Practice Areas
Dispute Resolution
‘Alison is an effective advocate, measured in her approach and tactical.’
Legal 500, 2025
‘Her drive to secure the best outcome in every situation and her endless energy means she is a force to be reckoned with. She has become my go-to for complex cases.’
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 1990
Year of Silk: 2015
Education
LLB (hons)
Appointments
Recorder –Family Public and Private Law 2012
Previously Assistant Coroner Hertfordshire
Previously Assistant Coroner Mid-Kent and Medway
Profile
Alison has specialised in the law relating to children, Private and Public law for 20 years after a Common Law practice in Crime and housing; the former giving plenty of forensic and cross examination experience and the latter giving her considerable experience in Judicial Review practice and procedure.
Alison is regularly instructed in all aspects of Private Law children work in which she is frequently instructed in cases involving complex factual backgrounds such as: allegations of physical or sexual abuse of children, particularly where the court is considering the veracity of the child’s account, parental influence/fabrication, ABE interviews and contamination etc; mental health issues; substance misuse, allegations of domestic violence and/or coercion and control and where experts have to be cross examined or where the case has significant forensic detail. Her Public Law experience in this respect gives her a real advantage as does dealing with cases in which children are separately represented and her experience of dealing with child witnesses. She has particular expertise in allegations of parental alienation, and is regularly instructed in international relocation cases.
In Public law, Alison is renowned for her expertise in medical cases particularly deaths involving allegations of inflicted head injury, surviving catastrophic head injuries and fractures especially with issues of Vitamin D deficiency. She regularly cross examines medical experts on their hypotheses undertaking medical research at the Institute of Child Health and challenging experts on their research base. She has undertaken joint seminars with the leading experts in the field. This expertise has also been used to great advantage in cases involving allegations of Fabricated or Induced Illness and she has undertaken a number of such cases for all parties. Alison has sat as an Assistant Coroner which has given her additional insight and knowledge. Her cases often involve concurrent criminal proceedings and she is therefore highly experienced in issues of disclosure and PII. Press injunctions are often required given the nature of the cases and she is therefore well versed in the law and procedure relating to them and media management generally. The remainder of Alison’s Public law practice is serious sexual abuse including inter-generational and inter-sibling abuse in which she has good experience of dealing with child and other vulnerable witnesses; radicalisation cases; adoptions; Special Guardianship Orders and local authority duties towards children including Judicial Review and HRA claims for damages on behalf of children and parents.
Alison regularly provides seminars on both Private law and Public law issues and the Voice of the Child including for Resolution.
Professional Memberships
Bar Pro Bono Unit
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Lawyers for Liberty
Co-opted member of FLBA sub-committee 2009
Family Mediation Assocation
Directories
“Alison is an effective advocate, measured in her approach and tactical.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Alison Grief is the queen of medical cases. Her grasp of medical data and science is unsurpassed.”
“Her drive to secure the best outcome in every situation and her endless energy means she is a force to be reckoned with. She has become my go-to for complex cases.”
“She is clever and strategic and persuasive. She makes mincemeat out of opponents.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025
“The way she works with us is fantastic; she is very supportive.”
“Alison has a very forensic knowledge of the law.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
‘Alison’s advocacy is second to none. She advocates with clarity and authority, and her ability to think on her feet to respond to anything her opponent or the judge may say is simply first-rate. Her powers of persuasion in the courtroom are world-class.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Alison Grief is really personable, really determined and never afraid to make the points that need to be made no matter how unattractive the propositions may be to the court. She’s really engaged in her cases and gives it her all. Really discerning in her advocacy, she knows what’s a good point to make and also proves dogged in her determination. She doesn’t drop an issue if she thinks it’s important and her cross-examination skills are really good.”
“Alison is someone who’s tenacious, really passionate, and actually cares about client outcomes – clients pick up on that.”
Chambers and Partners, 2023
‘Alison’s preparation, application of case law and research is meticulous. Her advocacy is extremely persuasive, and she can turn around and win an argument on numerous occasions purely on her oral advocacy. Her cross-examination skills, especially of expert witnesses, are second to none.’
Legal 500, 2023
Children law specialist who offers her services for the most complex cases. She demonstrates noted expertise in those matters requiring expert medical evidence, and has a particular specialism in cases regarding head injuries. She has a strong private and public law practice and represents clients in alleged fabricated illness cases among other serious issues affecting children.
