Rebecca Davies

Rebecca represents local authorities, parents, guardians and intervenors in a vast array of public law children matters. Often these will consider allegations of serious injury/sexual abuse, breaches of statutory duty and/or conflicting expert evidence.

She also acts in cases involving children who are competent to instruct, or where this is in question and in Re-W hearings.

Many of her clients are vulnerable or have serious mental health difficulties or physical and mental disabilities.

Acting for different parties and in a wide range of circumstances provides Rebecca with the breadth and depth of experiences to deal with the multitude and variety of issues which can arise in such complex cases.

Rebecca has extensive experience in a wide range of private children matters acting for applicants, respondents, and children. These parties have included non-parents seeking contact or residence (eg grandparents) as well as children through their court -appointed guardian

Her cases have covered:

• arrangements following a parent’s death, relocation
• severe domestic abuse
• alienating behaviours
• serious mental health concerns of either parent
• intractable hostility between parents
• disabled children
• private special guardianship orders
• appointment of experts
• extra-jurisdictional evidence

Her sensitive and firm approach is reassuring during stressful proceedings, and her numerous different strands of work allow her to approach matters from an interdisciplinary and holistic perspective to achieve the best circumstances for her client.

Rebecca acts in Hague and non-Hague convention cases for both alleged abductors and alleged parental victims of abduction.

She is adept at dealing with the interaction of statute and domestic law, and assists clients at each stage of the process in understanding the decisions of the court and the evidential requirements.

She offers clients creative solutions and holistic advice in what are invariably very difficult personal circumstances.

Rebecca acts in contested divorce matters involving issues of jurisdiction and ‘forum conveniens’.

She provides written advice as well as representation in these complex matters which can have severe emotional, practical, and costs consequences for clients.

She is experienced in examining documents from different jurisdictions and advising as to requirements for expert evidence, taking a proportionate and client-focused approach.

Rebecca acts for applicants, respondents, and intervenors in financial remedy proceedings – advising on issues related to concealment of assets, conduct and its relevance to final orders and s.37 reversible transactions.

She represents clients at:

• Financial Dispute Resolution Appointments- public and private
• hearings involving international factors, jurisdictional issues, and cross-border assets and liabilities
• complex directions hearings, and
• out-of-court negotiations.

Rebecca places an emphasis on early identification of issues and resolution to save cost and time for her client where appropriate, whilst achieving the best overall outcome.

Rebecca accepts instructions on a range of Court of Protection matters, acting both for P and for public bodies. She deals with:

• S21A appeals
• S16 applications
• Property and affairs
• Disputed capacity hearings
• Forced Marriage Protection Orders
• 16- and 17-year-olds under the inherent jurisdiction and the Court of Protection

She focuses on coming to a resolution in the best interests of her client.

Rebecca also acts in contested matters and is experienced in cases with an international element or with complex family dynamics.

Her experience in children’s law places her in an advantageous position to advise in which court it is best to issue when considering 16- and 17-year-olds and their unique legal position.

Consequently she is well able to advise on:

• the transition between the High Court and Court of Protection
• best practice when liaising between local authority children and adult teams, and
• the interaction between children’s law and public law duties, and deprivation of liberty.

Rebecca prepares meticulously and seeks creative solutions to novel issues arising in this developing area of law.

She has an avid interest in the impact and workability of the current deprivation of liberty regime and has acted in related appeals.

Rebecca advises and acts for both claimants and public bodies in cases involving judicial review or Human Rights Act claims.

Her extensive experience in family and Court of Protection law gives her a unique insight into inter- and intra-agency working which proves invaluable when addressing the complex legal and publicity issues which can arise from such cases.

• Re SK v RR, In the Matter Of (Divorce : Forum Conveniens) [2024] EWHC 1418- Rebecca represented the successful respondent wife in divorce proceedings contested on the issue of jurisdiction. The Judge dismissed the husband’s application for a stay of the proceedings and ordered him to take steps to withdraw proceedings overseas.
• Re C (Child: Ability to Instruct Solicitor) [2023] EWCA Civ 889 – Rebecca represented the local authority in its support of a mother’s successful appeal against an order granting her 14-year-old son separate legal representation. (Findings of severe parental alienation had been made during previous care proceedings).
• CV (A Child) (Placement Order) [2022] EWCA Civ 930  – Rebecca acted for the father in care proceedings concerning his 3-year-old child with life-threatening conditions. She had spent her life in hospital or with experienced foster carers. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal against the placement order brought by the mother and supported by the father.

Before coming to the Bar, Rebecca worked on death-row cases as an intern for the Gulf Region Advocacy Centre in Houston, Texas. She has worked in different jurisdictions, including as an intern in Vietnam, and a judicial marshall in Hong Kong.

• Family Law Bar Association
• Advocate

• BPTC, BPP London, 2016-2017
• BA Jurisprudence with European and International Law, Merton College, Oxford, 2011-2015
• European and International Law, Universiteit Leiden, 2013-2014

Rebecca Davies Privacy-Notice