Sophie Rudd

Sophie has a busy practice across all areas of private children law. Sophie receives instructions to represent parents and children at all stages of private law proceedings. Her experience includes appearing on behalf of parents and children at fact-finding and final hearings, in cases involving allegations of coercive and controlling behaviour, physical and sexual harm, parental alienation, and injuries to a child.

Sophie is regularly instructed to advise and represent clients in applications for residence, contact, parental responsibility, and special guardianship orders. Sophie also has experience representing underage clients and clients who lack capacity.

Sophie accepts instructions on behalf of Local Authorities, parents, grandparents and guardians in all aspects of care proceedings, including emergency applications.

Sophie has appeared in proceedings for care orders, supervision orders, placement orders and adoption, with issues including non-accidental injury, substance misuse and neglect.

Sophie is regularly instructed in contentious financial remedy proceedings, providing advice and representing clients from the first appointment all the way through to the final hearing. At the FDR stage, she has experience in negotiating with both legal representatives and litigants in person.

She has acted in matters that have included issues relating to non-disclosure of assets and parties failing to engage in the proceedings.

• Re I – Sophie was successful in securing substantial findings of coercive and controlling behaviour pleaded on behalf of the primary carer following a 3 day fact-finding hearing in private law proceedings, along with non-molestation orders for the primary carer and the children.
• Re P, R and A – Sophie successfully defended a parent facing allegations of physical harm to two children in a 2 day fact-finding hearing in private law proceedings.
• Re Z – In acrimonious proceedings relating to whether a parent could travel abroad with a child with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sophie was successful in obtaining an order permitting the parent to take the child abroad.
• Re M – Sophie represented a parent who was successful in securing orders for overnight contact, parental responsibility and a change of the child’s surname at a final hearing.
• Re H – Sophie represented a 17 year old client in private law proceedings from the first hearing all the way through until final orders were made by consent.

• Cardiff University, Law, First Class Honours (2015-2018)
• University of Law (London), BPTC LLM, Very Competent (2018-2019)

• Kennedy Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2018)
• Residential Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2018)
• University of Law Pupillage Prize, University of Law (2018)
• Law School Prize, Cardiff University (2018)
• Eversheds Prize, Cardiff University (2018)
• Thomson Reuters Law Prize, Cardiff University (2018)
• Cecil Fifoot Prize, Cardiff University (2017)

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