Eight new tenants for SJB
We are delighted to announce that eight new barristers are joining Chambers on successful completion of their pupillage. All have been approved by the...
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Tim is a Family Law barrister. He recently completed pupillage under the supervision of Lucinda France-Hayhurst and Kerry Holt. Tim welcomes instructions in Family Law cases across all areas. He regularly appears in courts all across the Northern Circuit as well as in North Wales, the Midlands and the North Eastern Circuits.
He has acted frequently in complex children law cases taking many matters through to fact finding and composite final hearings. These include numerous local authority adoption cases and novel situations including stepparent adoption. He has notable skill in drafting persuasive and effective position statements, case summaries and skeleton arguments. Tim’s oral advocacy is also noted for being impressive given his relatively short period of practice.
Tim also appears in disputes between separated couples in financial remedy, child arrangement and non-molestation applications. He understands how fraught such situations can be, giving sound advice to clients and staunchly promoting their interests as necessary.
Tim has invaluable experience in what is required to represent vulnerable clients and how to help them navigate the complex and intimidating nature of proceedings. He has completed the Vulnerable Witness Training course. He understands the need to work well with professional and lay clients, working through what can be the most difficult, emotional and challenging periods of their lives. He is also trained to sensitively cross examine vulnerable witnesses to ensure they give their best evidence before the court.
Coming from a background in Scots law and subsequently qualifying in England and Wales, Tim has a broad experience of the law across the differing jurisdictions of the UK. He has also studied both public and private international law, and is knowledgeable about cross jurisdictional family law, refugee and asylum law, and international criminal law.
Children (Public and Private law)
Public Children
Tim frequently represents local authorities, children and parents in public law matters. Despite his recent call, Tim already appeared in several final hearings in adoption cases representing the applicant local authorities, successfully obtaining both a final care order and placement order. He has also represented clients at emergency removal hearings at short notice, successfully negotiating contact arrangements to ensure parents retained a sufficient level of contact with newborns. He is able to quickly identify outstanding information required in proceedings and incorporate time for disclosure into case timetabling while weighing up the cost of any delay.
In light of the new position on Part 25 applications, Tim is notably skilled at both arguing for and opposing such applications in the context of the much higher bar set by Lieven J following West Northamptonshire Council v KA & Ors [2024] EWHC 79 (Fam) (19 January 2024).
Private Children
Tim represents parents and children in private law proceedings, including under the Pathfinder Pilot, arguing for clients’ desires under both interim and final child arrangements orders. He recently successfully obtained a Prohibited Steps Order for a client preventing the other parent from removing their child from the jurisdiction, successfully arguing the risks of any prospective removal to Iran warranted safeguards. Tim’s background in other jurisdictions assists him in cases where the foreign or international law is a component requiring research, analysis and application.
Tim has also regularly acted for clients seeking non-molestation orders, successfully arguing that such orders are necessary. He is experienced in representing vulnerable clients who are the victims of domestic abuse, appreciating the difficulties they may have participating in proceedings where they may have to indirectly interact with their abusers. Tim understands the creative approach that must be taken to protecting clients in these situations, especially where there are children involved and overlapping contact arrangements.
Family finance
In the first two weeks on his feet, Tim undertook a pro-bono brief in a two-day final hearing, supervised by Samantha Hillas KC. He successfully obtained a settlement significantly in the favour of his client despite being against notably more senior Counsel. He has an aptitude for detailed assessments of parties’ financial positions while keeping a holistic overview of the assets in dispute.
Tim has also done several cases where parties have been non-compliant and even obstructive in their disclosure. He is not afraid to argue for Unless Orders and Committal Proceedings in such cases, skilfully resolving issues where other parties have attempted to derail proceedings. Tim appreciates that a detailed and concise written note is an extremely effective tool and often can help influence a case prior to even attending court.
Tim accepts briefs for hearings at all stages of financial remedy proceedings.
Cases:
S v H – Tim successfully argued for departure from equality in a case of a long marriage where the medical needs of his client and the uneven contribution to the martial request warranted a 70/30 divide of the proceeds from the sale of the matrimonial home in his client’s favour.
L v L – Tim represented a client at an FDA involving an application for the transfer of a tenancy. Tim successfully argued for an unless order allowing the FDR listed to be treated as a final hearing in the event of continued non-compliance by the other side.
H v H – Tim successfully finalised proceedings at an FDR where the other side failed to attend and due to non-compliance the presiding judge was convinced to approve an agreement granting the wife full rights to the home and its contents, with a sale to be facilitated by the wife’s solicitor.
Education
- Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training
- LLB (Hons) Scots Law (First Class), University of Glasgow
- LLM International and European Union Law (Distinction), Erasmus University Rotterdam
- Graduation Diploma of Law in England and Wales (Commendation), Cardiff University
- Bar Training Course (Very Competent), Cardiff University
Awards
- The Sir Elihu Lauterpacht Scholarship – the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn
- The Northern Circuit
- Family Law Bar Association
- Court of Protection Bar Association
- Child Concern
