Frances Harris

Call: 2005

"Frances is an excellent barrister, who takes a forward, pragmatic approach with clients whilst also having an eye for detail."
Solicitor

Frances has a mixed family law practice. She is well liked by her clients for her reassuring and empathetic manner. She delivers focused advice: with a keen eye for the practical in addition to the legal. Frances will adeptly negotiate a settlement out of court or fight her client’s corner with tenacity in court, as required. She enjoys, and is appreciated for, a collaborative and tactical approach to the shaping of cases.

Her cross examination is impressively effective: meticulously prepared with a keen eye for detail and delivered in a gently persistent and persuasive style that finds favour with Judges and gets results.

To instruct Frances or for more information…

Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk

Practice Areas

Frances is regularly instructed on behalf of parents, Local Authorities and Children’s Guardians and has also represented the Official Solicitor. She has extensive experience in dealing with the full range of public law cases involving sexual abuse, domestic violence, mental health issues, non-accidental injury, over chastisement, chronic neglect and substance abuse and parents with significant learning disabilities. Frances also frequently undertakes adoption work for Local Authorities.

Notable Public Law Children cases


OCC v D, E and F (supervision order after non-accidental injuries) [2020] EWFC B64 (09 November 2020)

Frances undertakes a full range of private law children proceedings for parents and rule 16.4 Guardians. She is pragmatic and sensitive in her approach yet able to deliver robust advice when required, and always has the needs of the child uppermost in her mind. Where possible she seeks to avoid protracted litigation for her clients but has a wealth of experience in long running and entrenched contact and residence disputes. Frances’ tenacity and ongoing encouragement has secured many of her clients orders allowing them to spend time with their children where this did not at first appear a likely outcome. Frances is recognised for her deft cross examination skills repeatedly challenging the opposing parent and Cafcass reports with success.

Frances’ practice often involves cases which feature domestic abuse, sexual abuse and intractable contact disputes.

In financial remedy work Frances has wide ranging experience from those where the assets are modest and the challenge is to re-house both parties to those involving considerable assets. She is often instructed where there are children and financial proceedings in parallel and so is able to offer welcomed continuity to the client and reassurance that she has oversight of the case as a whole.

Frances is qualified to accept instructions directly from members of the public under the Direct Access Scheme in appropriate circumstances.

Related News

Frances Harris talks about Autism at the upcoming Oxford Local Family Justice Board seminar.

We are thrilled to announce that Frances Harris will be speaking at the upcoming Oxford Local Family Justice Board event on 8th February.Frances is highly regarded for her expertise in…

Frances Harris – ‘the importance of recognising autism early in public law proceedings’.

Frances Harris, in her latest publication, debunks the myths surrounding autism and highlights the importance of early identification of autism, whether for parents or children, in public law children proceedings.…

Congratulations to our London Legal Walk team for reaching their fundraising target

Huge congratulations to our fantastic London Walk team; Alicia Collinson, Cecilia Barrett, Alison Williams, Frances Harris, Natasha Miller, Fazeela Ishmael and Alana Hughes, who successfully completed the 10k route and raised…

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