Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 2019
“Alana is an outstanding barrister. Her skills and understanding of the brief are exemplary. She provides a sterling service and is an asset to Chambers”
solicitor at Setfords
Alana Hughes is a busy and sought after junior, with a rising reputation for the quality of her preparation, her ability to establish rapport with her clients and the court and her advocacy which has been described as being far beyond that expected of her call.
Alana’s practice includes regular appearances in the High Court. She is also frequently instructed on cases involving and requiring complex fact-finding or other multi-day hearings.
Alana is particularly known by solicitors who regularly instruct her for her realistic and pragmatic advice, her ability to get to the nub of the issues and her focus on moving forward.
Alana is regularly invited to deliver talks to and speak at seminars for legal professionals on topics of law across the international, public and private children spheres.
Prior to her career at the Bar, Alana worked as a paralegal in a busy family law department working on both private and public law children matters. Alana also worked for an NGO as a support worker for victims of Modern Slavery.
When Alana is not working she is probably reading a book or at the beach with her dogs.
To instruct Alana or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Alana regularly appears in the High Court on cases involving child abduction within proceedings brough pursuant to the 1980 Hague Convention. Alana also appears in matters brought under the Inherent Jurisdiction such as Wardship proceedings.
Other cases with international elements include Alana’s experience working on cases involving Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage Protection Orders.
Alana has a busy public law practice on which she is frequently instructed on complex cases involving international elements such as the assessment of alternative carers who reside abroad, adoption, non-accidental injury and all forms of abuse and neglect.
Alana is compassionate, empathetic and practical when representing vulnerable clients and when involved in cases with vulnerable parties.
Alana is also regularly instructed by Local Authorities and on behalf of children/young people on Deprivation of Liberty applications in the National DoLs Court and on Secure Accommodation Order applications.
Appeal by mother from decision, largely based on hair strand testing, to remove children in interim care from the care of their maternal grandmother.
Alana acts for parents and Rule 16.4 Guardians within private law proceedings that involve a range of complex issues such as domestic abuse, alienation and intractable disputes/implacable hostility.
Alana has extensive experience in cases involving international elements such as those brought pursuant to Article 21 of the 1980 Hague Convention.
Alana is regularly instructed on multi-day fact-find and final hearings within private children proceedings.
Alana also represents parties in injunction proceedings brought under the Family Law Act 1996.
Three conjoined appeals dealing with legal parentage. The court considered the impact of a declaration of non-parentage in the case of a man not married to a child’s mother, who is named on the child’s birth certificate but who is subsequently proved not to be the child’s biological father.
Harcourt Chambers is home to several experts on the law in respect of modern family structures to include surrogacy and the interplay between fertility law and family law. Alana has a keen interest in cases of these nature and is working to build and expand a practice in this area.
Alana has experience in financial proceedings arising for the result of relationship/marital breakdown. She advises and represents clients in cases with assets from the very modest to substantial at FDA, FDR and final hearing. Alana is particularly keen to ensure that clients have an understanding of what they can expect to achieve from proceedings and her advice in respect of the same is realistic and pragmatic.
The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in Re J, Re M, Re P (Loss of Parental Responsibility) [2026] EWCA Civ 344, three conjoined appeals dealing with legal parentage.
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This week Emma Gatland and Alana Hughes, instructed by HRS Family Law, have appeared in the Court of Appeal in a very significant case considering the statutory interpretation of ‘father’ under the…
Emma Gatland appeared in the Court of Appeal today, led by Sam Momtaz KC, for directions in one of three conjoined appeals, dealing with legal parentage. The Court of Appeal…