Richard is a family law specialist who is instructed predominantly in public law care and adoption proceedings and the more complex private law children work.
He is a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, assigned to the Health, Education and Social Care Chamber. He sits in the Special Educational Needs and Disability jurisdiction.
Richard is also a fee-paid Environment and Traffic Adjudicator at London Tribunals.
If you would like more information about Richard’s practice, please contact his clerks or call +44 (0)20 7405 6114.
Public law: Children
Richard represents local authorities, parents, interveners and children’s guardians at all stages of care and adoption proceedings. Richard acts in cases involving non-accidental injuries and infant death, sexual abuse and chronic neglect. He is regularly instructed in cases involving the Official Solicitor; children who are separately represented from the guardian; concurrent criminal prosecutions; mental health issues; disability in parents and children; special guardianship; contested adoptions; legal and illegal immigrant cases and placement of children outside of the jurisdiction.
Children & family: Private law: Children
Richard is frequently instructed in complicated disputes, Richard has extensive experience of cases involving fact finding hearings; implacable hostility; the separate representation of children; leave to remove from the jurisdiction; and child abduction (both Hague and non Hague cases).
Notable cases
- London Borough of Lambeth v JO & Ors [2014] EWHC 3597 (Fam) (31 October 2014)
- M (A Child : failure to comply with Achieving Best Evidence) [2014] EWFC B141 (27 October 2014)
- ZM v AM [2014] EWHC 2110 (Fam) (26 June 2014)
- Milton Keynes Council, Re CM (A Child) [2014] EWFC B88 (05 June 2014)
- R (Mother) v Milton Keynes Council & Ors [2014] EWFC B66 (OJ) (3 June 2014)
- L (A Child) [2011] EWCA Civ 1792. Consideration of the basis of an interim order for contact.
- Richmond v Ballester [2006] EWHC 352 (Fam). Consideration of whether the English Court had jurisdiction to entertain a petition of divorce in accordance with the Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973 and Brussels II.
- Re R (A Child) [2005] EWHC 2018 (Fam). Consideration of whether the English Court had jurisdiction to entertain an application under the Children Act 1989 in accordance with Brussels II.
Professional activities
- Richard has undertaken lectures and previous Chambers’ seminars on ancillary relief (update and costs) and the Public Law Outline.
Education
- BA, LLB Monash University, Melbourne
- Admission as a Solicitor 1995
Professional memberships
- ALC
- FLBA
- CIArb
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