Family News

Former senior family judge Martin Dancey joins 3PB

10th January 2023

We are delighted to announce that former Circuit Judge His Honour Martin Dancey, pictured here, is to join 3PB with immediate effect. An Associate member of chambers, Martin Dancey will be accepting appointments as a Private FDR Judge and is offering a conciliation and early neutral evaluation service in private law children cases, helping families find solutions. Hamish Dunlop, Head of 3PB's Family Finance team, said: "As the Designated Family Judge on the South Coast,...

3PB welcomes family barrister Komal Patel

2nd December 2022

3 Paper Buildings (3PB) is delighted to welcome family barrister Komal Patel [2016 call] from Senate House Chambers in Northampton, who earlier had established a successful practice on the South-East Circuit. Komal Patel, pictured here, has a busy practice in family disputes (private and public law children), often involving complex facts and serious allegations of domestic abuse, and also has a strong practice focused on matrimonial finance. She has an interest in cases involving mental...

Poonam Bhari represents mother in complex case of court mandated care order

29th November 2022

3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) specialist family law barrister Poonam Bhari (pictured here), has expertly represented a mother in a complex case relating to welfare decision. The case of Oxfordshire County Council v A Mother & Ors [2022] EWFC 141 involved a 15-year-old (identified as C) who, under s. 20 Children Act 1989, was accommodated by the local authority from the age of 12, with consent of the parents. The court was to decide whether...

Eleanor Marsh joins 3PB family team

21st November 2022

3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) are delighted to announce today that specialist family barrister Eleanor Marsh, whose busy practice focuses on private law children and financial remedies (including TOLATA) work, has joined 3PB from St Ives Chambers and will practice from 3PB’s offices in Birmingham and Oxford. Eleanor Marsh (call: 2016), pictured here, already has a strong practice acting on behalf of both parents and children (through their rule 16.4 Guardian) within private law proceedings...

Former 3PB barrister appointed Silk in Australia

3rd November 2022

3PB (3 Paper Buildings) are delighted to announce that their former family barrister Eleanor Mallett SC (nee Davies), pictured here, has just been appointed a Silk in Australia. She gets sworn in next week. The barrister, who retains strong links with 3PB, emigrated to Australia in 2013 and is now a member of Svenson Barristers in Melbourne. 3PB counts another UK-Australian qualified barrister Philip Bambagiotti, an international arbitration and construction expert, among its members. Having completed...

Nicola Frost writes on pre-nuptial agreements and the '28-Day Rule'

30th October 2022

3PB's specialist family law barrister Nicola Frost (pictured here), is the author of A Practical Guide to Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements. She has recently written for the Family Law Journal on whether the court should automatically disregard agreements that fail to adhere to the '28-Day Rule'. The article explores the parameters of the colloquially known '28-Day Rule', alongside relevant case law and considers the effect of not abiding by this 'rule'. The article was first published...

Aimee Fox writes for Target Jobs on Life at the Family Law Bar

27th October 2022

3PB’s specialist family and education law barrister Aimee Fox (pictured here) has written for Target Jobs on what students may expect from working at the Family Bar. The piece is aimed at prospective pupillage applicants ahead of the upcoming pupillage application period and details the main aspects of the role of family barristers. Offering advice on the skills needed to succeed in the area, Aimee gives guidance on the role of a family barrister as...

3PB’s Emma Harman appointed as part-time Deputy District Judge

24th October 2022

3PB (3 Paper Buildings) are delighted to announce that family barrister, Emma Harman (pictured here) has been appointed by the Lord Chief Justice as a part-time Deputy District Judge on the Western Circuit to sit within the Civil and Family Jurisdiction. Emma was called to the bar in 2003 and is a member of 3PB’s 80-strong team of family barristers at the national chambers. She joins an array of part-time judges and Recorders who also...

Another strong performance for 3PB’s Family Law Team in Chambers & Partners 2023

20th October 2022

3PB Barristers is delighted to report another strong performance by its Family Law team, this time in Chambers and Partners’ 2023 edition published today. With a total of 19 rankings, the team achieves Band 1 in both Family Children and Family Finance in the Midlands and retains its Band 2 ranking in Western. The client and peers feedback received by each of our individual barristers is testament to the depth and wealth of talent available...

3PB excels with 73 rankings in Chambers and Partners 2023

20th October 2022

3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) has been awarded a record number of rankings in the latest edition of Chambers and Partners with a total of 73 accolades for its barristers. The national heavyweight chambers achieves its rankings in London, South Eastern, Western and the Midlands - in 18 categories of law. Earlier this year, 3PB also celebrated its first ranking in Chambers and Partners High Net Worth guide. Click here to view the full results...

Family barrister Harriet Lavis moves to 3PB

7th October 2022

Family law barrister Harriet Lavis, pictured here, has moved to 3PB (3 Paper Buildings) from Guildford Chambers where she has been since completing her pupillage with the set. A former paralegal with Bevan Brittan, Harriet spent over a year on secondment at the Department of Health and is now a private law children and family financial disputes expert. Harriet already has a strong family law practice focused on private law children, family finance disputes, domestic...

3PB welcomes four new pupil barristers

3rd October 2022

National chambers 3 Paper Buildings (3PB Barristers) has welcomed four new pupil barristers to its 230-strong barrister ranks today. The four pupils starting their twelve-month pupillages, pictured left to right from the top, are: former in-house energy lawyer Poppy Watson  who will be focusing on commercial litigation and arbitration; former in-house lawyer and domestic violence and disability campaigner Liz Adams who will be focusing on family law alongside property/other civil areas; former law firm PA Emma...