Park Square Barristers

Children Law, Regulatory & Public,  Family Finance, and Court of Protection & Adult Care

Children Law

Ranked in The Legal 500 (2025) for Family and Children Law.

Phillipa is an approachable and dedicated barrister specialising in cases concerning children, with an emphasis on complex care, adoption, and private law proceedings.

Public Law

Phillipa regularly acts in public law proceedings representing Local Authorities, parents, children, wider family members and interveners.

She has advised and represented parties on cases involving the following issues:

• Children giving evidence
• Complex genetic history including Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)
• Fabricated or induced illness (FII)
• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• 'Honour' abuse
• International law and jurisdictional issues
• Psychological and psychiatric evidence
• Representation of vulnerable individuals including children, teenage parents, those with significant learning disabilities and mental health problems
• 'Resolutions' Approach
• Serious non-accidental injury (including inflicted head injuries) and death
• Serious sexual including child sexual exploitation and grooming, and historical allegations

Private Law

Phillipa is regularly instructed to represent parents where there are disputes over child arrangements, including residence and contact disputes, applications for prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders.

Phillipa has particular experience in cases involving:

• Parental alienation and alienating behaviours
• Allegations of abuse to children, including physical and sexual abuse
• Domestic abuse and coercive control
• Enforcement proceedings
• Implacable hostility and transfer of residence
• International and relocation arguments, including abduction
• Modern families including fertility law, surrogacy and adoption
• Psychological and psychiatric evidence

Approach

Phillipa prides herself on her approachable and friendly manner. She is sought-after for her ability to provide clear and pragmatic advice.

Phillipa is a thorough and robust advocate but remains sensitive to lay clients. She is regularly instructed to represent clients who are young, vulnerable, and / or present with learning difficulties. She has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training Course recommended to enable vulnerable individuals to participate fully and fairly in family law proceedings.

Training

Phillipa spent many years co-ordinating the seminar programme for the PSQB Family Team, and continues to regularly deliver seminars for colleagues and solicitors. She is also able to provide bespoke training across her specialist areas. She has previously delivered training to in-house solicitors at Humberside Police on disclosure between the police and family courts, as well as to social workers at Wakefield MDC on court skills.

Court of Protection & Adult Care

Phillipa accepts instructions to advise and represent clients on Court of Protection matters and is eager to build this area of her practise. She is sensitive and has experience of working with vulnerable clients.

Call 2014

Family Law Bar Association Lawyers for Children North Eastern Circuit

2012 St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, BA (Hons) Jurisprudence

2013 University of Law, Short Course towards LLM Professional Legal Practice

2014 University of Law, BPTC (Outstanding)