Family News

Cop Comm Episode 6 now available

14th July 2023

Episode 6 of Cop Comm, 3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) Court of Protection and community care podcast is now available to download. In this episode, co-presenters Matthew Wyard and Jim Hirschmann discuss two cases from June 2023, Re: Public Guardians Severance Application [2023] EWCOP 24 and appeal case Wiltshire County Council v RB & Ors [2023] EWCOP 26. All episodes of Cop Comm are available to stream via major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music...

3PB Barristers’ family team raises £7,000 for Advocate

10th July 2023

3PB’s group of family barristers have made a donation of £7,000 to Advocate in support of the charity’s work in matching people in need of legal advice with barristers willing to take on cases on a pro bono basis. The sum is the proceeds of the group’s inaugural Family Law Conference which took place in May in the impressive setting of Birmingham’s Council House. The sell-out event raised a surplus thanks to ticket sales and...

Poonam Bhari writes for The Barrister on the impact of case backlogs in the family court

27th June 2023

Poonam Bhari (pictured here), specialist family barrister at 3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) has written for The Barrister on the possible effects that backlogs in family dispute resolution cases can have on both the families involved and the overall structure of family law proceedings. In her article, published in the June/July issue, Poonam highlights the significant backlog of cases within the family courts and explores how early resolution and out of court settlements could help...

New 3PB tenants Elizabeth Porteous and Amanda Fernandez

30th May 2023

3PB are pleased to announce that two barristers Amanda Fernandez and former local authority family law assistant Elizabeth Porteous (pictured here, left to right) have both successfully completed their pupillages today and become tenants at - and members of - the 235-barrister, national chambers. Amanda Fernandez (call:2020) is joining 3PB's London office and accept instructions in property, housing, commercial and personal injury litigation. Elizabeth Porteous (call:2021) is a family barrister based in 3PB's Birmingham office...

Episode 5 of CoP Comm now available

16th May 2023

3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) is pleased to announce that the fifth episode of its CoP Comm podcast is now live and available for download across major podcast platforms. In this episode, host Matthew Wyard is joined by special guest James Pantling-Skeet, Senior Associate at Boyes Turner, to discuss the recent decision of R(HL) v Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as well as sharing views on how the process to challenge community...

Steven Howard successful in opposing appeal in Family Court findings of fact case

12th May 2023

3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) specialist family law barrister Steven Howard has successfully represented the Local Authority in opposing the appeal to reopen a findings of fact case at the Court of Appeal. The case in question, J (Children: Reopening Findings of Fact) [2023] EWCA Civ 465, involved the request by a stepfather to reopen a previous fact-finding case involving sexual assault allegations, made by two of the children, on the bases that the judge...

3PB welcome family barrister Grant Keyes

4th May 2023

3PB Barristers (3 Paper Buildings) is delighted to announce that private and public law children barrister Grant Keyes, from Senate House Chambers in Northampton, is to join its 80-strong team of family barristers with immediate effect. Grant Keyes (2007 call), pictured here, represents parents, children through their children’s guardians and intervenors in a wide range of family law cases at all levels of judiciary including the Court of Appeal. He is often working in cases...

Episode 4 of 3PB’s CoP Comm podcast now live

12th April 2023

The fourth episode of CoP Comm, 3PB Barristers’ (3 Paper Buildings) court of protection and community care podcast is now available to download. This episode, host Matthew Wyard is joined again by fellow 3PB public law barrister Jim Hirschmann, this time to discuss the recent cases of DvS [2023] EWCOP8; and A Local Authority v PG & Ors [2023] EWCOP9. All episodes of CoP Comm are available to stream on major podcast platforms including Apple...

Aimee Fox co-authors briefing on impact of separation for children with SEND

24th March 2023

3PB’s specialist family and education law barrister Aimee Fox (pictured here), alongside law firm Anthony Collins’ associate solicitor Kadie Bennett, have co-authored a briefing in Education Law Monitor focusing on considerations for parents of children with SEN when resolving financial matters in court resulting from separation. According to the latest figures from Statista, 2020 saw 103,592 divorces granted in England and Wales. Separation for parents of children with SEND can present additional complications and worries....

Top South Coast children law solicitor-advocate transfers to 3PB

20th March 2023

Top children expert Nigel Hawkins (pictured here), who qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and has over 25 years’ experience of advocacy in family law and specialises in public and private children proceedings, has joined the 80-strong family team at national chambers 3 Paper Buildings (3PB). A member of the Law Society's Children Law Accreditation Scheme, Nigel is a regular favourite of court-appointed Children's Guardians - and the former head of the Child Care Department...

Elizabeth McGrath KC chairs the Jersey International Child Law Conference

14th March 2023

The second Jersey International Child Law Conference, sponsored by law firm Corbett Le Quesne, was chaired by 3 Paper Buildings' (3PB) family barrister and silk Elizabeth McGrath KC. The conference took place on Friday at The Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel in St Helier. The child law conference was again hugely successful with delegates hearing on both private and public law issues. The theme was “Breaking the Cycle”, with sessions led by lawyers, psychologists and experts...

CoP Comm Episode 3 live now

13th March 2023

The third episode of CoP Comm, 3PB Barristers' (3 Paper Buildings) court of protection and community care podcast is now available. Hosted by Matthew Wyard, each episode covers two or three topics of current awareness, latest jurisprudence, and pointers for practice. The latest episode provides a round-up of recent court of protection and community care news, as well as introducing two guest speakers to discuss the interplay between court of protection, community care and education...