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William Horwood
Family
20/05/2026

William Horwood successfully defends local authority in judicial review claim

William Horwood acted for the Defendant local authority in a recent judicial review claim in the Administrative Court in Birmingham before Mr Justice Kimblin. The claim arose out of the interaction between the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review...
Keiron McCabe & Lillian Garnier
Family
05/05/2026

Modest Assets, Real Stakes: Private FDRs beyond ‘big money’ matters

Although typically associated with high-net worth cases – where the available assets exceed the parties’ needs – private financial dispute resolutions (“pFDRs”) should also be given serious consideration in disputes concerning...
Emma Williamson & Katie Stephens
Family
27/04/2026

Pathfinder Courts Rebranded: The Rise of “Child-Focused Courts”

The rebranding of Pathfinder Courts to “Child-Focused Courts” marks a significant shift in how private law Children Act proceedings are managed across England and Wales. In this article, Emma Williamson and Katie Stephens examine how the model...
Sarah Buxton & Beth Armitage
Family
20/04/2026

Summary – A County Council v PS & Anor [2026] EWFC 68 (B) (16 March 2026)

Sarah Buxton and Beth Armitage recently appeared in the case of A County Council v PS & Anor [2026] EWFC 68, a care case listed for a final hearing over four days involving the application by the Local Authority (represented by Ms Buxton) to...
Lauren Starmer
Family
15/04/2026

Finalising at IRH: robust resolution or forfeited fairness? A reflection of Re S-W [2015] and Re H [2025]

Introduction In his judgment of Re S-W (children) [2015] EWCA Civ 27, Sir James Munby quoted the age-old maxim that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ but went on to make it quite plain that such can be equally denied “if...
Care Conference 2026 - Save the Date
Events
15/04/2026

Public Law Proceedings in the Age of Tech & AI: Care Conference, 12 June ’26

We are delighted to announce further details concerning our upcoming Annual Care Conference – Public Law Proceedings in the Age of Tech & AI. A full-day programme featuring external speakers and Barristers from our specialist Care...
Hannah Jarvis
Family
01/04/2026

Standard of Living and Financial Needs: Invasion of Non-Matrimonial Assets in Short Marriages

Pupil barrister Hannah Jarvis explores how the courts approach financial needs in short marriages, focusing on when non-matrimonial assets may be brought into play. Distribution of Assets The objective of the court in financial remedy proceedings is...
William Horwood & Lauren Starmer
Family
20/03/2026

Court of Appeal Hands Down Judgment in Re J, Re M, Re P (Loss of Parental Responsibility) [2026] EWCA Civ 344

The Court of Appeal has today handed down judgment in Re J, Re M, Re P (Loss of Parental Responsibility) [2026] EWCA Civ 344, three conjoined appeals dealing with legal parentage. The court considered the impact of a declaration of...
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