Duncan Lewis Solicitors

Family and Child Care

Family and child care director, Kathy Walker, has extensive knowledge of all family and child care matters. Kathy has been involved in many complex care proceedings, which have included non-accidental injury, high profile ‘honour killing’, somatic symptom disorder, fictitious illness, rare genetic conditions, death of a child mid-proceedings, parents with a mental health condition lacking litigation capacity who have then had to be appointed an official solicitor to represent them within care proceedings, along with all the other factors that normally cause the local authority to issue proceedings such as sexual abuse, neglect, drug and alcohol misuse, emotional and physical harm.

Kathy represents children of all ages, she believes it is important that the court knows what the child has to say and often arranges for the child or children to see the judge themselves so that they can tell them exactly how they feel.

Kathy has significant experience and knowledge of domestic violence cases and is passionate about helping the most vulnerable to escape their perpetrators. She has represented victims of domestic violence throughout her career and now ensures that all her team members are trained to be able to recognise the signs of domestic abuse.

Kathy undertakes the majority of her own advocacy and often appears before District, Circuit, High Court judges and magistrates.

Kathy joined Duncan Lewis Solicitors in September 2014 and was appointed as a partner-level Director in February 2015.

Kathy is fluent in Greek.

Kathy holds a number of professional memberships; she is a member of the Association of Lawyers for Children (ALC), Resolution, Nagalro and Baspcan (British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect).

In 2010, she became a member of the Law Society accredited Children Panel.

Kathy obtained her LPC from Westminster University and her LLB Hons from Thames Valley University.