The practice of family law has been an acknowledged strength of SJB for a considerable period and we rank as a leading family law Chambers in all of the major legal directories.
There are now more than 90 members of St John’s Buildings Chambers who are Children law specialists, including six King’s Counsel. Our practitioners’ range of experience stretches from those who have recently completed a specialist pupillage to those of many years’ seniority and eminence.
We are, in consequence, able to cover all aspects of family law and related work at all levels to a standard of excellence. We regularly appear in all levels of Courts up to and including the Family Division of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
We are proud of the diversity of our team’s skills and experience and in particular the fact that we are able to offer practitioners who are pre-eminent in the fields of children and related work.
One of our great strengths is that each individual member benefits from being part of a cohesive team within a large multidisciplinary set of Chambers. This means that we are able to offer strength and depth of service from a setting where we can, when necessary, benefit from the experience and presence of other practitioners.
We strive to create an ethos which is user friendly and client focused.
Public law
We represent Local Authorities, Parents, Interveners, Guardians and the Official Solicitor in the all types of proceedings and the team has widespread experience of:
- Abuse and Non-Accidental Injuries
- Fabricated or Induced Illness
- Addiction (parent and child addiction including addiction at birth)
- Disputed Expert Evidence
- Education and Special Educational Needs
- Jurisdictional Issues
- Neglect
- Deprivation of Liberty (Children)
- Court of Protection and Mental Health proceedings (see Court of Protection Team)
We provide training to Local Authorities, solicitors, social workers and organisations involved in family law proceedings.
Private law
We regularly appear in all levels of Court up to and including the Family Division of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Our team is deliberately developed with clients in mind. We have a large and highly trained team of family clerks who can help allocate any type of case to an expert barrister.
Our expertise includes:
- Arbitration – click here for information on our Family Law Arbitrators
- Child Arrangements
- Guardianship
- Human Rights
- Domestic Violence
- Jurisdiction
- Leave to Remove
- Parental Responsibility
- Prohibited Steps
- Specific Issue
- Wardship
- Parental Alienation
- Surrogacy
- Family Law Act applications (Non-Molestation, Occupation and Forced Marriage Protection Orders)
