Clerking team

Paul Laverty
Paul Laverty

Senior Clerk - Family and Court of Protection

Ryan Barker

Assistant Senior Clerk (Matrimonial Finance)

Elisa Clement

Family Clerk

Matthew Rigby

Assistant Senior Clerk (Children)

Annette Boxall

Family Clerk

“Recommended expert.”

Legal 500, 2025

“Christian is everything you want when instructing a barrister. He is great with clients, his knowledge of the law is unrivalled, and he is an impressive advocate.”

Legal 500, 2023

Christian is an all-round family law specialist, regularly appearing in the Family and High Court across the country. Christian’s main focus is on private family law cases including financial remedy, private children disputes, and TOLATA cases where he has a wealth of experience. He also has a considerable track record in complex public children cases.

Christian is Public Access accredited.

Before being called to the Bar, Christian worked in academic research relating to mental health problems, receiving a multi-million pound EU grant and also in Local Government policy for the Welsh Assembly.

 

Family finance

Matrimonial finance makes up a considerable part of Christian’s practice.

Christian is regularly instructed in complex financial remedy proceedings at all stages of the case, with a particular emphasis on inherited wealth, dissipation of assets, conduct issues, cases involving trusts, extensive property portfolios, company accounts and more.

Christian is available to expeditiously undertake drafting and provide urgent advice on all aspects of financial remedy and trust cases.

Christian also regularly represents clients within TOLATA proceedings, which compliments his expertise in the matrimonial finance arena. Christian has a particular specialism in cases involving a challenge to beneficial interests (constructing trusts), resulting trusts, declaration of trusts and proprietary estoppel. This is particularly relevant as Christian has also successfully argued these equitable doctrines for many intervenors in financial remedy cases.

Notable cases

  • Re W: Financial remedy proceedings where the issue of transfer of jurisdiction raised with Scotland as this was preferable to the client’s case.
  • Re G and P: 6-day hearing (High Court) for an intervener facing an application pursuant to s.37 MCA 1973. Application dismissed following successful argument that the properties, and businesses (companies) were held by the client pursuant to beneficial interests. No reviewable dispositions. Substantial costs order made in the clients favour on the indemnity basis.
  • Re D and W: 5-day hearing for another intervener facing a s.37 application. Christian successfully argued the properties were legally and beneficially held by the intervener. No reviewable dispositions. Application dismissed and costs awarded on the indemnity basis such were the adverse findings against the applicant.
  • Re L: 4-day hearing representing the wife following a significant equity deal for the husband and considerable shareholding (total equity deal for the Company was £450 million). Substantial capital awarded on a needs basis (given pre and post matrimonial assets were argued) and generous maintenance for life. Physical health problems and covert video recordings (considerable argument over admissibility) played a key part of the hearing.
  • Re C: 4-day hearing for the husband involving the wife’s inherited wealth and imminent disposal of parcels of land to a large national developer. Husband entitled to 40% of the net proceeds of land.
  • Re M: 4-day hearing for the Claimant in TOLATA proceedings against a QC. Successfully argued properties held on resulting trust for the client.
  • Re B: 4-day hearing for the Claimant in TOLATA and Inheritance Act proceedings involving arguments as to whether inheritance claims can usurp beneficial interests.
  • Re M: Lengthy proceedings involving claims under the Inheritance Act representing a child. The estate paid a considerable sum for the purposes of reasonable provision and education.
  • Re H: advised at an early stage in an Inheritance Act claim by a partner where a child was born on out of wedlock. Advised to provide reasonable provision at an early stage and the case settled avoiding considering cost issues.
  • Re B: Lengthy contested hearing where allegations of conduct were made that the wife (Christian’s client) had fraudulently taken out mortgages in the parties names.  The test was not met for gross and obvious wanton dissipation of assets and a costs order made in the wife’s favour.
  • Re W: Successfully responded to an appeal in Sheffield on the grounds that the previous ruling had considered all factual matters when finding that the Husband had doctored bank statements during the proceedings.
  • Lengthy proceedings involving farming and partnership disputes.
  • Numerous Schedule 1 of the Children Act applications.
  • Numerous lengthy hearings involving issues relating to relevant conduct issues.
  • Several cases involving Edgar v Edgar and Xydhias v Xydhias binding agreements prior to financial remedy proceedings, pre-nuptial agreements and challenges to valid Declaration of Trusts (including proprietary estoppel issues).

Children (Public and Private law)

Christian has a wealth of experience and is a specialist in all areas of private and public children cases.

Private Law

He is regularly instructed in private children cases such as:

  • Challenges to live with orders. When Christian was a pupil, he was involved in the case of Re A [2009] in the Court of appeal where a change of residence was considered in detail. This is arguable seen as one of the leading authorities on the issue. Christian drafted the skeleton argument for the father. The judgment is available here.
  • Internal and international relocation cases.
  • Specific Issue and prohibited steps order cases. Especially around school and medical provision (vaccinations, with Christian having been on (it is understood) the first case in the High Court involving opposition by a parent to a child receiving the Covid vaccination – publication awaited).
  • Cases involving serious domestic and sexual abuse.
  • Finding of Fact hearings.
  • Parental alienation/significant influence and emotional harm.
  • Inter alia.

