Frances was brought up and educated in Scotland, and trained as a social worker at Edinburgh University. She worked in this field for many years, in matters relating to children’s welfare, both in Scotland and then Hong Kong, before taking up practice at the Bar. She was called to the Bar in 1996 in London and 1997 in Hong Kong.

She joined Des Voeux Chambers in 1999 having served part of her pupillage there.

Frances has developed a busy practice exclusively in the family jurisdiction and with all aspects of matrimonial law.

She has experience in many ancillary relief cases involving;

Nuptial settlements

Trust and companies

Third party interests

Jurisdiction and forum disputes

She was one of the team of counsel who acted in the Court of Final Appeal case of LKW v. DD.

A great deal of Frances' work concerns children's issues, being:

Custody, Care and Control

Relocation applications

Applications under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance

Wardship

Hague Convention cases

Year of call 1996 (England and Wales) 1997 (Hong Kong)

M. A. (The University of Edinburgh)