Mai-Ling Savage

“If you instruct her you are in a safe pair of hands as she has strong legal expertise and the quality of her written submissions and skeletons is high. Mai-Ling always gives her all in court.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024

 

Experience

Year of Call: 1998

Education

Bachelor of Divinity, King’s College London
GDL, BPP School of Law
BPTC, Inns of Court School of Law

Profile

Mai-Ling Savage is a highly regarded and experienced practitioner in Family Law, recognised by Chambers and Partners as being “Forceful and totally committed to the client.”

Mai-Ling has a robust practice in Family Law, with expertise in Court of Protection work , Children’s Law (including Public, Private and International cases), care proceedings, surrogacy and assisted reproduction and matrimonial finance.

Children’s Law

Mai-Ling’s practice includes residence and contact disputes, including internal and international relocation, disputes between same sex couples, fact-finding hearings and cases of parental alienation and recruitment of children against a parent by care givers. Mai-Ling has particular expertise in issues relating to surrogacy and assisted reproduction cases in which issues of legal parentage arise.

Mai-Ling has particular expertise in care proceedings involving allegations of non-accidental injury with complex medical issues or disputed medical evidence, sexual abuse (including false allegations of sexual abuse), factitious illness and vulnerable adults. She also has expertise in cases involving forced marriage, FGM and radicalisation.

Examples of recent cases include fractures to an 8-week-old baby, life-limiting injuries to a 6-week-old baby, sexual abuse allegations including a paedophile ring and inter-sibling sexual abuse.

Mai-Ling has recently undertaken a number of cases involving breaches of the Human Rights Act 1998.

She frequently advises in family proceedings concerning immigration and nationality issues as well as international adoptions, transnational care and child placement arrangements.

Financial Remedies

Mai-Ling has a wide experience of financial remedies and appears in courts of all levels including the High Court.

She has also been instructed in applications under Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 and Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees act (ToLATA).

Court of Protection

Mai-Ling has an established practice acting in health and welfare cases for all parties, including health and social care bodies and individuals.

She has undertaken cases that involve best interest decisions, welfare and financial decisions and deprivations of liberty, including contested applications involving fact-finding hearings.

Mai-Ling has acted in cases involving adults with learning disabilities, adults with acquired brain injury and people with dementia, including disputes about residence or contact with family members. She is instructed by the Official Solicitor, individuals and local authorities.

Mai-Ling has particular expertise in cases where there is a crossover with family proceedings, for example, non-consensual marriage.

Mai-Ling is a member of CoPPA.

International Children Law

Mai-Ling is experienced in cases of international abduction, and international adoption. She frequently advises in family proceedings concerning immigration and nationality issues as well as international adoptions, transnational care and child placement arrangements.

Pro Bono Work

In 2015 and 2017 Mai-Ling was shortlisted for Sydney Elland Goldsmith Bar Pro Bono Award, in recognition of an outstanding commitment to pro bono work.

She is a trustee of Wheels for Wellbeing, an award-winning inclusive cycling charity, which helps people enjoy the benefits of cycling regardless of disability, age or health condition.

Publications

Contributor: Emergency Remedies in the Family Courts (Family Law, January 2000)(Chapters: Applications under the Children Act 1989)

‘Revoking an adoption order: unusual and exceptional’ (Family Law, November 2019)

 


Notable Cases

ZH v HS & Ors (Application to Revoke Adoption Order) [2019] EWHC 2190 (Fam)
Application by a child’s birth mother (ZH) to revoke an adoption order made in 2016 in relation to T, now aged 4.

PW and Others v Luton Borough Council [2017] EWHC 3028 (Fam)
The Legal Aid Agency was ordered to pay the claimants’ increased costs which arose as a result of the LAA failing to make a decision as to the applicability of the statutory charge when it could and should have.

SW & TW (Human Rights Claim: Procedure) (No1) [2017] EWHC 450 (Fam)
Proceedings concerning two siblings and involving cross-applications for private law orders, an application by the local authority for public law orders and applications brought under section 7 of the Human Rights Act 1998 for declarations and damages. Clarified the correct procedure for HRA claims in family proceedings.

MZ v RZ Family Division  [2021] EWHC 2490 (Fam)  – Habitual residence; Jurisdiction; Parens patriae; Preliminary issues; Removal from jurisdiction; Return orders

Re X (Children) Court of Appeal (Civil Division) [2020] EWCA Civ 1680 – Care proceedings; Children; Conduct; Findings of fact; Non-accidental injury; Self-harm

Re H-B-S (Children) (Discharge of Interim Care Order) Court of Appeal (Civil Division)  [2020] EWCA Civ 1027  Delay; Discharge; Findings of fact; Risk assessment; Risk of harm

Re A (A Chlld) (Surrogacy: s54 Criteria), Family law; Human rights Children’s welfare; Parental orders; Parents; Relationships; Right to respect for private and family life; Statutory interpretation; Surrogacy; Time limits

Re TS (A Child) (Application to Revoke Adoption Order: Procedure in Non-Urgency Adoption Placement) – Family law; Civil procedure; Local government, Adoption orders; Adoption proceedings; Applications; Family Procedure Rule Committee; Local authorities’ powers and duties; Notice; Parental consent; Relatives; Revocation

Professional Memberships

Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Child Poverty Action Group
Administrative Law Bar Association
CoPPA

Testimonials

“She’s very creative in how she finds solutions.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025

“If you instruct her you are in a safe pair of hands as she has strong legal expertise and the quality of her written submissions and skeletons is high. Mai-Ling always gives her all in court.”

“She’s really good at managing client expectations and tempering her excellent advice with the compassion to make it work.”

“She’s very considered, even-tempered and measured in her approach to cases.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024

“Forceful and totally committed to the client. If she thinks something is right
she stands up and fights for it.” – Chambers and Partners, 2023

“Diligent and detailed in her preparation and presentation of cases.” – Chambers and Partners, 2023

“Mai-Ling was an absolute diamond. I was very satisfied and felt at ease
with her dealing with the proceedings. I would definitely recommend her.
A very big thank you for her efforts.” – Direct Acces Client, May 2023

“I was really happy and impressed with Mai-Ling’s representation… I was feeling really overwhelmed and stressed and Mai-Ling really helped reassure and focus me.” – Direct Acces Client, June 2021