Practice Areas
- Court of Protection - Vulnerable Adult
- International Children Law
- Private Children Law
- Public Children Law
Dispute Resolution
Direct Access
Awards
‘Dorothea is a forceful advocate and makes robust arguments. Her advice is direct and pragmatic, remaining focused on the key points and cutting through to the central issues in the case.’
Legal 500, 2025
‘Dorothea is committed, excellent and very generous with her time and knowledge. She’s outstanding.’
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 2004
Year of Silk: 2023
Education
Cambridge University MA Modern Languages
CPE London Metropolitan
BVC ICSL
Languages
French and German
Appointments
Recorder (Public and Private law Family) South Eastern Circuit
Case reviewer Advocate
Profile
Dorothea specialises in the law in relation to children. Over the last few years she has continued her particular interest in cases concerning alleged parental alienation and in re-establishing direct contact through Court intervention for children and parents where there has been no contact for several years.
In private law work Dorothea is regularly instructed in cases involving international and internal relocation of children and families and has experience of dealing with Hague and non-Hague jurisdictions on both temporary and permanent applications for removal from this jurisdiction.
Her practice covers all areas of legal parenthood involving adoption, surrogacy and the legal recognition of parental status.
In public law care proceedings she is instructed on behalf of Local Authorities, parents and most often on behalf of the children through their Children’s Guardian in the most serious types of care proceedings involving allegations of sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, serious injury and honour based violence. She has a continuing particular interest in questions of the Court’s jurisdiction in public law cases with an international dimension.
Dorothea sits as a Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit.
She is instructed to appear at all levels of Court and has been involved in several cases in the Supreme Court.
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association
Association of Lawyers for Children
Inner Temple
Affiliate Member of Resolution
Directories
“Dorothea is committed, excellent and very generous with her time and knowledge. She’s outstanding.”
“No nonsense, always thoroughly prepared and someone who gets to the heart of the issue without fuss. She drives a case forward with focus and her advocacy is understated but devastating.”
“She manages clients’ expectations in very difficult circumstances and is also listened to by judges.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025
‘Dorothea is a forceful advocate and makes robust arguments. Her advice is direct and pragmatic, remaining focused on the key points and cutting through to the central issues in the case.’
Legal 500, 2025
“Dorothea is always fully prepared and an attractive advocate. She puts her case forward very ably but also in a moderate, effective way.”
“Her technical knowledge and advocacy are second to none, and are combined with excellent client care.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
‘Dorothea is always loved and trusted by clients. Her down-to-earth manner is refreshing and puts clients at ease. She is excellent in court. She is tenacious and will fight her client’s corner to the bitter end.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Very good on private law children and modern family surrogacy matters, she’s adept at handling the technical points of law and cross-examination. She has a subtle, understated and effective style.”
“Very authoritative and a wonderful advocate.
Chambers and Partners, 2023
‘Dorothea is extraordinarily intuitive with clients, wise as to outcomes and solutions and a great lawyer. She is a constructive but tough opponent, dedicated and persistent, determined to ensure every effort is made to find the right solution.’
Legal 500, 2023
Top Tier
“An effective advocate who brings real empathy to cases and has a razor-sharp knowledge of the law.” “She is forensic and dedicated to understanding bundles. Her cross-examination is calm, measured, thoughtful and incisive.” “Her technical knowledge is excellent. She is always meticulously prepared, supportive of both solicitors and clients, and amazing on her feet.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
Band 1
‘ Committed and tenacious. An outstanding advocate. ’
Legal 500,2022
Top Tier
Private and public law practitioner focusing on complex children issues, domestically and abroad. She is active in matters involving the international movement of children, and has particular experience in surrogacy and jurisdictional dispute work.
Strengths: “An utter pleasure to work with and a true team player. Her written submissions are outstanding, and she is incredibly committed to her cases.” “A calm, measured, professional and reassuring advocate.”
Chambers & Partners, 2021
Band 1
‘Is just cleverer than anyone else in the room – and yet there’s no pomposity. She is incisive and, whilst mastering detail, is able to stand back from it to see the essentials of a case.’
Legal 500, 2021
Top Tier
Private and public law practitioner focusing on complex children issues, domestically and abroad. She is active in matters involving the international movement of children, and has particular experience in surrogacy and jurisdictional dispute work.
Strengths: “She always thinking about what’s going to work for her clients once she’s in the courtroom. Everything she does is focused on not just getting what her client wants, but also what’s going to improve their lives.” “Meticulous, and someone with good judgement, she’s very good at driving points home and she presents them in an extraordinarily persuasive way.”
Chambers & Partners 2020
Band 1
‘Is understated and polite in her advocacy which hides the deadly questions.’
Legal 500, 2020
Top Tier
Private and public law lawyer focusing on complex children issues, domestically and abroad. She is particularly active in matters involving the international movement of children, and has a growing reputation in surrogacy and jurisdictional dispute work.
Strengths: “She is an exceptional barrister, who takes on a brief and immediately seems to alleviate the anxieties of her client. Her comprehensive knowledge, finely tuned empathy and pragmatic judgement allow her to swiftly get to the heart of a complex issue, and more often than not she finds a resolution to problems.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
‘An excellent advocate but thoroughly modest with it.’
Legal 500, 2019
Private and public law lawyer focusing on complex children issues, domestically and abroad. She is noted in particular for her expertise in cases involving issues of parentage. She has a growing reputation in surrogacy and jurisdictional dispute work.
Strengths: “Dorothea Gartland inspires confidence in clients and comes across as a kind and caring individual. She really does the absolute best for all her clients and does everything she can to win the case.”
Chambers & Partners 2018
‘She has an incredible eye for detail.’
Legal 500, 2017
Private and public law lawyer focusing on complex children issues, domestically and abroad. She is noted in particular for her expertise in cases involving issues of parentage.
Strengths: “She is a tenacious advocate who readily gets to grips with tricky, gritty cases. She is particularly recommended for her work with alternative family structures.”
Recent work: Represented the intervener Health Trust Barts in a case in which the applicant sought a declaration of parentage that he was the father of the child his partner had conceived at a fertility clinic.
Chambers & Partners 2017
‘She has a human touch while being professional and formidable in court.’
The Legal 500, 2016
‘She is extremely diligent, getting immediately stuck into heavyweight, complex cases.’
The Legal 500, 2015
‘A safe pair of hands in heavyweight, demanding and complex cases.’ Recommended as a Leading Junior in the area of Child Law
The Legal 500, 2014
Recommended as a Leading Junior in the area of Child Law
The Legal 500, 2013
Dorothea Gartland possesses ‘considerable intellectual acumen, and is extremely thorough’.
The Legal 500, 2012