Children – Private Law

9 Park Place is the ‘go-to’ set in Wales for family law, offering extensive experience across the spectrum of family law, at all levels of representation.

Our strong performance, unrivalled reputation on circuit and outstanding client care ensures we are the first choice for matrimonial, financial remedy and public or private children law in Wales.

Our family team boasts a wide variety of specialist expertise – with a market-leading number of Band 1 family law specialists in Wales who offer a balanced split between children work and matrimonial finance. Our Silks include Head of the Family Law team in Chambers, Owen Thomas KC and Kate Hughes KC and John Vater KC.

“First class set of family barristers with wide ranging knowledge and expertise. There is always someone available who is a perfect fit for your case.”

(Legal 500)

“9 Park Place provides a wealth of professional, talented, knowledgeable, approachable and hardworking barristers. My experience of instructing counsel from this chambers is that they always strive to achieve the best possible outcome for the client and they will actively communicate with the instructing solicitor before, during and following the outcome of the case.”

(Legal 500)

Members of our family team are frequently instructed on public children matters of the utmost severity, including sexual abuse, incest, placements and care proceedings.

Barristers routinely deal with complex and/or acrimonious private law children applications, including cases involving allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence, as well as relocation and the removal of children from the jurisdiction (including abduction).

A culture of collaboration

We are proud of the collegiate, supportive environment within the Family Law team at 9 Park Place which ensures our rising stars are mentored by the most senior family law experts in chambers. The culture and sense of pride across the team has helped to embed a consistently high standard of client care and attention to detail across the board. Our reputation for this highly supportive community – as well as an enviable list of clients and attractive new members – ensures the team’s continued reputation as the home for family law barristers in Wales.

“They have always had the highest calibre counsel and excellent administrative support in the family clerks and admin teams.”

(Legal 500)

Our counsels’ reputation is supported by the outstanding and professional family clerking team at 9 Park Place who ‘go above and beyond’ in liaising with instructing solicitors – and act quickly to resolve any challenges. Their down-to-earth approach to clerking, knowledge of the family law market and experience of county courts in Wales is unprecedented and prized by family lawyers.

“The clerking team are extremely responsive and approachable. They have my confidence that they will go above and beyond to assist even at very short notice. Both the barristers and clerks are extremely approachable, personable, efficient and reliable.”

(Solicitor)

“The clerking team is friendly, approachable and flexible. James Watson impresses with his response times and willingness to go the extra mile to match a client with the right counsel.”

(Legal 500)

Exceeding expectations

As the leading family law set in Wales, we are acutely aware of the pressures upon family solicitors and legal teams to quickly determine and instruct the most suitable counsel for their case – with a number of factors at play. Our reputation for exceeding expectations for instructing solicitors is thanks to our proactive, attentive clerking team and transparency on fees and availability of counsel.

Thanks to our Family team’s size, strength and depth of expertise, 9 Park Place can ensure our family members are able cover hearings from the start of proceedings until the conclusion of the case, with consistent representation and clarity on fees from the outset.

“9 Park Place are great communicators and are always transparent with their fee structure. 9 Park Place is the best chambers I have and continue to deal with.”

(Family Law Solicitor)

The broad range of family law specialists on offer at ensures greater access to justice for lay clients and peace of mind for instructing solicitors, as our broad and diverse community of  family specialists ensure we can support any case, strategic approach and client budget.

“Their family law clerks are excellent. They respond very quickly to any requests and are helpful and efficient in accommodating any last minute changes to hearings/meetings.”

(Legal 500)

A number of our members are fluent welsh-speakers who can conduct hearings through the medium of Welsh.