Barrister Profile

Public Law Children: Care Proceedings and Adoption

During pupillage, Helen gained experience observing counsel acting for Local Authorities, Guardians and parents. She has seen multi-day fact finding and final hearings and had exposure to emergency protection orders, interim care orders and represented a client in a discharge of care order application.

Private Law Children: Contact and Residence disputes under the Children Act 1989

Helen regularly represents applicants and respondents in applications made under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Helen has experience in applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders, Specific Issue Orders and Special Guardianship Orders.

Helen has represented clients from initial hearings through to contested final hearings. Helen has experience of representing clients in multi-day hearings and matters which involve domestic abuse, vulnerable parties, allegations of parental alienation, and those which have required the involvement of the Local Authority and/or Children’s Guardians.

Domestic violence & injunctions

Helen frequently represents both applicants and respondents who are involved in Family Law Act 1996 proceedings. She has extensive experience in applications for non-molestation orders and occupation orders, including where those applications are linked to Children Act 1989 proceedings.

During Helen’s pupillage, she had significant exposure to matrimonial and financial work with her supervisor. Helen now regularly appears for applicants and respondents at First Appointments, Financial Dispute Resolution hearings and Final Hearings concerning financial provision, including interim and final applications.

Helen has gained extensive employment law experience when previously working for the Free Representation Unit. This involved advising and representing clients in tribunals on issues such as: unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages, breach of contract, holiday pay, discrimination, and National Minimum Wage issues.

During pupillage at No18 Chambers and now tenancy, Helen has a growing employment law practice and accepts instructions in all aspects of tribunal work.

In July 2023, Helen appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal pro bono and was successful in having the appeal dismissed: The Sports PR Company Ltd v Ms Valentina Londono Cardona [2023] EAT 110.

Helen is developing her experience in multi-day hearings for example representing a Claimant in a 5-day trial dealing with disability discrimination; and was recently successful in representing a Respondent in a 3-day trial involving issues of unfair dismissal encompassed in Human Rights Act 1998 claims. Helen has also successfully represented a Claimant to obtain their full schedule of loss at a remedy hearing following a rule 21 judgment.

Helen is building her experience in cohabitation and TOLATA claims, as well as Inheritance Act matters.

Helen represents clients at possession hearings and injunction applications. Helen has been successful in representing Claimants by obtaining an urgent injunction to prevent nuisance or annoyance, as well as obtaining outright possession due to a Defendant’s significant anti-social behaviour.