Rachel is a specialist family law barrister providing advice and representation in all aspects of children law and family finance matters. Rachel has extensive experience in both private law and public law matters and is instructed to represent both professional and lay clients.
Rachel studied History at the University of Nottingham obtaining a First Class Honours degree before going on to study the Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP University in Bristol and obtaining a Distinction. Rachel obtained both the Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship and the Lord Denning Scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn prior to commencing the Bar Professional Training Course, followed by the Buchanan Prize on completing the course as a result of obtaining an Outstanding grade. Rachel successfully completed her pupillage and accepted a tenancy with Chambers in September 2018.
Whilst studying on the Bar Professional Training Course Rachel volunteered at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Cardiff, advising people across a range of areas including housing, budgeting, benefits and debt. Prior to joining Chambers Rachel worked as a County Court Advocate.
Rachel has extensive experience in private law matters and appears before all levels of the judiciary. Rachel is frequently instructed in complicated multi-day private law matters including fact-findings and final hearings. Rachel’s cases involve allegations of parental alienation, domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, as well as emotional, physical and sexual harm towards both adults and children.
Rachel frequently appears in cases involving both internal and international relocation, non-molestation and occupation orders, specific issue and prohibited steps orders.
She is often instructed to represent professional clients such as Children’s Guardians.
Rachel also has considerable experience of representing vulnerable clients. Rachel has experience of separately representing children who have not yet reached the age of 18 as well as a number of clients who lack capacity which has required sensitive client handling and liaison with the official solicitor.
Rachel is regularly instructed to represent a range of clients in public law matters including parents, grandparents, guardians and Local Authorities. In particular Rachel has represented parents facing allegations of substance misuse, non-accidental injury and neglect.
Rachel receives instructions to represent both applicants and respondents at all stages of financial remedy proceedings, up to and including contested final hearings. Rachel has particular experience in Financial Dispute Resolution hearings, evidencing her negotiation skills required to ensure a positive outcome for her client.
Rachel also has experience of ancillary applications such as enforcement applications, applications for disclosure, and applications for LSPOs.
- Re J, J & I – Rachel was successful in securing significant findings of physical and sexual abuse against the other party in a 4 day fact-finding hearing in private law proceedings.
- Re Z & A – Rachel successfully represented the Local Authority at a 4 day final hearing where threshold was in dispute. All contested threshold findings were made by the court as sought by the Local Authority.
- Re C, C & B – Rachel represented a Mother in a complicated and sensitive multi- day final public law hearing where all three children had additional needs with the eldest child suffering from a life limiting condition.
- Re B – Rachel represented a young man who opposed his biological father’s application to reverse the making of an adoption order in favour of his step-father. The client was successful and the adoption order remained in place.
- Re TE & RE – Rachel was successful in obtaining a possession order within financial remedy enforcement proceedings and securing a costs order against the other party.
- Re J – Rachel was successful in advocating that the court did not have jurisdiction to make a non-molestation order against a person who has assessed as not being ‘wookey’ competent in accordance with the case of Wookey v Wookey [1991] 3 WLR 135.
- BA Hons History, University of Nottingham, First Class Honours (2014)
- GDL, BBP University, Distinction (2015)
- BPTC, Cardiff University, Outstanding (2016)
- Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2015)
- Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2015)
- Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn (2016)
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