Year of Call: 2003
Clerk: Lesley Haikney

A member of the Family Law Bar Association, Kate practices solely in family law with the majority of her work involving public law care issues and private law contact and residence disputes.

Kate has a sensitive yet firm approach making her a firm favourite with both local authorities and parents alike. She frequently represents parents in public law cases and handles residence and contact disputes in private law cases. She also represents local authorities and guardians in public law cases and undertakes some privately funded ancillary relief work.

Some of Kate’s most recent notable cases include involvement in the first instance decision of one of the cases which went on to become one of the leading authorities on the choice between special guardianship and adoption. She also represented a guardian before the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court in a case involving the child’s removal from the jurisdiction to France. The case involved the interplay and conflict between the Hague Convention and Brussels (II) R Regulations.

Kate was educated at Risca Comprehensive School and Gwent College of Further Education before going on to study at the University of Oxford and Cardiff University.