Clerking team

Gail Whelan

Assistant Senior & Family Clerk

David Harrald

Family Clerk

Elisa Clement

Family Clerk

Jennifer is a highly regarded advocate, practising in all areas of family law and Court of Protection (Health and Welfare).

Jennifer has considerable experience and is recognised for her expertise as an advocate in family law. She is instructed in cases of complex care proceedings, deprivation of liberty matters and abuse cases.

Jennifer appears regularly in the High Court, family courts and the Court of Protection across London and the North West region. Jennifer also accepts instructions in cases of removal of children from the jurisdiction, to both Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention countries.

Jennifer is registered with the Bar Council for public access work and regularly represents members of the public who want to go to a barrister directly. Please contact her clerks if you would like to instruct Jennifer directly.

Children (Public and Private law)

Jennifer practises in all areas of Children Law.

 

Public Law

Jennifer is experienced in representing parents, children through their Guardian, interveners and Local Authorities in all areas of public law proceedings at all stages of a case.

Jennifer regularly appears for public bodies in the High Court in complex Deprivation of Liberty cases in respect of children.

Jennifer regularly appears for all parties in non-accidental injury cases including serious fractures and life changing injuries to children.

Jennifer has particular interest and experience representing vulnerable parents and parents with learning difficulties where capacity may be an issue.

 

Private Law

Jennifer is regularly instructed to represent parents in Private Law proceedings where there are disputes relating to both residence and contact involving complex domestic abuse and neglect. She has experience representing grandparents and extended family members in Special Guardianship applications and Child Arrangement Order applications.

Jennifer specialises in parental alienation representing parents and children in complex proceedings where contact has broken down and children have become estranged from parents. Jennifer places significant importance on proceedings taking the right course from the outset to ensure that these complex but uncommon cases are dealt with as efficiently and thoroughly as possible.

Jennifer has a wealth of experience in obtaining and defending non-molestation orders and complex occupation orders where beneficial interests and charges in and on the Family Matrimonial Home are involved.

 

International Law

Jennifer is instructed to deal with child abduction cases involving the removal of children to and from the jurisdiction to both Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention countries.

Jennifer specialises in representing clients seeking to relocate to other countries with children and those seeking injunctive relief to stop a move abroad with children.

 

Featured cases

Jennifer represented a mother making serious historical abuse allegations against the father of the children including rape, physical abuse and coercive control. It was necessary to ensure that the cultural context of the case was properly considered, highlighting the mother’s British Pakistani identity and the father’s Pakistani origin in addition to their arranged marriage and how their cultural and religious framework may have influenced their relationship.

The court commended the extremely high quality of the advocates who represented the parents. The case was reported on BAILII.

Court of Protection

Jennifer regularly appears in the Court of Protection accepting instructions from P through his litigation friend, family members, NHS Trusts and local authorities. Jennifer acts in a full range of the Court of Protection’s jurisdiction including cases where P seeks to challenge their Section at a Mental Health Tribunal.

Jennifer’s background as an experienced children law practitioner has given her a particular ability to grapple with complex cases where P is a young person and has had protracted local authority involvement. Jennifer understands the intricate details of care packages, a local authority’s duty and funding for young people particularly care leavers and their family members.

Memberships

  • Family Law Bar Association
  • Court Protection Practitioners Association (CoPPA)

Education

  • BA with Hons at the University of Liverpool
  • General Diploma in Law at the College of Law
  • Bar Professional Training Course at the Manchester Metropolitan University