Kelly is a specialist children and family law barrister with over 19 years of experience. Kelly specialises in public and private children law and represents local authorities, parents, other family members, children, children’s guardians and prospective adopters.
Kelly has been persistently recognised within the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior in children and family law.
Kelly has particular specialism in Care Proceedings and the following types of cases:
- Inflicted injury attribution cases, including but not limited to: single and multiple injuries, head injuries, fractures, alleged bone disease/genetic disorders, bruising, burns, poisoning and fabricated or induced illness
- Complex emotional abuse cases, including parental alienation
- Toxic trio of domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health issues
- Sexual abuse cases, including historical cases.
- Vulnerable clients who have difficulty in giving instructions
- Deprivation of Liberty Orders
- Chronic neglect
- Child trafficking and child sexual exploitation cases, including, across county lines
- Psychological, psychiatric and mental health issues
- Domestic violence
- Designated local authority issues
- Families fleeing the jurisdiction, to avoid local authority intervention
- Care Order applications alongside Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage Protection Orders
- Discharge of Care Orders,
- Revocation of Placement Orders
Kelly is particularly adept at representing vulnerable clients. Kelly has completed the family bar vulnerable witness programme and is experienced in all aspects of achieving best evidence, ground rules hearings and working with advocates and intermediaries.
Kelly is regularly instructed to represent clients with learning difficulties within care proceedings and is particularly skilled at ensuring that adjustments are made via Local Authority compliance with the Good practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability.
Kelly is also vastly experienced in dealing with applications for private Children Law orders, including:
- Child Arrangements Orders, seeking residence or contact, particularly adept at obtaining contact for parents who have had contact unreasonably withheld by the other parent for any length of time.
- Specific issue orders and prohibited steps orders, dealing with relocation or change of school
- Applications for removal / to prevent removal from the jurisdiction
- Child Abduction Orders
- Declaration of parentage orders
- Special Guardianship orders (freestanding and applications by family members for s.8 orders, to challenge the outcome of a Local Authority viability or connected persons assessment)
- Forced Marriage Protection Orders
- Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders
Kelly regularly appears in the High Court or before the Circuit Bench, in matters of complexity. Recent High Court cases of note include:
- Re X (HHJ Furness) Successful urgent out of hours application to protect and return children currently outside of the jurisdiction – habitual residence, Female Genital Mutilation Protection Orders, Tipstaff Orders, Passport seizure and Port Alerts, Orders to HM Passport Service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and request to non-signatory Country to assist in the return of children to the jurisdiction.
- Re X (Francis J) Inherent Jurisdiction and Wardship, Tipstaff orders, Passport seizure and Port Alerts, Orders to HMP Passport service, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, committal proceedings.
- Re X (Russell J) alleged NAI in Adopters Care after adoption order application made, application for ICO and findings sought on new factual matrix.
Kelly has been persistently recognised within the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior in children and family law, Tier 2.
In 2021 she was referred to as “…
In 2022, she was described as “…
In 2023, Kelly was recognised within Chambers and Partners as “……”
- Cardiff University – Bar Vocational Course 2003-2004
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