Family

Charmaine specialises in family law, accepting instructions in public and private law proceedings involving children. 

Charmaine is regularly instructed to act for parents, children and other relatives in public law care proceedings. These have included cases of non-accidental injury, infant death, sexual abuse, fabricated or induced illness, emotional abuse and neglect. 

Charmaine’s private law work includes disputes relating to child arrangements orders, specific issue and prohibited steps orders. She has successfully represented parents in cases involving sexual abuse, domestic abuse, intractable hostility and alleged parental alienation. Charmaine also undertakes work on behalf of rule 16.4 Guardian’s in complex and intractable disputes.

Charmaine is experienced in cases including domestic violence and injunctions. These include stand-alone injunction applications or instances where they feature in other family proceedings. 

Charmaine is well regarded for her ability to deal with vulnerable clients and witnesses in a sensitive manner and has undertaken vulnerable witness advocacy training.

Notable cases:

Re A - successful exoneration of an intervenor in public law proceedings involving NAI to a baby Re M - successful exoneration of a father in High Court public law proceedings involving the death of a baby (junior counsel) Re M - successful exoneration of a mother in public law proceedings involving NAI Re M - Represented a mother in public law proceedings facing allegations of over-medicating and causing medical misdiagnosis of a child  Re P - Represented a father with learning difficulties in public law proceedings, successfully challenging the Local Authority’s application for final care and placement orders

South Eastern Circuit

LLB Law, Hull University BVC Vulnerable Witness Trained