Anna Peaston

Introduction

Anna Peaston is a family law specialist with an established practice in children matters, both public and private. She has experience in dealing with case management hearings, directions hearings, contested removal hearings, urgent applications and multi-day final and fact finding hearings.

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 Hight Court. Notable cases include:

• 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 or 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 for the child in a DOLS application in the High Court in respect of an unregulated placement.
• Acting for a parent and successfully obtaining a supervision order in a matter where the Local Authority was seeking care orders at final hearing.
• Fact finding, case management and final hearings involving NAI allegations, an area 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 requiring an interpreter in a particularly long- running dispute involving expert evidence and allegations of alienation, including at a multi-day final hearing.
• 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 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.