Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams

Called to bar: 
2013
Lincoln's Inn

Jessica joined Chambers as a tenant in 2017 following successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Dyfed Thomas (Crime) and Matthew Rees (Family).

Prior to commencing pupillage Jessica worked as a Litigation Assistant and Advocate at a Solicitor’s firm in the Gwent area. Jessica worked with a wide range of departments including family and care, commercial, personal injury, clinical negligence and dispute resolution. The dispute resolution department covered social security and landlord & tenant matters, debt recovery, actions against the police, boundary disputes and enforcement. Her duties were split between advocacy and assisting in litigated and non-litigated matters which involved drafting advice and pleadings.

Jessica now has a broad practice accepting instructions in private law and public law children matters, ancillary relief, small claims, fast track claims, prosecution and defence cases and personal injury and other civil matters.

Practice Areas

Family law

Private Children

Jessica represents both Applicants and Respondents before all levels of the Judiciary at the county court at all stages of private law proceedings. Jessica has represented clients in respect of conciliation, directions hearings, dispute resolution appointments, enforcement proceedings, deliver up orders and final hearings in respect of live with and spend time with Orders. Jessica further represents clients in respect of non-molestation orders both on notice and on a without notice basis.

At a two day Final Hearing Jessica represented the Respondent Mother with whom her children lived. The Applicant Father sought a live with order and the section 7 report compiled by the social worker recommended the same. The report was insufficient in considering the sibling attachment and the positives of the Respondent Mother’s parenting fully and therefore Jessica conducted complex and extensive cross-examination of both the social worker and the team manager.

Public Children

Jessica represents the Local Authority, Respondents and the Guardian in a wide variety of public law matters including interim care order applications in emergency and non-emergency scenarios, case management hearings, C2 applications, Part 25 applications, issue resolution hearings and final hearings. Jessica has appeared before all levels of the Judiciary at the county court and has dealt with a variety of issues which arise during such matters including threshold, separation, neglect, non-accidental injury, concerns in respect of interim and final care plans, special guardianship orders, supervision orders, care and placement orders. Jessica has further represented parties in respect of applications for leave to apply to the court under section 10(9) of the Children Act 1989. Jessica further provides written advice on such matters. Most recently providing advice to a children’s Guardian in respect of the transfer of a care order from one Local Authority to another.

Jessica recently represented a Respondent Mother at an issue resolution hearing who owing to a failure to engage had not filed her final evidence. Jessica took detailed instructions upon the parenting assessment and final evidence of the Local Authority in order to provide a hand written statement covering the Respondent Mother’s position at the court door. The Judge was thereafter open to further evidence being filed as to the specifics elements of the Local Authority case which remained to be challenged at the final hearing.

Ancillary Relief

Jessica represents both Applicants and Respondents in respect of ancillary matters at all stages of proceedings including first directions appointments, financial dispute resolution hearings and final hearings. Jessica has prepared statements of issues, chronologies and case summaries in preparation for the aforementioned hearings.

Jessica recently represented an Applicant Wife at a first directions appointment in a case where on separation five years previously the majority of the matrimonial assets where split outside of the court arena. The matrimonial assets were split with a disparity in favour of the Applicant Wife. These matrimonial assets consisted of the former matrimonial home, chattels and the two companies which existed until separation. The matrimonial assets which remained to be divided were the Respondent Husband’s pensions. The difficult issue for the parties and the court was how to appropriately deal with the initial division of assets given the conflicting views of the parties in respect of the reason for the disparity. Detailed submissions were required in order to fully understand the parties’ positions and careful directions were required in order to ensure that as much documentation would be available for the financial dispute resolution hearing on the next occasion.

Criminal law

Jessica represents the Prosecution and the Defence in the Magistrates and the Crown Court before all levels of the Judiciary. Jessica has represented the Prosecution and Defence in the Magistrates Court in respect of sentencing, bail applications, case management hearings, pre-trial reviews, trials of issue and trials in Newport, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Swansea, Llanelli, Haverfordwest and Llandrindod Wells. Jessica has represented the Prosecution and the Defence in the Crown Court in respect of committals for sentence, appeals against sentence, bail applications, sentencing, mentions, applications to vacate trial dates, proceeds of crime act applications and plea and trial preparation hearings in Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Inner London Crown Court. These covered a wide variety of offences ranging from theft and driving without due care and attention to environmental cases and historical rape.

Jessica has recently represented a Defendant in a trial at the Magistrates Court who faced allegations of driving without due care and attention which resulted in a pedestrian being knocked down by their car and suffering significant injuries. The pedestrian was in a coma for eight weeks and had an extensive recovery period. Jessica was required to cross examine the pedestrian on her level of alcohol intake and safety on the road. Jessica was able to do this sensitively whilst properly representing her client in regard to the points which had to be made. Furthermore, a police officer provided expert evidence in respect of the case which required complex cross examination in an attempt to undermine the same.

Civil law

Jessica represents Claimants and Defendants in respect of small claims and fast track claims. These include personal injury matters in addition to road traffic accident claims. Jessica represents clients at hearings involving applications for pre-action disclosure, stage 3 hearings, trials in respect of disputes over liability and in respect of disputes over quantum including credit hire matters and general damages. Jessica further represents both Claimants and Defendants at infant approval hearings. Jessica provides written advices in addition upon merit and quantum in such cases on a private paying and conditional fee basis following review of the papers.

Jessica represents both Claimant and Defendants in matters concerning possession, rent arrears and other debt matters. Jessica has represented clients in respect of re-determination hearings, possession hearings, applications to suspend warrants and charging orders.

Jessica has further provided written advice in respect of contract and land law disputes including law of bailment, rights of way and those between landlord and tenant.

Memberships 
  • Wales and Chester Circuit
Education 
  • LLB. (Hons)