Strengths: “Well prepared, has great instincts and knows the law backwards.” “She works tirelessly for her clients – the amount of effort she puts in and her ability to quickly assimilate thousands of pages of material is impressive.” “Her greatest strength lies in her ability to represent young, vulnerable mothers. She shows warmth and empathy towards them.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
‘Alison is a formidable barrister. She is exceptionally bright and has an encyclopedic knowledge of case law. Her client skills are exceptional. A class act.’
Legal 500, 2022
Children law specialist who offers her services for the most complex cases. She demonstrates noted expertise in those matters requiring expert medical evidence, and has a particular specialism in cases regarding head injuries. She has a strong private and public law practice and represents clients in alleged fabricated illness cases among other serious issues affecting children.
“Brilliant. She understands the psychology of cases, and cross-examines and extracts information in an impressive way.” “Alison Grief is a medical queen, and her dedication to her clients is beyond belief.” “Her attention to detail is astonishing. She remains completely calm under pressure, leaves no stone unturned and has a planet-sized brain.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
Has a work ethic which really is second to none. She has the ability to understand the psychology of a case which is critical to piece together the factual matrix in the complex medical/injury/abuse cases which she undertakes. She is also an excellent advocate.’
Legal 500, 2021
“She has an incredibly strong work ethic and really cares about her cases and those she represents, many of whom are vulnerable. Any client who is fortunate to acquire Alison’s services should realise how hard she works, how important that client is to Alison and that nothing will be missed or forgotten in preparation or conduct of the hearing. She is an excellent advocate with the ear of the court and a formidable negotiator.”
“She’s hard-working, forensic and a lovely person to work with.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
‘Is exceptionally thorough, intelligent, great eye for detail and has an incredible grasp of complex medical issues.’
Legal 500, 2020
Children law specialist who offers her services for the most complex cases. She demonstrates noted expertise in those matters requiring expert medical evidence, and has a particular specialism in cases regarding head injuries. She has a strong private and public law practice and is noted for her handling of alleged sexual abuse cases and those concerning other serious issues affecting children.
Strengths: “She has excellent analytical skills, a great grasp of complex medical evidence and is someone who deals with clients in a sensitive and calm manner. She is helpful to those instructed, goes out of her way for the client, and produces advocacy that is amazing to watch.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
‘Exudes authority in court.’
Legal 500, 2019
Children law specialist who offers services in complex children cases and demonstrates noted expertise in those matters requiring expert medical evidence. She has a strong private and public law practice and is noted for her handling of alleged sexual abuse cases and those concerning other serious issues affecting children.
Strengths: “She is at the top of her game, an amazing advocate and someone with a mind that is as sharp as a razor. She’s so forensic in her approach but at the same time she’s got a really lovely, warm manner with clients.”
Chambers & Partners 2018
‘She takes a forensic approach to every case and leaves no stone unturned.’
Legal 500, 2017
Children law specialist who offers services in complex children cases and demonstrates noted expertise in those matters requiring expert medical evidence. She has a strong private law practice and is noted for her handling of alleged sexual abuse cases.
Strengths: “She works exhaustively to ensure the very best result for her client. She is a specialist in non-accidental medical cases.”
Chambers & Partners 2017
‘Always a first choice for any complex medical children matter; she has excellent forensic analysis.’
Legal 500, 2016
A new addition at silk this year, who shows real passion for her client’s cause. Her practice covers both public and private children law and she is highly regarded for her medical knowledge.
Strengths: “She has the ability to get straight to the heart of complex matters, particularly those involving medical issues. She is meticulous in her preparation and her attention to detail.”
Chambers & Partners 2016
Has a broad practice that encompasses complex areas of public and private law children matters, including allegations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, the death of children and international relocations.
Expertise: “Has the ability to grasp complex medical evidence and get straight to the issues. Alison is very experienced in complex cases, particularly those involving deaths of children. She is extremely hard-working, thorough and very approachable.”
Chambers & Partners 2015
Principally focuses on public law disputes and is well versed in all areas of children matters, from deaths and non-accidental injuries to fabricated/induced illness and sexual abuse cases.
Expertise: “Absolutely phenomenal, she’s an expert in her field. She makes you feel like you are with a heavy hitter. Watching her perform in court is amazing.”
Chambers & Partners 2014
Alison Grief enters the rankings for the first time after receiving strong feedback from the market. She practises exclusively in children law, concentrating in the main on public law cases such as sexual abuse and non-accidental injury. Sources relate that “she works extraordinarily hard on her cases and goes to the nth degree in terms of detail.” One esteemed QC labelled her “a silk in the making.”
Chambers and Partners 2013