Care and adoption

The specialist Care and Adoption team at 3PB is a chambers “tour de force”, with many of our members enjoying formidable reputations for their expertise and knowledge, appearing in all courts from the Family Court, High Court, Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court and European Court of Justice. Our barristers’ experience is regularly endorsed by the independent legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers UK.

We have specialists at all levels of seniority who are regularly instructed by parents, local authorities, guardians and alleged perpetrators. In addition we have considerable experience acting for relatives of those involved in care proceedings as well as foster and adopting parents, guardians, step-parents, and the Official Solicitor. 3PB’s barristers are instructed regularly on cases involving UK and international adoptions, for local authorities, birth parents, prospective adopters and children.

Many of our barristers have appeared in significant cases which have helped to shape the current law relating to care proceedings. Our barristers regularly contribute articles to law journals and publications.  A number of the team have published major works in the field of family law.

Our team consistently advise and represent clients in serious and sensitive matters and frequently feature in reported cases. We represent parents,  local authorities, parents, interveners and guardians in the all types of allocation of proceedings and the team has widespread experience of:

• Non Accidental Injuries including, alleged bone disease; child death; Non Accidental Head Injuries, Burns and purported poisonings
• Murder or attempted murder by parent or sibling
• Fabricated and induced illness (FII)
• One parent killing another
• Cases involving the use of the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court (right to life, right to die, medical treatment cases)
• Restraint of publication by the media
• Sexual abuse (parent and or sibling) including where paedophile rings are operating
• Cases where the lawfulness of whether to resuscitate a child is at issue, ie children getting or having stopped life-sustaining medical treatment
• Disputed Expert Evidence, including sensitive medical and ethical aspects such as sterilisation
• Psychological, Psychiatric and Mental Health Issues
• Drug and Alcohol addiction
• FGM cases
• Abuse and Neglect
• Abduction and kidnapping cases
• Human trafficking cases (including secure accommodation of children in another country)
• Proceedings with Education elements
• Proceedings with Court of Protection elements
• Proceedings with International elements
• Wardship cases where court takes over supervision of children.

Within the wider context of the profession the Care Team is involved in various Family Justice Councils and we regularly assist with and conduct court approved schemes such as training for social workers.

The extremely sensitive nature of the work undertaken by our barristers gives them skills and expertise in all matters relating to public interest immunity, publicity and the restraint of publicity. Our specialist team are also expert in short-notice applications for emergency relief and injunctions, alleged breaches of human rights and forced marriage.

A number of our family barristers also sit as part-time members of the judiciary including two First Tier Tribunal judges, five Recorders of the County Courts and two Deputy District Judges.