Anna Peaston

Introduction

Anna is a family law specialist with an established practice in children matters, both public and private. She has experience in dealing with matters including contested removal hearings, urgent applications and multi-day final and fact finding hearings. Within public proceedings, she has experience of being led by a leading junior/King’s Counsel.

In public proceedings, Anna has experience in representing parents, children and Local Authorities at all stages of proceedings and all levels of judiciary up to and including the High Court. Notable cases include:

• Acting for parents who are incarcerated, including being led by King’s Counsel in a matter involving serious allegations of abuse in respect of the subject children.
• Acting for a parent in a matter where one parent had been killed by another, including a successful, contested application for the termination of a parent’s parental responsibility.
• Acting for vulnerable parents with cognitive difficulties and those requiring lay advocates/an intermediary. This includes experience both at interim removal hearings and in multi – day final hearings involving expert evidence and where the Local Authority are seeking care and placement orders.
• Acting in DOLS applications in the High Court, including in respect of unregulated placements.
• Fact finding, case management and final hearings involving NAI allegations and FII, areas in which Anna has a particular interest.

In private proceedings, Anna has experience in representing both parents and children through their 16.4 Guardian at all stages of proceedings. Notable cases include:

• Acting for parents in emergency applications, including in respect of school moves or applications to relocate.
• Acting for a parent in an exceptionally complex private matter in which a 16.4 Guardian was appointed, involving an existing criminal conviction for viewing indecent images of children and allegations of parental alienation.
• Acting for a parent in proceedings which later developed into public law proceedings, involving a successful appeal of an interim decision as to residence.
• Acting for parents in cases where allegations of domestic abuse, coercion and control and of sexual abuse are being made, both for the party making the allegations and those defending them.

Prior to commencing pupillage, Anna worked as a paralegal in the family law department of a firm in London and in business development at a charity working with offenders and their families. She has held voluntary positions including providing information on issues affecting the LGBT community and representing families contesting a child’s exclusion from school.

In her spare time, Anna enjoys walking, cooking and travelling.