Family law – Private law
Members of the team have been involved in cases across the whole spectrum of possible applications and have acquired a high level of competence.
Many of these cases prove to be particularly difficult and intractable, for instance when the parent with care is absolutely opposed to contact to the absent parent or in cases where there are allegations of abuse of the child and the police and social services have 'closed the case'.
Our expert family team is able to provide:
- Advice, written and in person
- Representation and advocacy in court
- Mediation
- Collaborative law
- Arbitration
Our team includes a large number of direct access barristers who are trained and experienced in Public Direct Access relating to children cases.
This covers all areas relating to the care and upbringing of children arising as the result of the end of a relationship through divorce or separation:
- Residence and contact applications
- Disputes over education, medical procedures and changes of name
- ‘Leave to Remove’ and international relocation
- International private law
- Domestic violence and emotional abuse
- High profile cases involving well-known individuals
- Related Family Law Act injunctions, including non-molestation orders and occupation orders)
- Fact-finding hearings
- Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989
- The Child Support Act 1991
Practice areas
Door tennants

Rhys Jones - Head of Chambers
Call to the bar: 1998 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
Conducts cases in both English and Welsh

Matthew Rees KC
Call to the bar: 1996 Gray's Inn. | Silk: 2024
Practice areas
- Family law

Alison Donovan
Call to the bar: 1987 | Middle Temple
Practice areas
- Family law
- Civil law

Joanna Wood
Call to the bar: 1989 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Dominic Boothroyd
Call to the bar: 1991 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Sharon James
Call to the bar: 1995 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
Conducts cases in both English and Welsh

Susan Jenkins
Call to the bar: 1998 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas

Cennydd Richards
Call to the bar: 1999 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
Conducts cases in both English and Welsh

Glenda Owen
Call to the bar: 2002 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
Conducts cases in both English and Welsh

Lucy Leader
Call to the bar: 2002 | Lincoln’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law

Clare Templeman
Call to the bar: 2004 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Simon Stephenson
Call to the bar: 2005 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Iain Alba
Call to the bar: 2006 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Kate Smith
Call to the bar: 2008 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law

Catrin Jenkins
Call to the bar: 2010 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
Conducts cases in both English and Welsh

Patrick Llewelyn
Call to the bar: 2009 | Inner Temple
Practice areas
- Family law
- Civil law

Sara Lewis
Call to the bar: 2013 | Lincoln’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law

Luke Lambourne
Call to the bar: 2007 | Lincoln’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
- Civil law

Natasha Davies
Call to the bar: 2018 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law

Joanna Wilkins
Call to the bar: 2019 | Middle Temple
Practice areas
- Family law

Kira Evans
Call to the bar: 2019 | Gray’s Inn
Practice areas
- Family law

James McCarthy
Call to the bar: 2019 | Gray's Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
- Civil law

Freddie Lewendon
Call to the bar: 2019 | Gray's Inn
Practice areas
- Family law
- Civil law