Introduction
Lauren joined St Philips in October 2022, accepting tenancy in October 2023. Her practice encompasses all areas of public and private law children work, including matters under the Family Law Act 1996.
Prior to commencing her pupillage, Lauren was a Caseworker at the National Centre for Domestic Violence. She worked with a variety of applicants regarding a breadth of sensitive issues, both factually and procedurally, including that of capacity.
Lauren also worked as a paralegal for a large firm of solicitors in Derby before attending Bar School. When later studying the BPC, she volunteered at the University of Law Legal Advice Clinic.
In her spare time, Lauren enjoys theatre, dog walks, and criticising heel leads and over-whipped meringues on Strictly Come Dancing and The Great British Bake Off without any dancing or baking experience of her own.
Care
Lauren appears on behalf of local authorities, parents, connected carers, and children in care proceedings and has conducted a number of multi-day fact-finding and final hearings, including those concerning non-accidental injury. She has represented vulnerable individuals, with clients deemed not to have capacity and so requiring the assistance of the Official Solicitor.
Lauren has also appeared in the High Court in cases raising difficult issues around deprivation of liberty and terrorism-related activity.
Recent Cases:
- Recently instructed as junior counsel for a parent in the Court of Appeal in a case raising complex and legally significant issues in relation to parental responsibility.
- Instructed as junior counsel in the High Court for a parent in a case involving significant injuries, including bruising and fractures, to a non-mobile baby.
- Currently instructed as second junior counsel in the High Court for a parent in a lengthy fact-finding hearing involving multiple families and numerous allegations of sexual abuse.
- Acted for a parent with significant cognitive functioning difficulties, who required the assistance of an intermediary, in a case involving substantial bruising to a non-mobile baby.
- Instructed on behalf of a parent who, unusually, required multiple assessments of her capacity to instruct a solicitor, providing continuity of representation throughout the proceedings due to the parent’s significant level of vulnerability.
- Represented a mother in an application brought by the local authority to discharge care orders in favour of a special guardianship order to the children’s current carer. The court departed from the local authority and the guardian, dismissing the application and directing key work be completed by the local authority with the mother and children.
Private Children
Lauren represents parents, grandparents, and children in all stages of private law children proceedings. She has conducted a number of significant fact-finding hearings, including hearings involving complex allegations of sexual abuse as well as those calling for sensitive consideration of cultural and religious matters. This also includes applications for forced marriage protection orders.
She also has experience dealing with contentious final hearings concerning issues such as parental alienation and international relocation.
Recent Cases:
- Currently instructed in Family Law Act proceedings in the High Court where both parties are children, and the Court is to determine questions of leave, associated persons and litigation friends in relation to children. The Attorney General has been invited to intervene in relation to the legal issues raised.
- Instructed as second junior counsel for a parent in an international abduction case (from the United Kingdom to a non-Hague Convention country) in the High Court.
- Represented a mother from the commencement of proceedings through to conclusion. This included a four-day fact-finding hearing whereby the father faced allegations of child sex abuse with such findings made, and several substantial interim hearings involving contested applications. The matter finalised with no contact between the child and the father.
- Acted for a parent at a three-day fact-finding hearing at which they faced allegations of serious physical and emotional abuse. Proceedings concluded with a shared care arrangement.
- Acting pro bono, Lauren represented a grandmother to obtain a Live with Order for her granddaughter, the court therefore departing from the recommendation of the local authority.
- Acted for a mother in a four-day fact-finding hearing whereby the court was concerned with sensitive cultural considerations, including the allegation that the mother had attended and exposed the children to exorcisms. No findings were made against the mother and proceedings concluded on indirect contact only between the father and the children.
Education
LLB (Hons) – 2:1 (University of Nottingham)
LLM in Bar Practice – Distinction (University of Law)
Bar Practice Course – Outstanding (University of Law)
Appointments and Memberships
Middle Temple
West Midlands Family Law Bar Association
Family Law Bar Association
Senior Advocacy Scholarship, University of Law (2020)
Certificate of Honour, Middle Temple (2023)
