Practice Areas
- Court of Protection - Vulnerable Adult
- Inquests and Inquiries
- International Children Law
- Private Children Law
- Public Children Law
Direct Access
Awards
‘Sam is a class act. Her cross-examination is insightful and highly effective. She is a tour de force.’
Legal 500, 2025
‘She is all over the brief, all over the detail, incredibly articulate and has achieved some incredible results on her client’s behalf.’
Chambers and Partners, 2025
Experience
Year of Call: 1990
Year of Silk: 2018
Education
BA (Cantab)
MA (Law) Selwyn College, Cambridge University
Qualified for admission to the New York Bar 1989
Appointments
Master of the Bench, Middle Temple 2019
Profile
Sam is a specialist family barrister. Sam’s main area of practice is in children’s law. She is regularly instructed in the most complex private and public law cases.
In public law she represents all parties in cases involving allegations of sexual abuse and allegations of non-accidental injury. She is instructed where there is a child death, psychiatric ill-health and where there are allegations of factitious and induced illness. Sam regularly appears where there is a need to challenge medical experts and where the medical evidence is complicated.
In private law Sam advises and appears in intractable contact cases, where shared residence is in issue and where there are allegations of domestic abuse where PD12J is in issue.
Sam is also instructed in cases involving surrogacy and modern families.
She is the co-author of A practical guide to Parental Alienation in public and private law cases (2023):
She is highly respected for her strong advocacy skills, comprehensive knowledge of the law and attentive client care.
Private Children Law
Sam successfully combines a private and public law practice. She frequently represents clients in the most complex private law children’s cases. Her experience in public law matters makes her adept at dealing with private law cases where there are safeguarding issues or where there is a need for a fact-finding hearing.
Sam has a reputation for providing sympathetic and clear advice. She is renowned for her client care skills and ability to work as part of a team.
Sam has had a long and enduring interest in surrogacy and modern families and continues to work in those areas.
Sam is regularly instructed in cases where there are disputes about child arrangements. Some of those involve issues of domestic abuse, including controlling and coercive behaviour, allegations of alienating behaviours, problems with addiction.
Sam has extensive experience of cases involving internal and external relocation.
Public Children Law
Sam is an expert practitioner in public law. She is instructed by all parties in the most serious and complex public law cases where there are allegations of sexual abuse and allegations of non-accidental injury. She is instructed where there is a child fatalities, psychiatric ill-health and where there are allegations of factitious and induced illness. Her cases usually involve parallel criminal proceedings.
Sam regularly appears where there is a need to challenge medical experts and where the medical evidence is complicated. She has developed a strong reputation for her understanding of medical issues and experience of cross-examining experts.
Sam regularly represents clients with cognitive and learning difficulties, who are young, vulnerable or assailed by mental health problems. Her recent cases have involved the representation of subject children/minors who face allegations.
When representing local authorities, Sam brings an incisive and forensic eye to her cases. She enjoys a reputation for being firm but pragmatic.
International Children Law
Sam is instructed to appear in cases in respect of the international movement of children, including in the field of public law.
Inquests and Public Enquiries
Sam has appeared in behalf of core participant in both the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and the Covid Inquiry. In both contexts she has worked within and as part of a team.
Professional Memberships
Middle Temple
FLBA
ALC
Directories
“She is all over the brief, all over the detail, incredibly articulate and has achieved some incredible results on her client’s behalf.”
“Samantha is always a joy to work with, providing sound and pertinent advice. Her ability to take on complex and often difficult cases makes life as a solicitor so much easier.”
“She’s really effective in court. Her advocacy is excellent. She makes the point without being forceful.”
Chambers and Partners, 2025
‘Sam is a class act. Her cross-examination is insightful and highly effective. She is a tour de force.’
Legal 500, 2025
‘Sam stands out amongst her peers as a stellar advocate. Her oral advocacy is incisive and compelling. When she cross-examines lay witnesses, there is no escape when she has a particular point to make. When she cross-examines expert witnesses, it is clear that she has an excellent understanding of complex medical issues.’
Legal 500, 2024
“Samantha King is an excellent heavyweight children law barrister.”
“A very calm and skilled advocate.”
“She is an amazing silk and her presence in court is extraordinary. Her preparation is immaculate and she has the confidence and knowledge of the law you would expect from someone of her standing.”
Chambers and Partners, 2024
“Samantha King is a force of nature in the courtroom, who’s hard-working and brilliant in terms of cross-examination.”
“A persuasive and forceful advocate, she’s really respected by judges so when she speaks they pay attention, which is really important when you have a difficult case to argue.”
Chambers and Partners, 2023
“A born advocate who is persuasive and incredibly quick on her feet.” “She’s responsive, leaves no stone unturned and gives clear advice to her clients.” “She is formidable and organised when acting for guardians in private law cases.”
Chambers & Partners, 2022
Renowned family barrister in high demand due to her deep knowledge of public and private law cases, both at home and abroad. She exhibits strength in the most serious public law cases, including those concerning issues of alleged radicalisation and sexual abuse, and also has experience in private law issues relating to non-traditional families and surrogacy.
Strengths: “Exceptionally good with clients, robust in court, and someone who fights your case.” “She meticulously reads through all the papers and gets her head round all the detail. Her written work is excellent and she is compelling in court.” “A team player who delivers advice of an excellent standard.”
Recent work: Acted in RJ v Tigipko, representing children involved in High Court international abduction proceedings. The case concerned an application to the court for the abducting mother and maternal grandfather to be publicly named in order to secure compliance with orders requiring the return of the children from Ukraine to England.
Chambers & Partners, 2021
“She’s so thorough, and knows her papers inside and out. Not pompous at all in her approach, she can catch witnesses off-guard and pick up on the slightest discrepancy. In any case handles she can pull out and highlight weaknesses in a really clever way.” “She is meticulous in her preparation and extremely good on medical cases. She’s got great client care skills, is excellent in cross-examination and will think outside the box.”
Chambers & Partners 2020