Family

Family barrister Laura Scott practises exclusively in children and domestic violence law and has extensive experience representing parents, grandparents, children, guardians, extended family members and local authorities in all aspects of the law relating to children.

Formerly at two well-known London sets, Laura now lives in the Midlands and joined 3PB in August 2022. Laura has been consistently ranked as a top family law barrister by legal researchers at Legal 500, focusing on her public and private child care work and cases involving children where there are allegations or evidence of abuse.

Outside of work, Laura is a yoga and meditation teacher; she plays the drums and orchestral percussion and enjoys the cinema.

Laura Scott is experienced in dealing with all aspects of child arrangements (including residence and contact, now known as ‘lives with’ and ‘spends time with’ orders), domestic violence allegations, extended family care arrangements (including grandparents’ applications for contact and residence), special guardianship, private adoption and applications for permission to remove children temporarily and permanently from England. She has extensive experience of cases involving allegations of parental alienation, having been involved in one of the first cases in which alienation allegations were proved against a father and became care proceedings. In another of her cases, Laura successfully challenged allegations of alienation made against a mother previously found to have been a victim of domestic abuse.

Laura is regularly instructed in complex matters involving allegations of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, as well as cases where the representation and joinder of children to proceedings is an issue and where a change of the child’s residence is contemplated.

Laura’s work often involves an international element and her practice encompasses applications by parents for leave to remove children permanently or temporarily from the jurisdiction.

Non-court dispute resolution

Having trained as a mediator over a decade ago, Laura strongly believes in the importance of avoiding litigation wherever possible and will always strive to give clients realistic advice on how to achieve an outcome that will meet their children’s best interests in the short and long-term. Laura offers a range of collaborative services to support separating parents, including round table discussions, non-court negotiations and single lawyer instructions for both parents; she will make recommendations for the most appropriate mediators for a family’s particular issues as well as for therapeutic support where indicated. Laura supports the use of arbitration as a highly effective alternative where court proceedings are contemplated and can advise parties on who best to instruct.

Direct Access

Laura was one of the first barristers to undertake family cases via the Direct Public Access scheme and has a wealth of experience working directly with parents, collaborating with and referring to solicitors where necessary.

Reported cases:

X v Y & Others (Assisted Reproduction: Parent) [2015] EWFC 13 (Fam): High Court declarations of parentage made in respect of father whose child was conceived using donated sperm, in circumstances where he had signed a consent form, which the fertility clinic had lost.

K v P [2008] EWCA Civ 600: Court of Appeal decision relating to the length of sentence imposed in respect of breaches of a non-molestation order to which a power of arrest was attached.

Re C-J (Section 91(14) Order) [2006] EWHC 1491 (Fam); [2006] 2 FLR 1213: Contact – appropriateness of s91 (14) order – exercise of district judge’s discretion.

Other cases include:

Re P [2021]: Acted for the child through their guardian in a matter where the immediate transfer of residence had been ordered after findings of parental alienation; subsequent agreement for contact with alienating parent reached through extensive negotiations with litigants in person.

Re M [2021]: Acted for a mother in a case of very serious parental alienation and unlawful retention where a local authority was compelled to take ICOs for 2 children at the court’s own motion and care proceedings then followed.

Re J [2016]: Acted for the father in seeking and obtaining parental alienation and physical abuse findings against a mother.

Laura acts in matters involving all aspects of care and adoption, especially complex cases where there are allegations of non-accidental injuries and physical, sexual and emotional abuse, including historic allegations. She is highly adept at working with parties that have experienced trauma, having studied extensively the effects and implications of adverse life and childhood experiences (ACE). Laura will go above and beyond to forge and develop compassionate and supportive working relationships with clients who are all too often dismissed as ‘difficult’ as a consequence of their own traumatic childhoods.

Laura is frequently instructed for fact-finding hearings and is adept at handling expert witnesses and voluminous medical evidence.

Laura has a particular interest and expertise in dealing with vulnerable parties and witnesses, including children and those requiring the assistance of an intermediary.

Laura regularly undertakes Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) cases.

Laura has decades of experience in case managing and advising local authorities in complex matters, including drafting threshold documents to a high standard.

In addition to care proceedings, Laura also has experience in relation to education law and provides advice and representation in this area, including where there may be cross-issues with accommodation under section 20.

Reported Cases:

P and E (Care Proceedings: Whether to Hold Fact-Finding Hearing), Re [2024] EWCA Civ 403: leading case on the importance of the court needing to establish a clear factual basis for safeguarding measures to be implemented.

A (Care and Placement Orders) [2014] EWFC B143: Care proceedings involving applications for Care and Placement Orders. Represented the paternal aunt pro bono throughout High Court appeal and subsequent proceedings.

Other cases include:

Re C [2021]: Last minute representation of intervenor in very serious NAI. Complex case involving another intervenor lacking capacity but being required to give evidence.

Re J [2016]: Represented a mother accused of causing a number of fractures to a young baby. Mother exonerated of causing the injuries or failing to seek prompt medical attention.

Re A [2015]: Acted for a local authority in the 2nd set of care proceedings less than 18 months after conclusion of the first proceedings in relation to 5 children. Mother had transitioned gender without medical supervision.

Re B [2013]: Acted for a local authority in successfully obtaining historic findings of sexual abuse made against a stepfather of an adult daughter where younger siblings were at risk and were being groomed by the father during supervised contact.

Year of Call: 2001