Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: Robert Leonard
- Clerk Telephone: 0330 332 0773
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Family
Public law children
Andrew is instructed by parents, grandparents, guardians and local authorities in the full range of public law cases from care to supervision orders, and from special guardianship to adoption.
The range of cases he is instructed on include allegations of:
- murder;
- baby poisoning;
- shaken baby;
- sexual abuse;
- domestic violence;
- fabricated or induced illness (FII);
- GFM;
- drug and alcohol addiction;
- parental alienation;
- neglect; and
- other serious emotional and physical abuse.
He is regularly instructed in cases involving parents with severe learning disabilities and mental health difficulties, including emotionally unstable personality disorder and schizophrenia.
Private law children
Andrew is instructed by both applicants and respondents, mothers and fathers, as well as grandparents and other interested parties (such as Children’s Guardians and grandparents) in private law children proceedings.
The range of cases he is instructed on include allegations of:
- domestic violence/abuse;
- alcohol and drug addiction;
- sexual abuse;
- parental alienation; and
- other serious emotional and physical abuse.
Andrew deals with the full range of private law children applications, from where a child should live and how much time they should spend with each parent, to child abduction and wardship, and from prohibited steps to specific issue orders. He also acts in Schedule I (financial) applications for children.
Financial remedies
Andrew acts in the wide range of financial applications arising out of the breakdown of relationships between married and unmarried couples including:
- financial orders under s25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973;
- Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996;
- interlocutors applications for maintenance pending suit and s37 injunctions to prevent the dissipation and to recover assets;
- transfer of tenancy;
- overseas assets;
- third parties, usually in-laws, intervening in ancillary relief proceedings; and
- applications for financial provision for children under the Children Act 1989 Sch 1.
Andrew is available for private remote FDR hearings. For more information on private remote FDR hearings please click here.
Domestic violence
Andrew is instructed by both applicants and respondents in applications for occupation and non-molestation orders under the Family Law Act 1996 and committal proceedings. He also deals with associated financial orders within Family Law Act proceedings.
Reported cases of note:
Re T (care and placement orders) [2023] EWFC 106: Domestic abuse and mental health issues prevented mother from caring for her baby.
Re S and T (Care Proceedings Following Private Law Dispute) [2021] EWFC B54: Protracted private law proceedings for contact, giving rise to public law proceedings due to concerns that parental alienation was causing significant emotional harm. The children were removed into the interim care of the local authority and ultimately placed with the other parent.
Local Authority v RR & Ors [2021] EWFC B14: Supervision order made against a 15-year old child’s wishes, and the use of directions under Schedule 3 of the Children Act 1989.
Re M and Z (Children) [2020] EWFC 59: Re-opening allegations in care proceedings.
D (rehabilitation to mother after failure to protect from inflicted injuries) [2020] EWFC B54: Contact with a father who had been found to have caused significant harm to the child.
Re R-T (No. 2) [2018] EWFC B22: Welfare disposal following baby poisoning fact finding hearing.
Re R-T [2017] EWFC B17: Baby poisoning finding of fact hearing.
GW v MW [2015] EWFC 56: The enforceability of a consent order for temporary removal of children from the jurisdiction.
Re D (A Child) [2014] EWCA Civ 315: The leading authority on removal of parental responsibility from a father.
DW (A Minor) & Anor. v SG [2013] EWHC 854 (Fam), also reported as simply CW v SG [2013] EWHC 854 (Fam): First instance High Court decision on removal of a father’s parental responsibility, later appealed (see Re D (A Child) [2014] see above).