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Barrister profile
Rachel joined chambers following successful completion of her pupillage in October 2019. Rachel predominantly undertakes work within Family Law and Civil Law.
Rachel was called to the Bar in 2017 following her successful completion of the Bar Professional Training Course at the University of the West of England where she obtained an ‘Outstanding’.
Prior to pupillage, Rachel worked as a paralegal in a national firm of solicitors where she specialised in Regulatory Law, consistently working with some of the major Healthcare Regulators.
Expertise
Family: Care & Children
Children Act 1989: Rachel regularly represents applicants and respondents in applications made under the Children Act 1989. These include Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders and Specific Issue Orders. Rachel also has experience in declarations of parentage applications, representing an applicant who wished for a declaration of parentage in relation to a deceased respondent. She is able to accept instructions at all stages of dispute both in the Magistrates Court and Family Courts. She is able to deal with vulnerable parties and those who have been subject to domestic abuse. She is able to manage parties’ expectations, whilst being alive to the stress of their situation. Rachel is also able to deal with urgent applications and has successfully obtained a prohibited steps order on an urgent basis.
Family Law Act: Rachel has experience in dealing with applicants and respondents in domestic abuse matters resulting in non-molestation orders and occupation orders. Rachel has succeeded in obtaining both non-molestation orders and occupation orders on an ‘ex-parte’ basis. Rachel can accept instructions at short notice and is able to handle cases at all stages, both with and without notice. She also has experience in dealing with vulnerable clients.
Chancery and Commercial
Rachel represents both claimants and defendants in small claims hearings in a wide variety of matters. She has experience in cases involving liability in road traffic accidents and credit hire claims.
Rachel also has experience in dealing with cases at case management stage. She has handled case and costs management conferences in Multi-Track Claims and also dealt with case management conferences, interim applications and cost applications on Fast Track Claims.
Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence
Rachel represents both claimants and defendants in MOJ Stage 3 hearings. She has experience in dealing with multiple injuries as a result of and high value claims within the MOJ portal as a result of road traffic accident. Rachel has also dealt with employers’ liability claims. She has represented Claimants and has successfully beaten her own offers leading to costs orders and additional awards being made against the Defendants.
She also has experience in infant approvals and has represented children of all ages.
Property
Rachel has experience in acting in landlord and tenant disputes as well as other property disputes such as orders for sale. Rachel has successfully defended an order for sale being made on a family home in respect of an unpaid debt.
No 18 Resolution
Remote: Private Dispute Resolution (Children Disputes)
Private FDR/Early Neutral Evaluation
Mediation
Remote Dispute Resolution Suite: Round Table Meetings/Joint Settlement Conferences (Employment & Civil Matters)
Merits, Advice, Drafting And Support Package:
Qualifications
- LLB, University of Southampton (2:1)
- Bar Professional Training Course, University of the West of England (Outstanding)
Membership
- The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple (Major Scholar, 2016)
- ADR Group Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator
Awards
- The Luboshez Scholarship, Middle Temple (2016/2017)
- Western Circuit Advocacy Prize (2017)
Personal Info
In her spare time, Rachel enjoys watching football in all leagues, and cooking/baking.
News
- WS v KL [2020] EWHC 2548- Another look on International Relocation
- Coronavirus: Separated Families and Contact with Children in Care FAQs
- Revised Standard Orders in respect of Financial Remedies Cases
- Contact during the Coronavirus pandemic: A reluctance from the Courts?
- Flexible Operating Hours: The future of the courts or a recipe for disaster?
- No.18 Chambers Welcomes New Tenant – Rachel Chapman (2017)