Victoria acts for clients in relation to matters involving children, including where they should live or how much time they spend with the other parent and in cases where a specific issue needs to be determined, such as choice of school. Victoria often acts in complex cases which may involve social services or an intractable dispute where the children are joined to the proceedings. She understands the sensitive nature of children proceedings and will explain all options available to resolve the matter from alternative dispute resolution through to court proceedings.
Victoria also has particular expertise in acting for grandparents or other parties who are looking after children who aren’t their own and need to formalise these arrangements by way of a Live With Order or Special Guardianship Order. Victoria also assists client with non-molestation and occupation order proceedings.
Victoria also deals with financial issues relating to separation.
Victoria has dogged determination
Counsel
Victoria is calm and knowledgeable
Private client
Expertise
- Disputes about where children will live
- Disputes about how often children spend with the other parent
- Specific Issues and Prohibited Steps Applications
- Cases involving domestic violence, substance abuse or intractable disputes
- Applications for leave to remove children from the jurisdiction and defending them
- Special Guardianship Applications (either privately issued or as interveners in care proceedings)
- Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders
- Financial consequences of relationship breakdown
Experience
- Acted for a mother accused of parental alienation where the high-profile father’s abusive behaviour had been largely ignored. Secured a Live With Order on behalf of the mother, supervised contact with the father and a successful specific issue order in relation to the mother’s choice of school.
- Acted for a mother accused of Fabricated or Induced Illness in relation to her child.
- Successfully applied on behalf of the mother to relocate to New Zealand.
- Successfully applied for a Special Guardianship Order on behalf of a grandparent for baby twins despite a negative report from Social Services.
- Acted in a number of step-parent adoptions.
- Assisted on the case of AC v DC & Ors [2012] EWHC 2032 which dealt with the consequences, particularly the tax consequences, of a s.37 Avoidance Order and on the financial remedy and related proceedings.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
“Victoria knows papers back to front” Legal 500 2017
Career
Victoria qualified as a solicitor in 2009. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, she worked at the following firms:
- Brachers
- Rix & Kay