2 Dr Johnson’s Buildings
2drj.com2drj.comBarristers
Gary Willmott
- Phone02079362613
- Email[email protected]
Position
Gary is a highly experienced and diligent barrister with a busy family practice.
Career
Called to the Bar in 2000
Gary is a highly experienced and diligent barrister with a busy family practice. He graduated from Oxford University and worked for a magic circle law firm before starting his practice at the Bar, where he now has over 20 years of experience.
Gary enjoys being a barrister as it allows him to be involved in a challenging environment, where he can make a real difference on a daily basis. He is very sensitive to his clients’ needs and works alongside them to make sure their voice is heard and to achieve the best outcome.
Gary’s Family practice is predominantly centred on local authority care cases, cohabitation disputes and financial remedy disputes. He is skilled at handling emotive disputes involving children, and issues of residence and contact. Gary has acted for parents in care cases involving issues such as domestic violence, serious misconduct involving children, substance misuse and shaken baby syndrome.
Criminal PracticeGary also has a solid grounding in all aspects of criminal law practice and procedure, with extensive experience in prosecuting and defending criminal cases. He has dealt with varied offences including kidnap, burglary, GBH, forgery, sexual offences and robbery. He has also acted for the prosecution in the Court of Appeal.
Cases of NoteGary undertakes cases involving Local Authorities acting for the parents in preventing children from being removed into care. He acted for parents and also the Local Authority in the reported cases of:
A, L and R (Children), Re (2016) EWFC B40. Successfully representing the Father in a case where Mother made false allegations of violence against him. The Child was returned to the Father's care. S (A Child) (2012) EWCA Civ 1915, High Court. Successfully representing the Mother where the Child was returned to the family after the lower court had ruled that the Child was not safe due to issues of a family member suffering hallucinations involving the devil. O (A Child: No available Secure Accommodation) (2018) EWFC B60. Represented the Local Authority in a case that was reported to the Secretary of State for Education. Recent Family Cases Represented a Local Authority in adoption proceedings. Following a 5 day final hearing the child was placed for adoption. The case involved issues of drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse and mental health. (2021) Acted for a father in a 5-day final hearing in adoption proceedings, involving issues of domestic violence, drugs and mental health. (2020) Represented a Local Authority in a 5-day fact finding hearing. Case involved issues in respect of gender and with an international element. (2020) Represented a Local Authority in adoption proceedings. Following a 7-day final hearing the child was placed for adoption. The case involved issues of mental health, drugs and domestic violence. (2020) Acted for a father in a 4-day final hearing in adopting proceedings. The case involved domestic violence and drug issues. (2020) Acted for a father in a 6-day final hearing. The case involved an international element. The child was placed with the father following the final hearing. (2022)