Our work covers all areas of family law, with particular expertise in the following areas:
Call: 1997 / Silk: 2020
'Jonathan cross-examines in a gentle but devastating way. He's also a genuinely nice person who connects with people.'
Chambers UK Bar 2027
Jonathan is widely recognised as one of the leading advocates at the Family Law Bar. With over twenty years of experience in children and financial work he is known for his intellectual rigour, clarity of his advocacy and approachable manner, he has been consistently ranked for many years in both the Legal 500 and Chambers UK.
Jonathan has appeared in numerous reported appeal and first-instance cases. His ability to assimilate complex facts and to marshal arguments under pressure and his determination to pursue his clients’ cases are hallmarks of his approach to the intellectual and emotional demands of this area of litigation.
To instruct Jonathan or for more information…
Call: 020 7353 6961
Email: clerks@harcourtchambers.co.uk
Public Law Children & Care Proceedings
Jonathan specialises in cases involving serious injuries, child death and litigation involving abuse overlapping with criminal investigations and proceedings. Jonathan has extensive experience of successfully challenging medical expert evidence through cross-examination. He is known for his meticulous preparation and breadth of knowledge in the field. He has lectured with leading medical experts and provided advice to New Scotland Yard on investigation of child death cases. He is also regularly instructed as a single joint expert in public law cases withan international dimension as well as advising and appearing on judicial review and Human Rights Act claims overlapping with public law proceedings.
Care proceedings. Local Authority unable to prove allegation against father that he had sexually abused one of the children.
Fact-finding in care proceedings, concerning serious head injuries suffered by child.
Hearing focused on the balancing open justice and protecting the children’s anonymity through the terms of a transparency order.
Care proceedings concerning 2 children aged 15 & 10. Parents found to have caused them significant harm & care orders made. Held that the parents should not be identified.
Appeal by local authority from dismissal of application for a placement order.
A hearing to decide whether the anonymised fact-finding judgment should identify Emily Waters as the perpetrator of the children’s injuries.
Final fact-finding to establish who had inflicted serious injuries to baby twins. The pool of possible perpetrators consisted of; the parents, two paid carers and the maternity nurse.
Appeal by local authority against refusal to make placement orders in respect of two young children.
Local Authority v A Mother [2024] EWHC 2680 (Fam) (23 July 2024): Application by local authority for declarations designed to keep adoption secret to protect Muslim Pakistani mother, the child having been born out of wedlock.
Local Authority, supported by the mother and the Guardian, appealed a care order which provided that a child, currently living in foster care in England, should move to live with his father in Italy.
Appeal by mother against findings in care proceedings that she or the father had inflicted injuries to the child.
Appeal by mother against a care order made in respect of her 9 month-old son.
Fact-finding hearing in care proceedings concerning a one year old child who had two broken ribs and a history of unexplained marks.
Fact-finding in care proceedings, concerning cause of injuries to younger of two children.
Second appeal by LA from decision by circuit judge allowing an appeal against findings made by a deputy district judge in care proceedings involving 4 children.
Represented local authority in care proceedings. Judgment considering which threshold issues remained in dispute and whether they should be litigated at a final, contested hearing.
Order of Judd J authorising a local authority to proceed with an adoption favoured by the parents without first assessing the paternal grandmother as a potential carer.
An appeal by a local authority against the case management decision of District Judge.
Jonathan’s private law work covers the spectrum of private law work, from those involving intractable disputes between parties to those where international or internal relocation is the key issue. A tenacious negotiator and advocate, Jonathan combines this with a sympathetic and accessible manner with clients, earning him repeat instructions for many years from leading firms where the complexity of the issues has resulted in lengthy litigation. His approach to this work ensures that he is on hand to assist in steering the approach to litigation out of court as well as at contested hearings.
Appeal by father against refusal to order that child move from mother to him.
Jonathan regularly appears in the High Court in wardship and abduction cases, as well as those involving recognition and enforcement of orders across borders. He has lectured in, and regularly receives instruction as a joint expert on international issues within care proceedings.
An application under the Hague Convention 1980.
Family Finance & Financial Remedy
Jonathan’s experience in this field over two decades has led to a specialism in high net-worth cases, particularly those involving substantial company assets, complex pension arrangements, offshore finances and family trusts. He has substantial experience in a range of ancillary issues, including contested issues over non-matrimonial assets, applications to set aside, and international enforcement of orders.
'Jonathan's client skills are exceptional.' 'Jonathan is immensely persuasive and charming in court.'
Chambers UK Bar 2027
'Jonathan is an outstanding advocate. His ability to remain calm and measured in the face of significant challenges from the court, opponents, and clients is second to none. His knowledge of the relevant law is exceptional.'
Legal 500 UK Bar 2027
Jonathan is an exceptionally gifted barrister. Jonathan is a people person who is able to calm the most challenging of clients. He is always well prepared and gives his all to achieve positive outcomes for clients. As an advocate, Jonathan has a unique way of explaining things in court that is easy to follow, to the point, and done with the swagger of a confident advocate. I cannot recommend Jonathan highly enough.
Legal 500 UK Bar 2027
'Jonathan assimilates large bundles of material in short timescales to set out strengths and weaknesses for the client in proceedings concerning complexity and vulnerable parties.'
Legal 500 UK Bar 2027
'Jonathan is always exceptional; he is the most erudite advocate, and his written documents are brilliant.'
Chambers UK Bar 2026
'Jonathan is the most erudite advocate and has an exceptional knowledge of the law. His written documents are brilliant.'
'Jonathan's mind is like a Rolls-Royce engine, superbly purring at all times, with extra power available to negotiate even the most arduous of legal terrain.'
'Jonathan is an excellent barrister who has a particular talent for making the most complex of cases seem straightforward.'
'Jonathan is tactically very astute; he tenaciously pursues his client's case.'
Chambers UK Bar 2026
We are delighted to announce that Harcourt Chambers and a number of our members have been shortlisted as finalists in the prestigious 2025 Lexis Nexis Family Law Awards in the…
Nick Goodwin KC was instructed by the Appellant Local Authority and Jonathan Sampson KC, leading Rachael Banks, represented the Third Respondent maternal grandmother in A (A Child) [2025] EWCA Civ 424; an appeal by a local authority against the…
Jonathan Sampson KC led Alicia Collinson, they appeared on behalf of the Local Authority. Alex Forbes, instructed by Sills and Betteridge, represented the Third and Fourth Respondent children in R &…