St Ives Chambers

David Payne is a Barrister specialising in Family law.

David is a family law specialist with who is regularly instructed in private law cases. He has wide experience in the representation of parents and children in such proceedings. These include experience of:

• All applications under the Children Act 1989.
• Injunctive relief under the Family Law 1996.
• Cases involving the invocation of the inherent jurisdiction.
• Complex factual disputes, including the determination of allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse perpetrated towards other parents and children.
• Cases involving Re W determinations and where appropriate, the cross-examination of children and other vulnerable witnesses.
• Proceedings which have current, or previous, local authority involvement.
• Non-accidental injuries of all levels of severity, including brain injuries and where life-changing injuries have been occasioned to children.
• Cases involving cross-jurisdictional considerations within the United Kingdom and Crown Protectorates.
• Cases with an international element.

Year of Call: 2003

David is a specialist Family practitioner who has been instructed in the full range of care cases, including those involving: 

Where one parent has killed another. Where a parent has attempted to kill a child. Terrorism, including families travelling, or intending to travel, to Syria. Child Sexual Exploitation. Factitious Illness. Familial Sexual Abuse. Non-accidental injuries of all levels of severity, including brain injuries and where life-changing injuries have been occasioned to children. Substance misuse and addiction.

David has extensive experience of the many complex legal problems which arise in such cases, including: 

Finding of Fact hearings involving large numbers of parties and interveners. Cases involving conflicting expert opinions. Vulnerable parties and witnesses (including children). Designated Local Authority arguments. Cases involving foreign nationals and immigration issues. Cases with interlinked criminal proceedings and resolving cross-disclosure issues. Wardship

David has been instructed in matters before the Court of Appeal and is regularly instructed in the High Court.

Notable Cases:

Re C (Children) [2008] EWCA Civ 1331

Re V-Z (Children) [2016] EWCA Civ 475 

AB (Fact Finding), Re [2016] EWFC B57

Recommendations:  

Legal 500 2018:“A thoughtful and thorough advocate.”

English

Family Law Bar Association

Midland Circuit

Grays Inn

LLB (Hons) Law & Politics (Cardiff)