‘Kate is an exceptional barrister. Her strength lies in her encyclopedic knowledge of the law and medicine, with her empathetic approach to her clients. She is excellent at mastering the most difficult cases and has every page of her papers at her fingertips. Her advocacy is a masterclass in cross-examination.’
Legal 500, 2024
Experience
Year of Call: 1985
Year of Silk: 2006
Education
LLB (Soton)
Languages
French
Profile
Kate’s practice covers the full range of public law children work and with over 18 years in Silk she has developed a skill base which covers all forms of non-accidental injury, fabricated or induced illness behaviours, domestic abuse and sexual abuse. Kate represents parents with wide-ranging challenges, with a particular interest in learning disabilities, and has been commended on her ability to manage parents who struggle with the adversarial process. She has significant experience in dealing with parents who need assistance through interpreters and cases where the cultural expectations and norms are different from those commonly encountered and parents who are vulnerable for a range of reasons. Kate seeks to make complex medical issues accessible for parents and to show how the ‘pieces in the jigsaw’ fit together so that parents can understand what is being alleged and why and how the fine detail can make the difference between a child returning home or not. Kate is regularly instructed in cases involving the death of a child where client care is complicated by bereavement and where the proceedings are taking place against a backdrop of parallel criminal proceedings, often with parents who are remanded in custody and with whom preparation and conference time is limited. Kate places a high priority on client care skills and meticulous preparation, seeking to ensure that every client is able to engage fully with proceedings likely to have a far-reaching impact on their private and family life.
Professional Memberships
Family Law Bar Association
Western Circuit
Inner Temple
FLBA Committee – 2011 – 2017
FLBA Fees Sub-Committee – 2011
FLBA Training, Diversity and Social Mobility Sub-Committee – 2011
Directories
“Extremely well prepared and thorough, and she deals with the most difficult and complex cases. Formidable with her cross-examination! Very approachable and communicates well with the clients.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025
“Kate is an exceptional barrister. Her strength lies in her encyclopedic knowledge of the law and medicine, with her empathetic approach to her clients. She is excellent at mastering the most difficult cases and has every page of her papers at her fingertips. Her advocacy is a masterclass in cross-examination.”
Legal 500, 2024
“Her client care skills are excellent – she can get information nobody else could and clients always feel looked after by her.”
“Always handles her cases pragmatically and ethically.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
‘A consummate professional who combines a razor-sharp intellect with a graceful, sensitive and kind manner. She has a natural ability to put her lay clients at ease.’
Legal 500, 2022
‘Kate is just a class act – from forensically detailed cross examination of expert medical witnesses to intuitive, empathetic exploration with a vulnerable witness, she can turn her hand to anything. ’
Legal 500, 2023
‘Unflappable when under even extreme pressure.’
Legal 500, 2020
‘Her humanity and warmth shine through in her client care.’
Legal 500, 2019
‘She is equally at home with a fiercely direct style as with the “iron hand in velvet glove” approach.’
Legal 500, 2016
Recommended as a Leading Silk in the area of Children Law
Legal 500, 2012
Recommended as a Leading Silk in the area of Children Law Chambers and Partners since 2022.