Emma Spruce

Private Children Law

Emma has a great deal of experience in representing parents in disputes relating to their children. She is regularly instructed where there are serious allegations of domestic and/or sexual abuse such that a separate fact-finding might be required, and/or where there are other safeguarding concerns. She is regularly instructed in internal and international relocation cases, and her financial remedies specialism means she is well-placed to manage cases where there is an overlap between the two. Emma also has experience in the field of surrogacy.

Financial Remedies

Emma is well experienced in assisting clients with the financial consequences of family breakdown. She has a particular interest in financial remedy cases which involve issues of mental capacity. She is firm and robust when she needs to be,, but always pragmatic and maintains a commitment to seeking the right resolution for clients at the earliest stage possible of proceedings.

International Children Law

Emma is regularly instructed to represent parties in international child abduction matters, both in Hague Convention and non-Hague Convention cases. She has appeared led and unled in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal and has experience in dealing with the myriad of specialist issues that occur with the cross-border movement of children.

Publications/Training

She has appeared in a number of reported cases in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, including:
– Re H-N and Others (Children)(Domestic Abuse: Finding of fact hearings) [2021] EWCA Civ 448;
– A (A Child), Re (Enforcement of A Foreign Order( [2022] EWCA Civ 904;
– D v S [2023] EWCOP 8/ EWFC 23;
– Re T (Abduction: Protective Measures: Agreement to Return) [2023] EWCA Civ 1415;
– Re M (A Child) (1980 Hague Convention: Abduction: Article 13(b): Mental Health) [2023] EWHC 3164 (Fam);
– Y (disclosure to MPS) [2021] EWFC B33