Profile description
James welcomes direct access clients because he believes in providing the best possible service for clients at an affordable cost.
In some cases, it may be possible to resolve your problem without going anywhere near the door of a court. But if the dispute continues, James has the advocacy skills to give direct access clients the best possible chance of securing the outcome they want.
He works very hard for his clients. He prepares properly. He believes in fighting for his client’s case.
Private Law Disputes
James has extensive experience as an advocate in disputes between parents or family members or other carers over child arrangements. This means that he can advise and represent you in a dispute about:
where your child or grandchild lives
when and how much time he or she spends with you or with another relative or carer
when and what other types of contact, such as phone calls, should take place
what school your child or grandchild should go to, whether they should have a religious education and other questions about how he or she is being brought up
any other decision about the child’s upbringing
parental responsibility
relocating with the child to a new home in England or Wales
moving to live overseas
special guardianship
changing your child’s or grandchild’s first name or surname
appeals against a Court decision
He has a strong professional and personal interest in cases that involve children with social, developmental and educational needs, especially Asperger’s syndrome, and children with specific learning difficulties such as dyspraxia. He was an accredited tribunal representative of IPSEA (the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice) from 2004 to 2007.
He has extensive experience of cases where a child has expressed hatred or strong dislike for one of its parents, making access by the rejected parent very difficult or even impossible. Where there are allegations that someone has been responsible for physical, emotional or sexual harm to a child, he can help you to prove or disprove these allegations at Court. Where a Court Order has been ignored, James can help you to enforce it.
Family law injunctions
He can help you to secure or to defend an application for a non-molestation order or occupation order.
Public law proceedings
James can advise and represent you when a Local Authority has become involved with your family, or is threatening to become involved, because it is concerned about your child’s welfare. When this happens, it is vital to obtain good legal advice as soon as you can. James has particular expertise in cases involving:
care or supervision orders
placement orders
secure accommodation orders
emergency protection orders
wardship cases
the Achieving Best Evidence guidelines
special guardianship
allegations of neglect
allegations of serious physical, emotional or sexual harm
alleged non-accidental injury to a child
These are usually the most complex and most serious proceedings to be heard by the Family Court. James has wide experience of advising and representing families in these cases, especially where the problems are compounded by alcohol or drug misuse or where the parent or carer is very young or vulnerable.
He also has a very good understanding of the issues relating to children with special educational needs, including those on the autistic spectrum and children with specific learning difficulties and those who care for them.
International family law
James can help you when your case has a European or other international element, including:
* access and custody issues
* movement to Hague and non-Hague Convention countries
* Brussels II revised
* habitual residence
* child placement abroad
* adoption with a foreign element
What James can do for you
If you are the parent of a child or other family member, he can help you to understand the perspectives that are brought to bear upon decisions to initiate proceedings in the first place and to help you make the right choices and to take the right steps.
He is able to represent you in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the County Courts and family proceedings courts.
He can help and advise you in writing or in conference and negotiate on your behalf, which may mean that you can achieve your aims without having to take your case to court.
He can negotiate on your behalf.
He can prepare the formal written documents you may need.
If your case requires a psychologist, psychiatrist or other expert, such as an expert on some aspect of the law in another country, he can advise you on the choice of a suitable expert and help you to prepare a letter of instruction.
If you are considering an appeal, he can advise you on the procedure for lodging an appeal and draft the grounds of appeal.
In relation to family law injunctions, he can assist you with an application for a non-molestation or occupation order.
Where there are allegations that someone has been responsible for physical, emotional or sexual harm to a child, he can help you to prove or disprove these allegations at Court.
If you are considering an appeal, he can advise you on the procedure for lodging an appeal and draft the grounds of appeal.
About James
James is a member of Coram Chambers, a leading family law chambers in the centre of London with a national reputation for excellence in advocacy and client care across all areas of family law.
He has a strong professional interest in international legal issues. Before he qualified as a barrister, he was a journalist. He worked as a foreign correspondent reporting from Africa and the Middle East for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He lived in Kenya for four years while covering sub-Saharan Africa (1991 – 1995). Afterwards he spent two years in Jerusalem and Amman to cover the Middle East, including Iraq. Later he moved to Beirut in order to report on Lebanon and Syria for The Financial Times.
He has a very good knowledge of Somalia, including Somaliland; of Sudan; Kenya, Uganda; Rwanda and Burundi; eastern Zaire; Angola; Zimbabwe and South Africa. He has an excellent knowledge of the Middle East, including Israel, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
James has a good knowledge of medical and scientific issues: between overseas postings to Nairobi and Jerusalem, he worked as national science and medical reporter for ABC (Australia) Television News.
He is a member of the Children, International, Human Rights and Genetics Law practice groups at Coram Chambers.
What my clients say
“Thank you for all of your help. You were absolutely brilliant today and it’s all down to you that we got the result we wanted. I’ll be forever grateful.” – Ms S, the Respondent in a case about whether her children should divide their time between their separated parents or live with one of their parents and spend time with the other.
Professional & academic
Education
BA Hons (Oxon)
MA (Oxon)
Postgraduate Diploma in Law (2000 – 2002) “Commended”
Bar Vocational Course (2002-2004) “Very Competent”
Languages: reasonably fluent French
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Publications
Author, “Silent over Africa: Stories of War and Genocide” (HarperCollins Australia, 1995)
“Israel and the Palestinians: Future Imperfect” International Security Review 2000 of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies
“Autism and the Criminal Justice System” The Legal Executive, December 2005
