3PB

Family; Personal Injury.

Overview

Catherine Purdy is a specialist Family and Personal Injury practitioner.  Catherine undertakes work in all areas of family law, including public and private law, domestic violence and finance issues.

She advises on a wide variety of work in the area of personal injury. She acts for both claimants and defendants, appearing in fast and multi-track cases at all stages, from drafting pleadings, early directions and interlocutory applications, through to final hearings, where both liability and quantum may be in issue.

Catherine’s clients have included individuals of all ages who have experienced both physical and psychological injuries.

Family

Catherine undertakes work in all areas of Family Law, including Children, Public and Private Law.

Public:

Instructed by Local Authorities, parents, grandparents and Guardians Cases involving allegations of all types of “significant harm” Cases in the High Court, County Court and Family Proceedings Court Involved in “Operation Romulus & Remus”: allegations included child sexual abuse. Hearing lasted 3 weeks Re: N (preliminary hearing reported at [2000] 1 FLR 134). Final hearing lasted 5 weeks.

Private:

Instructed by parents and grandparents Residence and contact applications, including those with allegations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and domestic violence Nullity cases: involving bigamy and non-consummation Domestic Violence Acts for both applicants and respondents in Family Law Act injunctions and committal applications, including Occupation Orders.

Finance:

Ancillary relief applications, including interlocutory relief Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 applications Applications under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 Inheritance Act applications.

Catherine is a Member of the Family Law Bar Association.

Personal Injury

Catherine undertakes a wide variety of work in the area of personal injury. She acts for both Claimants and Defendants, appearing in fast and multi-track cases at all stages, from drafting pleadings, early directions and interlocutory applications, through to final hearings, where both liability and quantum may be in issue.

Catherine's clients have included individuals of all ages who have experienced both physical and psychological injuries.

Catherine accepts instructions under Conditional Fee Agreements in appropriate claims, from insurance company-backed litigants, Local Authorities and other privately-paying individuals. Catherine’s cases have involved:

Allegations of fraud in a RTA claim Abuse of Process argument and whether there was a failure to litigate all possible claims simultaneously Slips and trips caused by: - Recent adverse weather conditions - Defects in and/or a failure to maintain the highway - Spills and obstacles in the work place - Spills and obstacles in shops, leisure centres and other public places A claim for an already wheelchair-bound claimant under the Highways Act 1980 A child whose arm was trapped in an escalator Claims involving the use of holiday homes A Fatal Accidents Act claim resulting from an accident on a fishing boat A claim in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority involving psychological damage of an alleged rape victim A loss of earnings claim based on alleged psychological damage.

Catherine has appeared for family members of the deceased at inquests and has lectured in-house on all aspects of Employers and Occupiers Liability Claims.

Catherine has completed Equality and Diversity Training.

Called 1997, Inner Temple.

Family Law Bar Association Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA) Western Circuit

BA (Oxon).