3PB

Family law team

Overview

Grant is an experienced specialist family law practitioner in public and private children law who joined 3PB in May 2023 from a specialist family law chambers in the Midlands. He represents clients in the Family Court, County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, having the ability to disseminate the most complex cases into key facts in a calm manner whilst providing clear and realistic advice to the most demanding clients.

Before joining the Bar, Grant gained extensive experience in corporate organisations such as American Express, Channel 4 and Accenture where he held Director and senior management roles.

Grant always fights for the rights of his clients and uses his forensic approach to complex cases and skilled advocacy whilst maintaining a calm and warm manner with his clients.

Grant has the experience of working with the most vulnerable individuals who have suffered significant trauma in their lives, and regularly works with intermediaries on particularly emotionally charged and complex cases.

Grant acts on behalf of parents, children’s guardians, children and intervenors in a wide range of cases:

• Serious non-accidental injury • Fabricated and/or induced illness • Sexual Abuse • Domestic Violence • Chronic Neglect • Drug and Alcohol Abuse (including FDAC proceedings) • Adoption including Revocation of Adoption • Special Guardianship • Secure Accommodation/Deprivation of Liberty • Child arrangements disputes, including intractable contact disputes

Family

Grant Keyes is a private and public law children barrister and expert. In public law proceedings, Grant has extensive experience of acting for parents, children’s guardians and interveners in cases that involve complex issues of NAI, physical, sexual and emotional abuse (including parental alienation). Grant is regularly instructed in complex fact-finding cases involving non-accidental injuries both in the County Court and the High Court. He regularly acts for clients with learning or mental health difficulties, including those represented through the Official Solicitor.

In private law proceedings, Grant is highly skilled in dealing with Section 8 Children Act 1989 applications, including complex cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence and has particular expertise in complex and entrenched cases between parents.

Grant has a reputation for his high level of advocacy, demonstrating his forensic ability to find the ‘needle in the haystack’ and to always fight for his client. He is truly client focused and robust in his approach, whilst remaining calm in the ‘eye of the storm’.

He cares deeply about his clients and will do what is right whilst always being professional providing advice in a straightforward and direct style.

Recent reported cases 

A Local Authority and MF and F and the child (via their guardian) [2024] EWFC 238 (B)

Re "Tim" (Fact-finding Care Proceedings) [2024] EWFC 194 (B)

H-W [2023] EWCA Civ 149: ongoing involvement in the case which was voted Family Law Awards' Case of the Year in 2022.

Re X, T, A, E &S [2020] EWCA Civ 1680 (Court of Appeal): NAI Fact Finding where judge had erred in his approach. Held that it was not open to the judge to find that T self-harmed as a result of the conduct of the parents.

Re S [2020] EWCA Civ 1382 (Court of Appeal): Judge found to had erred in his approach to, and analysis of, the medical evidence and findings of fact relating to a serious head injury suffered by the child.

Re H-B-S [2020] EWCA Civ 1027 (Court of Appeal): Judge had been wrong to discharge interim care orders in the middle of a fact finding.

Re AB, CD, XB & YD [2020] EWFC 15 (High Court): Fabricated illness and sexual abuse case with a Finding of Fact and client exonerated.

Re T (A Child) sub nom OCC v (1) A (Mother) (2) B (Father) (3) T (BY Guardian) (4 & 5) C & D (Paternal Aunt & Uncle) (2017): Successful challenge to foster carers to adopt with child returned to the family.

Re P (a child) NCC v (1) LC (2) GA (3) P (a child) (2015): A placement order was made where a two-year old boy’s needs could not be met by either of his parents, who had abused drugs and exposed him to a chaotic lifestyle. Long-term fostering did not have the same level of security.

Notable cases (unreported)

Re L & T-L 2022: Complex Fact-Finding case including allegations of rape and sexual abuse. Represented challenging client (Father) who did not trust professionals. No findings found in relation to rape and sexual abuse and returned to the family home, despite opposition from the local authority

Re S 2019: Complex Fact-Finding case where allegations of sexually abused the children. The very experienced Circuit Judge stated that this is the most difficult case she has ever had to make a judgment on as it involved the future risk of harm of a child that had been in Mother care throughout the proceedings with no issues but sanctioned removal

Re S [2015]: Non-accidental injury (fracture) to a 6 month old baby, representing Father and after a 6 day fact-finding and final hearing the family was reunited as a family unit, with the baby returning home.

Re A [2015]: Non-accidental injury to a young child (baby shaking) where the client was exonerated from the pool of perpetrators, and two of the children moved to her full time care.

Re C [2015]: Rape and sexual assault of teenager, representing Father in a complex case where there were 8 advocates, including 2 Guardians and involving a 13 day fact finding and final hearing where the children were returned to family members.

Year of call: 2007

Family Law Bar Association Association of Lawyers for children Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn

Bar Vocational Course, BPP Law School, London, Very Competent Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP Law School, London, Very Competent MBA, Warwick Business School BA Economics, University of Leicester, 2:1