Fiona specialises in Family law.
Prior to joining Chambers, Fiona already had 10 years’ experience as a Solicitor in England and Wales. She was a partner in private practice in charge of Family and Criminal departments. She joined Chambers in 2002 as a member of the Family Team.
Fiona has an approachable manner with clients and solicitors. She is known as a pragmatic, sensible and forceful practitioner. She deals with clients sympathetically and opponents robustly. She will give realistic and common-sense advice in all circumstances, addressing the best interests of the client whilst, at the same time, adopting a measured approach to accommodate the inevitable emotion and stress experienced by clients in the midst of litigation.
Fiona regularly represents parents, extended family members and children and their court-appointed Guardians in all Family Courts up to, and including, the High Court and the Court of Appeal
Her specialist fields and interests are:
- Non-accidental injuries in children, including “shaken baby” syndrome and other life-treating injuries involving very significant physical abuse i.e., serious internal trauma and multiple fractures
- Aggravated child sexual abuse cases – including family incest and paedophilia
- Factitious and Induced Illness (formerly known as Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy)
- Serious and significant domestic violence between adults and family members including marital and family rape
- Private Law cases including Implacable Hostility resulting in the removal of children into foster care or to the non-resident parent or other family members.
- Emergency Private Law cases such as Removal from the Jurisdiction, Port Alert and Passport Orders
- Cases involving complex mental health issues
- Contact/Residence Disputes
SC v S [2013]. Keehan J – FII case involving representation of a mother who was alleged to have fabricates illnesses and symptoms in an infant child requiring her to undergo Serious and unnecessary medical intervention.
WC v S – successful rehabilitation of 5 children to the care of their mother who was alleged (wrongly) to be a possible perpetrator of 13 fractures to a very young baby. This case resulted in the identification of the person responsible.
AC v H – [2021] successfully resisted the Local Authority application for a Placement Order (the first step in proposed adoption) which would have resulted in the permanent separation of siblings
FC v C – [2021] representation of a mother who had chronic issues with her mental health requiring psychiatric intervention and treatment during the course of proceedings.
WC v B – FGM case where forced marriage, abduction and sexual abuse were alleged.
LLB (Hons) Dip LP – Aberdeen
Solicitor and Notary Public in Scotland
Member of Gray’s Inn