Family law

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Garden Court North Chambers’ team of family law barristers offer full advice and representation in family law, specialising in cases with an international and immigration law dimension. As a set with a strong commitment to protecting human rights and preventing discrimination, we bring that perspective to all of our family work. We believe in the importance of ensuring our family justice system works to protect all family members, including those who have disabilities, those who are transgender, and those who are not British citizens.

We offer advice and representation in:

Private law family proceedings encompassing child arrangements (previously known as residence and contact), divorce, financial provision, prenuptial agreements, domestic and gender-based violence and occupation of the family home.

We have particular expertise in concurrent family and immigration proceedings, e.g. applications for child arrangements orders where a parent has outstanding applications for leave to remain on the basis of protection and/or human rights (including Article 8 ECHR family and private life), divorce/financial provision with an international element, and in cases involving forced marriage protection orders or female genital mutilation orders. We can also draw on the expertise of our associate member Professor Javaid Rehman who has advised on Islamic family law in cases raising questions over capacity to marry and forced marriage.

Public children law including complex care proceedings (such as non accidental injury and factitious illness), wardship, and advising in care proceedings where there are immigration issues or proposals to place the child in a different jurisdiction.

International family law: covering international child abduction, international relocation of children, transnational jurisdiction in family cases, the exercise of the wardship jurisdiction, and international adoption and surrogacy.

Judicial review claims involving children: We are able to advise and represent in the full range of public law (judicial review) cases involving children, such as age assessments for child refugees, education and claims brought by children and young people in prison or detention.

Other areas of law in cases concerning children: We take an interdisciplinary approach to our family work and are an ideal set to instruct in cases where there are overlapping legal issues. We have a dedicated Court of Protection team who can provide advice and representation including on jurisdictional issues. Members of our criminal team can advise where there are concurrent criminal and family proceedings. Our immigration team routinely represents unaccompanied child refugees and children applying to join family in the UK and can advise in complex nationality and EU cases. Our housing and social security teams deal with vulnerable children and young people, including care leavers, facing homelessness or being denied social assistance.

We are able to provide urgent advice and deal with urgent applications in all of the above areas.

Several of our family law barristers are available to be instructed by way of public access, which can be particularly helpful for parents of limited means seeking one-off advices or representation at specific hearings. We are committed to helping families access justice in the light the major impact of legal aid cuts on providers in this area.

We can also provide seminars and training for legal and child care professionals as well as expert reports and consultancy to third parties.

Although Chambers is in Manchester, we frequently travel to courts across England and Wales and can also advise clients based outside the UK. If you would like to know more about our family law work please contact the Practice Management Team on 0161 817 6377 or at gcn@gcnchambers.co.uk