Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 2019
Damian Broadbent regularly represents clients in both children and financial remedy cases. He is often instructed by local authorities, parents, guardians, intervenors and police forces.
Damian routinely acts in cases turning on contested factual and expert evidence and involving difficult findings of fact. Damian has been successful in bringing and challenging serious allegations such as rape and sexual assault, historical physical and sexual abuse, and serious non-accidental injuries, including head injuries. In his first three years of practice Damian undertook criminal trials in the Crown Court where he honed his abilities as a cross-examiner and witness handler.
In 2022 Damian was invited to Sierra Leone by the Chief Justice of Sierra Leone as part of a delegation of four lawyers. Damian, together with the Justice Teresa Doherty CBE, Professor Saul Lehrfreund MBE, and HHJ Heywood met judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and High Court of Sierra Leone. Damian advised on the creation of a sexual offences model court.
To instruct Damian or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Damian has extensive experience of representing local authorities, parents, guardians, intervenors, and separately represented children. He has experience in the following areas:
Damian is known for taking a hands-on approach to the preparation of his cases; he works closely with his professional client to provide careful assistance throughout the proceedings. He is often instructed to review schedules of allegations and witness statements before they are finalised.
Damian represented a local authority which sought findings that a young baby sustained a skull fracture and was shaken. The case involved complex medical evidence from a variety of disciplines, including neuroradiology, neurosurgery, haematology, paediatrics, and psychiatry. All the other parties were represented by senior junior counsel. The court made all the findings sought by the local authority.
Damian successfully represented a grandmother accused of inflicting several fractures to a young baby’s arms and legs. Under cross-examination by Damian, another party admitted for the first time that they had caused the injuries.
Damian represented a father who faced allegations of historical rape and physical abuse against the children. The court dismissed all the findings and the children were placed in his care.
Damian has experience representing parents and guardians. He has experience in the following areas:
Damian represented a mother faced with an application for an enforcement orders and costs. The application was abandoned after Damian’s skeleton argument was served making it clear that the application was legally unsustainable.
Damian represented a client in contempt proceedings who had breached undertakings he had given to the court. The breaches involved harassment of the most serious nature, including accessing a covert listening device in the former matrimonial home. Damian was closely involved in the preparation of the case. At the final hearing Damian was able to negotiate an agreement which included the other side abandoning their contempt application.
Damian successfully represented a mother bringing allegations of rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and physical abuse. The client was extremely vulnerable and had mental health difficulties. The case involved a large amount of medical evidence.
Damian has experience in financial remedy cases involving the following areas:
Damian represented an applicant wife at a multi-day final hearing. The case involved extensive argument about the husband’s limited company, including a s.37 MCA application in relation to shares in the company.
Damian represented an applicant wife at a multi-day final hearing. The case involved material non-disclosure by the husband. Following cross examination, the court was satisfied that the husband held property outside the jurisdiction and also held significant deposits of gold which he had not disclosed.
Damian represented a respondent husband facing an application to enforce a PPO and hold him in contempt. Damian persuaded the court to discharge the PPO and remit the payment of arrears. The court also struck out the contempt application due to a procedural defect identified by Damian.
Damian represented an applicant wife in a case involving parties who had been married twice. The case involved consideration of the validity of a consent order made following the parties’ first divorce on which the husband sought to rely even after the parties re-married.
Damian represented an applicant wife at a final hearing seeking a financial remedy following her divorce. After detailed cross-examination by Damian, the court was satisfied that the respondent husband had not provided full and frank disclosure to the court. The court was also persuaded that the husband’s pension which was accrued completely before the marriage should be shared with the wife.
Harcourt Chambers is delighted to announce that Damian Broadbent has joined our esteemed team of barristers. Damian comes to us from KBW Barristers’ Chambers, bringing with him a wealth of…