St John's Buildings

Family - Finance, Family - Children

Helen specialises in all areas of family law, with a particular emphasis on matrimonial finance work.

Helen acts in all aspects of family finance proceedings, including matrimonial finance, enforcement, applications pursuant to TOLATA 1996, and applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989. During pupillage she was exposed, and assisted with complex financial work with her supervisor, including cases concerning non-matrimonial property, trusts and substantial assets.

In financial proceedings, Helen is regularly been instructed at all stages of financial remedy proceedings including pre-issue. Helen receives instructions involving significant assets, often advising clients with business interests requiring complex business valuations, clients with substantial income and capital assets, including overseas assets, as well as acting on cases involving large pensions.

Helen has also worked on cases involving intervening parties where there were disputes as to the ownership of property and whether it should be included as part of the matrimonial settlement.

Helen also has experience in a wide range of private law proceedings acting for parents, extended family members and children with party status.

Helen advises on issues of law and case management both in writing and in conferences and represents clients at all stages of the case and at all levels of the family court. She is regularly instructed to draft documents in the case including case summaries, skeleton arguments and applications for expert assessments involving the following issues:

• • Disputes about with whom the child(ren) should live
  • Disputes about the nature/frequency of the time a parent should spend with a child, including cases resulting in ‘no contact’ orders
  • Leave to remove the child from the jurisdiction – permanently and temporarily
  • Internal/domestic relocation
  • Change of the children’s school
  • Non-accidental injury allegations
  • Sexual abuse allegations
  • Drug and alcohol misuse
  • Serious domestic violence/domestic abuse requiring findings to be pursued
  • Emotional abuse
  • Parents with psychiatric and/or psychological disorders
  • Intractable contact disputes.

Helen routinely receives instructions in relation to applications for non-molestation orders and occupation orders acting for both the Applicant and the Respondent.

Helen routinely acts on behalf of local authorities, parents and children in public law proceedings, from the commencement of the proceedings until (and including) the final hearing. This often involves drafting case summaries, threshold documents and orders involving the following issues:

• • Non-accidental injury
  • Sexual abuse
  • Serious emotional harm and/or behavioural difficulties requiring residential placement or secure accommodation
  • Disabilities; of the parents and/or the child(ren)
  • Cultural issues
  • Serious drug/alcohol misuse
  • Chronic neglect.

Helen was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple in 2010, and joined chambers as a tenant in December 2019 following successful completion of her pupillage, under the supervision of Samantha Hillas.