Practice Summary
Sam is regularly instructed, both on behalf of Local Authorities and Respondents, to proceedings in public family law matters. Sam also has experience acting on behalf of clients with difficulties in giving instructions and those from different cultural backgrounds.
Sam also has great experience in acting on behalf of parents in private family law proceedings, including multi-day contested hearings on Child Arrangement orders. He regularly accepts private instructions in private family law matters.
Notable public law cases include;
In the High Court
Acting in a fact finding hearing for a parent alleged to have conspired to have a drug dealer shot. The parent was found to have no role in the attempted murder.
Acting for a Local Authority in a matter where a Father had murdered a Mother.
Acting for a Local Authority in a case involving alleged parental alienation of such severity that the public law threshold was crossed.
In the County Court
Acting on behalf of a party in the pool of perpetrators for a non- accidental injury to a non-ambulant child. After a nine day final hearing with evidence from two experts, the client was cleared of causing the injury. During this case Sam was commended for his cross examination of an adult with cognitive difficulties, who was later found to be in the pool of perpetrators.
Acting for a Local Authority in a complex matter involving the relocation of a child subject to an interim care order to Scotland.
Sam also has a busy private law practice and a particular specialism in private law fact finding hearings on allegations of domestic abuse. He also accepts instructions on a direct access basis in this area of work.