Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 1995 / Silk: 2016
‘Aidan is a tenacious advocate; his written documents are always detailed and well-researched and in oral advocacy he will pursue his argument as far as he can.'
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2025
Aidan is a leading silk with a practice that encompasses all aspects of family law including public and private law children’s cases (often with an international element), Court of Protection, conflicts of jurisdiction on divorce, matrimonial finance and cohabitation disputes, and civil litigation arising out of family law (human rights, local authority duties, and negligence). Named as Family Law KC of the Year at the 2023 LexisNexis Family Law Awards, Aidan is known for his calm and collected manner in court, highly persuasive style of advocacy, meticulous preparation, and excellent client care. He combines his expert technical legal knowledge with a practical and empathetic approach to clients. He has a busy first instance and appellant practice and has been recognised in the legal directories for his experience in both matrimonial finance and children law matters.
To instruct Aidan or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Aidan has been described by Chambers and Partners as the “go-to person” for public law issues, including Human Rights Act claims. He acts for local authorities, parents, interveners and children in the most serious fatal injury, non-accidental injury and sexual abuse cases, as well as in cases with jurisdictional and international complexities, or related civil law issues. He regularly advises on the civil law consequences of local authority child protection decisions and service provision.
Appeal by mother against placement orders made in respect of her two youngest children.
Fact-finding in care proceedings. Found that fractures suffered by child were not perpetrated by either parent using force beyond that which it would be reasonable for a parent to use.
Application by local authority for permission to withdraw care proceedings, following receipt of medical evidence indicating that the parents were not to blame for the child’s injuries.
Aidan was instructed by the local authority in this final hearing of care proceedings relating to a three year-old child whose parents are US citizens. All orders sought by the local authority were made. The child was placed with their maternal aunt and uncle in Florida, under a Special Guardianship Order. An earlier hearing AA v BB & Ors [2022] EWHC 2322 (Fam) included a Hague application and a challenge to jurisdiction.
Represented Child A. Care proceedings. Appeal by father of 2 of the children against decision to reopen allegation of sexual assault made against him by one of the children. Appeal dismissed.
Care proceedings relating to two children, issued following death of sibling, who was found to have suffered metaphyseal fractures. Held, threshold not met.
An appeal against a decision that foreign convictions were admissible in evidence and carried presumptive weight that the offence had been committed in fact-finding in children’s cases.
An appeal against findings of fact in a care case.
An appeal against the making of a placement order.
The correct approach in uncertain perpetrator cases.
An appeal by a local authority against the case management decision of District Judge.
Aidan appeared for one of the respondents in an alleged paedophile ring case with over 40 respondents, the judgments in this case are not yet published.
Care proceedings, child with life limiting condition.
The extent of the obligation to ‘put a case’ in cross-examination, and the correct approach to the ‘pool of perpetrators’.
Human rights damages, procedure for issuing human rights claims where there are also care proceedings, and the operation of the legal aid charge.
Necessity of expert evidence, specifically necessity of biomechanical evidence in NAI/head injury cases.
Aidan is very experienced in relocation cases, and in high conflict private law cases generally. He has particular experience acting for children having to navigate these difficulties.
Appeal from a decision to vacate a fact finding hearing in a dispute between parents about the terms of a child arrangements order.
Appeal by surrogate & biological mother against parental order, on the ground that she had not given free & unconditional consent.
Relocation appeal, concerning South Africa.
Relocation case, acting for teenage children who intervened.
Aidan has been described as “a real star” in complex children cases involving jurisdictional disputes and has appeared in a number of international children cases, including at appellant level. He appeared in a number of the earlier contested Article 15 transfer cases, and has been actively engaged in cases in this area ever since, in both public law and private law cases. He regularly appears in child abduction cases with complex legal issues, both at first instance and on appeal.
An application under the Hague Convention 1980.
Article 15 (Brussels II Revised) transfer into the jurisdiction of care proceedings that were started in Ireland.
Article 13b (‘Hague’) grave risk of harm to child if abducting parent returned to home country to face imprisonment for child abduction.
Inherent jurisdiction, asylum rights and welfare assessments in (‘non-Hague’) proceedings for return orders.
Article 11(7) return orders, and ‘trumping orders’ securing the return of children abducted to the EU.
Article 15 (Brussels II Revised) transfer of jurisdiction from England and Wales.
Article 15 (Brussels II Revised) transfer of jurisdiction from England and Wales, local authority obligations to trace family members and confidentiality from family members).
Aidan has an established matrimonial finance practice, and often advises on jurisdictional and cross-border issues, as well as cases where other technical legal issues have arisen. He has appeared in a number of intervener case with trusts, and trusts of land issues. He also regularly appears in cohabitation disputes.
Aidan appeared in a cohabitation dispute involving civil law matrimonial property regimes and the recognition of an Italian judgment under Brussels I Recast.
Divorce, financial remedy and Brussels II Revised lis pendens.
Court of Protection and Medical Treatment
Aidan has an established Court of Protection practice, at first instance and on appeal. He acts in complex cases, at first instance and on appeal.
Aidan appeared in court of protection proceedings where the issues were transfer of care proceedings from the family court, onward transfer of the proceedings to the EU under Art 15 (Brussels II Revised) and whether the inherent jurisdiction could be used to authorise deprivation of liberty before the jurisdiction of the court of protection had been established. The judgment in this case has yet to be published.
"Aidan is very calm and collected and he has the ear of the court. He presents things in a balanced and fair way and is very persuasive."
Chambers UK Bar 2024
"He has great client care and is absolutely meticulous. Aidan is a lovely person to work with as part of a team."
Chambers UK Bar 2024
'Aidan is a very effective advocate with an excellent grasp of the case. He can break down complex evidence and present it simply and understandably. He has the ear of the court and can be trusted in the most difficult of cases.'
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024
‘Aidan is invariably thoroughly prepared for cases and is a tenacious advocate. He is fearless in the face of judicial intervention. In court, he is thorough and determined. His advocacy is calm and quietly persuasive.’
'Aiden is keen and has impressive legal analytical skills. His arguments are extremely well-researched and presented calmly and expertly advanced to the court.’
The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024
“Aidan's advice and representation is of the highest quality.”
Chambers UK Bar 2023
“He's a very measured advocate who doesn't overdo his points but makes them well.”
Chambers UK Bar 2023
Last Friday, the Infant Head Injuries in Child Protection conference held at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford proved to be a significant and impactful event. The conference, aimed at addressing…
Harcourt Chambers announce the full programme ahead of the Infant Head Injury Conference on 21st June 2024.
The conference is to be held at the Ashmolean in Oxford and…
After announcing the ‘Save the Date’ for our first Infant Head Injury Conference, which is to be held on 21st June at the Ashmolean in Oxford, we can now reveal…