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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Having successfully completed a Family law pupillage under the supervision of Justine Cole, Zoe is available to accept instructions in private and public children work, deprivation of liberty orders, and matrimonial finance proceedings as part of her rapidly growing practice.
Zoe is approachable and personable, allowing her to build rapport quickly with clients and negotiate effectively with other parties. She has experience representing vulnerable clients including neurodivergent clients and clients with learning difficulties.
She has a practical and issue-focussed approach, allowing her to quickly get up to speed with cases and get to the heart of matters.
Zoe is meticulous in drafting documents including threshold, position statements, skeleton arguments, written openings, written submissions, case summaries and court orders.
Children (Public and Private law)
Zoe has experience of hearings at all stages of proceedings from the initial hearings or appointments through to findings of fact and final hearings. She acts for local authorities, parents, and children by their Guardians.
Issues in cases that Zoe has dealt with include drug and alcohol misuse, neglect, mental health, criminality, capacity, homelessness, domestic abuse, sexual assault, parental alienation, and non-accidental injury.
In recent cases Zoe has:
- Represented a local authority seeking adoption in a contested final hearing where extended family members were seeking to care and had been made intervenors. The court made care and placement orders.
- Successfully argued for the early conclusion of public law proceedings on a supervision order against the recommendation of the Children’s Guardian.
- Negotiated a resumption of contact in private law proceedings for a parent recently made homeless.
- Successfully argued on behalf of a local authority for a final care order with placement at home in exceptional circumstances following the case of JW.
- Secured a variation of a specific issue order to change the school that a child should attend.
- Represented a respondent in committal proceedings where the court had found repeated breaches of a court order, resulting in a suspended sentence of three months imprisonment.
- Successfully argued for a change of a child’s name where one parent was not consenting.
Zoe’s scientific background allows her to critically analyse scientific evidence such as hair strand testing reports and medical evidence.
Family finance
Zoe has experience of hearings throughout proceedings from FDA to FDR and final hearing. She accepts instructions for privately and publicly funded clients as part of a developing financial remedies practice.
Issues in cases that Zoe has dealt with include pension sharing, cohabitation before marriage, matrimonialisation of inheritance, domestic abuse, and non-disclosure.
In recent cases Zoe has:
- Acted for a client who achieved the remedy sought at final hearing
- Secured a costs order against a litigant in person who had failed to comply with court orders
- Negotiated an agreed settlement as part of a case where the parties had previously been entrenched in their opposing positions
Education
- BPC, Very Competent, University of Law, Nottingham (2023)
- GDL, Distinction, University of Law, Nottingham (2022)
- BSc (Hons) 1st Class, Pharmaceutical Science, University of Nottingham (2015)
Memberships
- The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
- Women in Family Law
