asha Groves
- Call: 2013
Ryan Morgan
- Call: 2017
Sophie Smith-Holland
- Call: 2015
Harriet Dudbridge
- Call: 2015
Sarah Fincham
- Call: 2018
Dominik Morton
- Call: 2018
Zoey White
- Call: 2018
Vivien Croly
- Call: 2019
Diana M. Panizzon-Pineda
- Call: 2021
Glen Pritchard
- Call: 2022
Directory Quotes
St John’s Chambers is a very strong family set, housing a team which covers all aspects of family law.”
St John’s Chambers is very efficient and counsel are exceptional.”
The clerks are always available at the end of the phone or by email. If any issue arises they will go above and beyond in order to find a solution so that there is minimal difficulty to the instructing solicitor. A truly faultless service.”
All of the barristers at St John’s are extremely capable of dealing with all types of matters, from simple cases through to incredibly complicated and contentious ones.”
St John’s Chambers has a lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Members are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings. ‘It is an excellent chambers with strength at all levels,’ one interviewee notes.”
Luke Hodgson, practice manager, gives a service which feels tailored to the individual. This is mirrored by his team, whose response times to a request are always impressive. The chambers is very organised and very well run. The clerks go above and beyond and are very quick to respond to enquiries. The clerking team are friendly, approachable and extremely efficient, always exceeding expectations.”
Excellent set’ St John’s Chambers is ‘a go-to’ chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers across the board in the arena of family law.”
St John’s Chambers has a lengthy roster of silks and juniors with invaluable expertise in a wide range of family and matrimonial matters. Members are particularly skilled at handling cross-jurisdictional matters for high net worth individuals, especially those concerning the division of assets as part of divorce proceedings. The barristers are frequently called upon to assist with the most complex public children mandates encompassing sexual abuse, brain injury and trafficking matters, and also take on private work such as Children Act proceedings. ‘St John’s is our first choice of chambers on the Western Circuit. What sets them apart is the breadth and depth of their membership,” one source says.’ “
Luke Hodgson is the practice manager for the family team and Elaine Jewell-Moore, the family law practice team leader, is described as ‘particularly great, prompt and efficient.’ “
St John’s Chambers is home to a large team of family barristers specialising in high-profile public and private family matters on the Western Circuit.”
Cases
Resources
Client Quotes
“St Johns Chambers is one of the fore-front chambers offering counsel for Public Childcare. The clerks are particularly helpful and will go above and beyond to find cover for hearings at short notice.”
Seminars & Events
- Past Event
Children private law seminar - Bristol
Venue: Bristol Old Vic
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