St Ives Chambers

Dympna Howells is a Barrister specialising in Family law and the Court of Protection.

A former solicitor and partner in a large regional practice, Dympna has practised in all aspects of family law specialising in particular in both private and public law children's proceedings.

Dympna has been in the Court of Protection team since inception and has undertaken cases on behalf of the local authority, patients and other interested parties including the Probation Service.

Year of Call: 2009

Public Law Children and Private Law ChildrenAs a specialist family law practitioner, Dympna has considerable experience in cases involving complex medical evidence and cases involving sexual abuse. She has acted for local authorities, parents and children having been on the children's panel for 20 years. She also has considerable experience in secure accommodation, adoption, special guardianship, child abduction and forced marriage cases.

Notable Cases: Re X (A Child) (Surrogacy: Time Limit) [2014] EWHC 3135 (Fam)

Court of ProtectionWithin the Court of Protection, and as a solicitor and partner in a large regional practise, Dympna gained experience prior to the recent legislation in areas of Mental Health Tribunals and Guardianship orders acting for patients and local authorities.

She has gained experience particularly in cases involving challenges to DOLs, and more recently the Office of the Public Guardian.

She has also undertaken cases in relation to the Forced Marriage Act Legislation. She is experienced in dealing with vulnerable adults and children in areas of mental capacity and mental health.

English

Advocacy higher rights (Civil)

Solicitors finals Chester College of Law

BA Hons Business Law