Clerking team

Gail Whelan

Family Clerk

David Harrald

Family Clerk

Elisa Clement

Family Clerk

Patricia Pratt read law at Liverpool University and was called to the Bar in 1991.

Patricia is an experienced, specialist family law practitioner. She has appeared at all levels of the family courts and has extensive experience of children cases including public law, private law, adoption and special guardianship.

She is a reliable, popular and hardworking advocate who brings attention to detail and empathy to the more vulnerable clients who find themselves in the system. She is known for her common sense approach to cases.

Children (Public and Private law)

Patricia is regularly instructed on behalf of parents, grand-parents, step-parents, extended family, local authorities, guardians and the Official Solicitor. She is also instructed by the NCA and Hospital Trusts.

Her expertise includes:

  • All aspects of care work including removal of a child from their parent(s) under care, placement or adoption orders.
  • Serious and complex non-accidental injury cases including child death
  • Parental and sibling death
  • Mental illness of parent/child/carer
  • Drug and alcohol misuse
  • Serious sexual abuse
  • Domestic violence
  • Learning disabilities, learning difficulties and genetic disorders affecting parenting
  • Cross examination of a child witness
  • Fictitious illness
  • Fabricated allegations of a child towards a parent (physical or sexual)
  • Secure accommodation
  • Inherent jurisdiction
  • International adoptions
  • Child trafficking and prostitution
  • Forged marriage
  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Honour-based violence
  • Failed adoptions
  • International adoptions
  • Relinquished babies
  • The return of children from Hague and Non- Hague convention countries
  • Removal from the jurisdiction
  • Consent to / withholding of medical treatment
  • Disputes within private law proceedings concerning with whom the child should live and spend time with
  • Disputes concerning a child’s name, religion, schooling.

Memberships

  • Family Law Bar Association
  • Northern Circuit

Education

  • Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training