Weightmans LLP

   Victoria has recently returned to Weightmans having spent four years working in a local authority as a Senior Solicitor for litigation and Safeguarding and then as the Special Educational Needs Team manager.  Victoria completed her training contract in local government and has over 25 years of litigation experience specialising in public law matters relating to child and adult protection, community care, mental health and education. Her career has been spent supporting local authorities dividing her time between managing a caseload of complex litigation and providing advice to senior managers and decision making panels. She is familiar with the respective statutory duties of public bodies, their governance arrangements and their decision making processes.  Victoria enjoys case analysis and problem solving and promotes mediation as an alternative, cost effective method of dispute resolution. She had delivered training to a variety of different audiences on the operation of the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and the Children and Families Act. She has advocacy experience in the Court of Protection, the Magistrates, the Family Court, the First Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care) and the County Court.  Victoria constantly strives to develop her legal knowledge and understanding and has post graduate qualifications in mental health law, local government law and is currently completing her LLM.  She works on the local government adult and child out of hours’ emergency advice line.  Notable cases:  A Local Authority v Z & The Official Solicitor [2004] EWHC 2817 (Fam) [2005]