Notable Cases

  • Re I and M: Five-day finding of fact hearing for the extremely vulnerable mother involving parents, also as minors. Issues around statutory rape and serious sexual assaults.
  • Re W: Ongoing proceedings and up and coming final hearing representing the grandparents (led) involving issues of implacable hostility, parental alienation, and internal relocation.
  • Re W and P: Five-day private children final hearing for the father where findings of serious parental alienation were made against the mother who was a senior health professional. Change of living arrangements [residence] made to the father.
  • Re M: One of the first specific issue order applications relating to the covid vaccination for a minor. Representing the r16.4 Guardian. Vaccination ordered.
  • Re M: Five-day finding of fact hearing in private children proceedings representing a father (deputy head) and involving allegations of sexual assaults. Considerable telephone download analysis. Not all findings made. At the welfare hearing Christian undermined the s.7 report and considerable staying contact in favour of the father awarded.
  • Re S – and similar case of Re R: for the Guardian in a Private Children disputes. Following robust challenges to the experts and parents; invited the court to make findings of harmful influence on the children, implacable hostility, and parental alienation despite the psychologist’s opinion suggesting otherwise. The court did make the findings. In other words, the experts changed their minds in oral evidence.
  • Many lengthy cases involving findings of fact with a specialism in parental alienation/influence/hostility and significant emotional harm.

 

Public law

Christian has a wealth of experience in complex public children proceedings involving:

  • Sexual harm and abuse
  • FII
  • Significant NAI
  • Contested adoption
  • Child abduction
  • Committal proceedings following inherent jurisdiction injunctions
  • Jurisdiction including habitual residence and Hague and non Hague countries
  • Inter alia

Notable cases

  • Re M (Injury – Flawed ABE investigation): Christian successfully cross examined and argued that the ABE guidance was not followed, and the investigation flawed to such an extent that the serious findings of NAI could not be made. Judgment of HHJ Duggan is available here.
  • Re C 2013: Christian represented the children in a lengthy finding of fact regarding sexual abuse where the Judge initially gave inadequate reasons. Christian drafted a skeleton argument in response setting out that the trial Judge should be given an opportunity to rectify. Case remitted to the trial Judge to expand. The judgment is available here.
  • Re S: Representing a local authority involving 10 different applications including vexations applications brought by the mother, s.91(14), secure accommodation, DOLs, s.34, discharge of care orders, and leave to oppose adoption orders. All applications were successful defended or pursued by the local authority.
  • Re B: 12-day (leading against silks) reopening/revisiting hearing for a local authority where further evidence and allegations had been made that the child had been significantly influenced by the mother to make the previous complaints of sexual harm against her father (of which previous findings had been made).
  • Re P: Complex medical case where a child was found to have suffered a cardiac arrest, fractured skull, and other internal injuries. There was a live issue of potentially defending an application for a declaration to withdraw artificial life support. The LA eventually withdrew due to the hospital identifying a genetic condition, osteogenesis perfecta, OI, and other conditions rending the child to injure more easily and whilst at hospital.
  • Re C and others (local authorities in Greater Manchester): Representing a local authority in inherent jurisdiction applications for injunctive relief and subsequent committal proceedings.
  • Re C: Representing a father in a three-week finding of fact case where his older children had accused him of sexual assaults and rapes.
  • Re E and H: Seven-day finding of fact for an intervenor in a case of alleged significant NAIs. No findings made against the client.
  • Re L: Representing the father in what became an 18-day case where the allegations were that he and/or others had caused significant non accidental injuries to his child.  No findings made against the client and the care plan is for his son to be rehabilitated to his care.
  • Re B: Four-week case representing a client facing allegations of serious sexual abuse from his daughter. The client had significant learning needs and further allegations arose from other family members (including minors) during the trial.
  • Re X and Y: 10-day hearing representing the adopters at a contested trial. At the outset of the case, the local authority and the Children’s Guardian supported a return of the child to family members who had not seen the child for some time. Following cross examination and submissions made, particularly on the relevant law, final order made in favour of X and Y.
  • Re M: The case lasted in total around five weeks representing the local authority. The issues involved significant neglect but went much wider, including raising the issues of the suitability of a McKenzie friend (including issues of alleged exploitation), lengthy arguments on capacity and challenged evidence of the wider family.
  • Re B: Five-week threshold and welfare hearing (High Court) for a local authority involving multiple subdural and retinal bleeds and fractures. Seven medical experts gave evidence including a geneticist because of a chromosome deficiency and whether a propensity to injure more easily. Findings made of a shaking type of injury and blunt force trauma.
  • Re H: Four-week threshold and welfare hearing representing a father facing allegations of sexual harm on his daughter. Findings made. Judge asked to review the decision on the evidence and based on flagrant breaches of the ABE process. The Judge (High Court) did review, reflected, and findings reversed.
  • Many cases involving international issues such as jurisdiction, cross boarder disclosure, international adoption, relocation cases, child abduction inter alia.
  • Ongoing cases for a local authority involving the death of a child and another case for a father where the allegations are of incest and rape.

Private FDR

In light of Christian’s wealth of experience in financial remedy proceedings and his commitment to a collaborative and resolution approach to cases; he welcomes instructions to conduct and represent parties at private FDR hearings.

Education

Christian initially studied History, achieving a BA (Hons), and then went on to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Law, LL.M (Distinction), Bar Vocational Course.

He was awarded the Shakespeare Memorial Scholarship by Grays Inn, and the Lord Williams of Mostyn Advocacy Award by Cardiff University.

He was also a Repton School Scholar.

He was called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Grays Inn in 2009.