Clerk Details
- Clerk Name: Rob Leonard
- Clerk Telephone: 01202 292102
- Clerk Email: [email protected]
Overview
Shan Parker is a family barrister who joined 3PB in May 2025 from another well-known chambers on the South Coast of England, where she had completed her pupillage in April 2023. Shan works across the whole of the South-West, including Avon and Somerset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.
Shan enjoys a diverse and busy family law practice, focusing on private law children cases and matrimonial finance disputes and including care and adoption matters. In the last twelve months, Shan has been instructed on multi-day matrimonial finance hearings involving issues of dissipation of assets and conduct, and multi-day fact finds including allegations of sexual abuse, coercive control and alienation.
Before joining chambers, Shan worked with the Ministry of Justice (HMCTS) as a family legal adviser in the Magistrates Court so she has worked in courts throughout the South West of England, managing the court schedule and providing proactive, appropriate legal advice to Justices in open court. This saw Shan also helping draw up accurate and comprehensive written reasons for the Justices' decisions and producing written orders and general orders, should parties appear unrepresented.
Whilst completing the BPTC, Shan worked full-time as a litigator and senior paralegal in the national law firm Lyons Davidson for over four years, managing a team of five fee-earners and two CILEX apprentices- alongside successfully running a full caseload of multi-track cases to conclusion, including participating in ADR hearings. This experience helped Shan have an excellent understanding of what solicitors and clients want from their counsel.
Shan is noted for her excellent legal knowledge, practical advice and client care skills. She is praised for her calm and confident manner under pressure, empathetic approach and getting good results for clients. She benefits from regular repeat instructions from a number of reputable law firms and enjoys great working relationships with her instructing solicitors.
Shan was head of mini-pupillage and the co-ED&I officer at her former chambers, and was responsible for partnering with well-known access charity Bridging the Bar, promoting diversity and inclusivity in her previous chambers and in the wider profession.
Shan has volunteered for Bristol Refugee Rights, Bristol Civil Appeals Clinic and Citizens Advice, giving pro bono legal advice to various vulnerable groups of people and now undertakes pro-bono work with Not Beyond Redemption, achieving positive results for her clients.
Outside of court, Shan can be found weightlifting at the gym and going hiking.
Expertise
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Family Add this expertise to your shortlist Family barrister Shan Parker has a broad and busy practice throughout all areas of family law.
Private Children Law
Shan has been instructed on complex private children proceedings, including cases involving fact findings in relation to allegations of sexual abuse, coercive control and parental alienation as well as disputes over international relocation of children.
Recent cases
G v H: Shan was instructed on a matter, a central issue being the identification of those parties with parental responsibility in a same-sex couple, whereby the children were conceived with the use of donor sperm via artificial insemination and natural insemination.
I v J: Shan successfully defended allegations of sexual abuse, achieving a favourable Shared Care Order in a case where the father had not had contact in over a year.
A v B: Shan successfully appealed the decision of Lay Magistrates and secured the return of a three-week old baby who had been taken from the client’s care by the other party.
C v D: Shan successfully defended allegations of parental alienation and making false and malicious allegations of sexual abuse, at a two-day fact-finding hearing before a Circuit Judge.
E v F: Shan pursued and obtained findings of sexual coercion, controlling and coercive behaviours, resulting in a 'no contact' order.
Divorce/Finance
Shan is regularly instructed in in matrimonial finance matters and has particular experience in cases involving the dissipation of assets. Shan recently represented an applicant in a complex 4.5 final hearing, whereby she successfully achieved a favourable outcome for the client who faced allegations that they had hidden and transferred assets to avoid them being included in the matrimonial pot.
Shan has experience of running conduct cases and has achieved positive outcomes at Final Hearing. Most recently she had secured a judgment whereby misconduct was reflected in the split of the matrimonial pot, alongside costs orders for litigation misconduct.
Recent cases
A v C?: Shan successfully pursued an application for notice to show cause, the court endorsing the financial agreement reached between the parties prior to renegade.
F v H?: Shan was recently instructed on a matter than involved the enforceability of a pre-nuptial agreement that was entered into over 25 years ago.
B v D?: Shan achieved a favourable financial result for her client after an 18 months-marriage with no dependents, each having brought existing properties to the marriage. Shan also secured a costs order against the other party, for abusive, derogatory, and threatening correspondence throughout proceedings; the court making a finding of litigation misconduct.
Public law children
Shan also acts in public law children proceedings and has experience acting for parents, Guardians and Local Authorities. Shan has dealt with contested ICO hearings, separation hearings, and Final Hearings.
Recent cases
Re HH [2024]: Shan obtained Interim Care Orders, the court sanctioning separation, in a matter that started in private proceedings, and was described by the Circuit Judge as the worst case of parental alienation they had seen.
Re BB [2025]: Shan was instructed by the Local Authority on a long-standing matter, where the children were placed outside of the family under an ICO, having been subjected to neglectful home environment with parent one and severely alienated from parent two. Shan was instructed to deal with parent two's appeal of the ICO and recusal application, successfully opposing. She continued to be instructed until final hearing, whereby the children were reunited with parent two and proceedings concluded with a 12-month supervision order.
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Recommendations “Shan has been a pleasure to work with on every case I have instructed her on. She is really organised, preparing for cases well in advance and every case I have instructed her on, I have received great feedback from the clients. Shan is also really quick with providing updates following the case which is always appreciated by an instructing solicitor who needs to report to the client. I am always pleased and relieved when Shan is available for a case I want to book her on as I know the client will be in safe hands. Shan’s communication and advocacy is to the point and highly effective. I cannot recommend Shan enough!’
Stephanie Bellchambers, Solicitor and Head of Private Family, Biscoes Solicitors
"You fought very hard with little ammunition due to missing pieces in my bundle and you still won my pension. I will be forever thankful for saving me."
Lay Client
“My Barrister, Shan Parker, was brilliant and I couldn’t fault her one bit for getting agreement to most of my proposals.”
Lay Client
Related News
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3PB (3 Paper Buildings) today welcomed family barrister Shan Parker (call: 2018) who has moved to 3PB from another well-known chambers on the South Coast of England, where she completed her pupillage two years ago. Shan already enjoys a diverse and busy family law practice across the whole of the South and South-West of England, focusing on private law children cases and matrimonial finance disputes as well as care and adoption matters. In the last...
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